The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-01
SORROWFUL NEW YEAR;
CHICAGO APPALLED, BY
THE FIRE HORROR

CHICAGO, Dec. 3l-For the first time
since Chicago has possessed bells to peal.
whistles to shrek and horns to blow the old
year was allowed to silently take its place
in history and the new year permitted to
come with no evidence Of JOY at its birth.
In an official proclamation issued this
afternoon by Mayor Carter H. Harrison he
made the suggestion that the usual New
Years eve celebration be for this time
omitted. The idea found ready response
in the hearts of the people and the mayors
words, in fact, only gave utterance to the
unexpressed thoughts that had filled
them all.
The appalling calamity of yesterday in the
Iroquois Theater has cast Chicago into the
deepest grief and gloom and for the time
being. at least, seems to have chilled and
deadened all the ordinary ambitions of life.
Business to-day was performed with the sole
view to actual necessity and even that much
was carried out in a perfunctory manner.
No Lighthearted Revelry
on Birth of New Year
Ordinarily on New Years eve the streets
OF the city are filled with merrymakers.
but tonight the only throngs to be found
were those around the morgues; ordinarily
numbers of fashionable restaurants in the
heart of the city are filled with light
hearted revelers who toast the year that
passes and hail the year that comes. To-
night these places were comparatively de-
serted and some Of them closed entirely with
doors locked and curtains drawn. Usually
among these gay people are found many
members of the theatrical profession. To-
night not a single one OF them was in evi-
dence.
For the second time in her life Chicago
has been stricken to the heart. Not only
have many Of her sons and daughters met
death in a variety OF horrible anc torturing
forms. but the blow has fallen as heavily
upon the strangers within her gates.
There is hardly a village OF town within
radius of 100 miles of Chicago whose people
are not directly or indirectly interested I'm
the piles OF dead or in the injured which fill
the hospitals, or In the fate Of those who
seem to have passed from human knowledge
in the fact that IT is believed they were in the
ill-fated structure and OF whom no word has
since been heard.
Dead, Missing and Injured
Total About One Thousand
The list of dead totals about SOL This rum
Der will be increased somewhat. as there are
people in the hospitals who cannot survive
for any length Of time. II is believed. how
ever, that the total number of dead will not
in any event exceed SIS. Including the miss
ing, it is estimated that the total number OF
casualties is at the present time approx
mately 1000 There are among the missing
the names Of many who are at their homes
and of some who were not at the theater at
all In the first excitement following the
calamity these people were reported by their
P
bers OF them have since returned 70 their
homes and no report OF this fact has been
made to police headquarters. Their names.
however. still swell the list Of the missing.
When the names of the dead who are stin
/ TO be identified have been subtracted from
/ tie list Of missing. II is probable that the
extent of the catastrophe VIII be fully re-
/ vealed.
At midnight All dead had been Identified.
the injuries of III persons had received at
tention and SS7 were stin reported missing
AS only about eighty bodies are still Uniden-
titled many OF the men. women and chill
dren who were reported TO the police as
missing last night and this morning have
doubtless recovered from their fright and
returned TO their homes.