The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-01-07

rnourdipg for her dead as If they were
all members of one common family.
In the Trcquois theatre disaster Of
Wednesday there were more people
from Kenosha than from any other
city outside of Chicago itself. A com
p1ete list of those present is as follows:
Mr.. ard Mrs. II. s. VanIugen and five
children, Grace, Ned, Jack, Margaret
and Elizab beth, Chas. Cooper, Willis
Cooper, Frank Slosson, Miss Edith
Brown, William Yule. Mrs. Henry
Dickhaut, and Miss Derbyshire. OF
these Mr.. and Mrs. VanIngen are at
the Presbyterian hospital in Chicago,
severely burned, their five children
are all dead, and the two Cooper broth.
ers are dead. The others from Keno
sha escaped without 10 jury.
William YuIe Proves to be a Hero.
William Yule, a son Of George A.
Yule superintendent of the Balm Wag-
on Co., of this city, was home from his
work in Harvard University aud with
two of his college chums was at the
theatre. His seat was in the second
row of the parquet circle. In describ-
ing the FIRE and its origin he is quot
ed as saying:
"The first thing that noticed was
that few sparks.were falling from the
upper part of the wings at the right
hand side of the stage. turned to
my friends and said that we had bet
ter get out. took my hat and coat
and walked quietly up the aisle and
got to the entrance before there was a
rush of any kind. My friends had not
followed. WhenssI reached the entrance
| turned around and looked back at the
stage just in time to see the flames
burst from under the asbestos curtain
that was at that time half way down.
Then the rushsand screaming began.
| took one old woman who had fallen
into my arms and carried her outside
the building. came back and worked
my way into the building and up to
the turn in the aisle at the back of the
theatre. The aisle narrows at this
point and women we're constantly fall
ing in the crush. / stood at this point
and picked up the falling women as
they went down aud started them on
the way to the entrace. guess there
must have been least fifty women
that fell at this point and that I was
able to pick up and start on their way
"a hn INA ~
came too intense took one woman in
my arms and started myself for the
exit and managed to work my way out.
The sights that I saw I shall never
forget and the screams Of the children
for their mothers and the mothers for
their children I shall carry in my mem
DRY to my dying day. In going
through the morgues afterwards look
ing for the missing saw sights that
were heart rending but it was as moth
ing compared with the sights and the
screams that heard in the theatre"
MIR. SlossonsD describes Starting of the Fire.
Mr.. Slosson says: "The chorus was
on the stage singing and dancing
when first noticed peculiar light at
the upper right hand side Of the stage.
supposed that It was part of the see
mic effect until I saw few sparks fall
ing. The chorus stopped singing and
were all looking up in that direction
until some one called to them to go on
with the song and dance. They started
again until about bushel basket of
burning drapery fell amongst them on
the stage. With rush they left the
stage, and at that time the audience
arose in its seats and began to call,
though there was no panic. Eddie
Foy, the star, came on the stage at
this juncture and told the people to
keep their seats, it was nothing that
couldn't be put out at once, and the or
chestra again began to play. During
Foy's announcement the people all sat
down again. AS he was still talking
great mass of burning drapery fell
at his feet and volumes of smoke and
flames shot out into the audience. The
asbestos curtain fell at this time about
half way down, and then stuck. With
one accord the audience made a rush
for the doors, amid the most frightful
screams have ever listened to. BY
this time the flame and smoke was
pouring out from under the asbestos
curtain and up to the balconies. 1t
was so thick in this short space of
time that couldn't see single figure
in the top gallery. I looked at the
main entrance of the theatre, which
was directly opposite me on the other
side of the building, and saw the
writhing, swirling mass of humanity
struggling for the exit. Already they
were piled on top of one another five or
six feet high. It looked to me at this
time as through we were never to get
out. Just as | was thinking what TO
do, / fe,t rush of cold air from be-
hind me, and turned to see door open
directly opposite the end of the aisle in
which I had my seat. turned to Miss
Edith Brown, who was with me, and
told her to make rush for it while ]
helped an old lady out who was caught