Mower County transcript., 1904-01-06


recognizable pulp by the heels of the
crowd that trampled them down as
they. fled for safety. 49,. =. :
CONFLICTING REPORTS Of
THE ORIGIN OF THE. FIRE.
The fire broke out during the second
act of the play, Mr.. Bluebeard,"
which was the first dramatic produc-
tion produced in the ;theater since it's
erection. The company, which was
very large. escaped to the street in
safety, nearly all of them, however,
being compelled to flee into the snowy
streets with no clothing but their stage
costumes. A few members of the COM
pany sustained minor injuries, but
none was seriously hurt.
The accounts of the origin of the
fire are conflicting and none of them
certain, but the best reason given is
that an electric wire near the lower
part of piece of drop scenery sud-
denly broke and was grounded.
The fire spread rapidly toward the
front of the stage, causing the mem
bers of the chorus, who were then. en-
gagged in the performance, to flee to
the wings with screams Of terror .
The fire itself up to this time was
not serious and possibly could have
been checked had not the asbestos
curtain failed to work.
ASBESTOS FIRE CURTAIN
REFUSES TO DESCEND.
AS soon as the fire was discovered
Eddie Foy, the chief comedian of the
company, shouted to lower the curtain
and this was Immediately done. 1t
descended about half way and stuck.
The fire thus was given practically a
flue through which a strong draft was
setting, aided by the doors which had
been thrown open in froat of the the
ater
With a roar and bound the flames
shot through. the: opening over the
heads: Of the people on~the first floor
and, reaching. clear up to those in the
first balcony; caught them and burned
them to death where they sat-
Immediately following this rush of
flames there came an explosion which
lifted the entire roof of the theater
from it's walls, shattering the great
SKyIlgnL lnLO fragments.
1t is believed that the explosion was
caused by the, flames: coming in con-
tact with the gas reservoirs for the
theater, causing them to burst
AUDIENCE RUsHEs FOR DOORS
ON HEARING CRY OF "FiRE."
AS soon as the flames first appeared
beyond the curtain man in the rear
Of the hall shouted Fire, fire!" and
the entire audience rose as one person
and made for the doors.
Will ]. Davis, manager of the the
ater, said after the catastrophe that if
the people had remained in their seats
and had not been excited by, the cry
of fire not single life would have
been lost.
This Is, however, contradicted by
the statements of the firemen, who
found numbers of people sitting in
their seats, their faces directed to-
ward the stage as If the performance
was still going on. g..
1t was the opinion of the firemen
that these people had been suffocated
at once by the flow of gas which came
from behind the asbestos curtain.
AS near as can be estimated at, the
present time about 1900 people were
in the theater. Three hundred 81
these were on the first floor, the re
mainder being in the two upper bal
comics and in the Railways back OF
them.
sTAIRWAYs FROM BALCONIES
PACKED WITH THE DEAD
- } p .t;ar - %@SssI 2, $'|.SG !
The theater is modelled after the
Opera Comique in Paris and from the
rear Of each balcony there are three
doors leading out to passageways to
ward the front of the theater. Two o1
these doorways are at the end Of The
balcony. and one in the center. H III
The audience in it's rush for the
outer air seems to have, for. the greater
part, chosen to flee to the left ZEN
trance and to attempt to make its way
down the eastern stairway leading
into the. lobby of the theater.
Aside from the people burned ant