Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-08
THE INQUEST
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out screaming or getting panlc-stricken-
Suddenly Lig bail Of lire dropped from |
the top Of the stage to the floor tntil
walked to the exit near the boxes. | tTi-d |
to open the door but found it locked a !
man came UP and We demanded mat the |
usher open the door. He either Sild mat |
he would not c. could not. Then sudden |
~ there was a powerful draft which |
opened the doors and Ole" US OUT mo
the alley az
was in the second balcony in the iiith |
row OF seats from the back wall 81" |
the curtain come down about hdH wa
and then stick. / stayed in my scat IN |
til the curtain either fell TO the stag" |
or was destroyed by rire, and then ran |
out | found the west door leading u |
the street locked but got out thIoHeli
the south door. | am positive tIlIt i."ilc
of the exits on the north side OF IN" A'uae
was open"
Thc fir4t witness Of tn" afternoon was
Ella H. churcher- She, with EGF Iiothlf
and nephew occupied seats in thc foHrth
row from the front in the second balcony
She kept her seat until tn" fire slnStd 4
chiffon boa about her neck ana ana M. tarh
started to make her ESCAPE All three
Of them reached the street easily MISS
Churcher was positiv" that the curtain
which was lowered was not the asbestos
curtain, but the curtain winch Hdd been
lowered after the first act
Frank Houseman declared that h"
bought two seats in an upper box Tor IN
matinee There was no light in tho body
of the theatre az he passed through and
none in the stairway which ne was com
IrIled to ascend in order to reach the box
where his seats were located. W men tn
ire started he remarked to his friend:
The outside OF this place looks pretl|
good TO me" and they left the hos. Ne
reached the FIRST floor before tn. pane
started and opened a door which II" VA
told by an usher was an exit outSlh''
Of this door was another OF iron vino
it was impoSsib" to OPEN
Charles Dexter 4 professional baseball
,l,y..r u..,l With MIR IiDItSCIndn ana gave
evidence prac tically similar.
Alexander Johnston, u stag" hand ttF
titled that he had never been instructed
by ANYBODY as to his duties in - 80 al
hre and did not know that anyh"ds els
had been so instructed
Eddie Foy tn" comedian of tn" "Hlur-
heard CO was then sworn During tn
Second act. Mr.. F"v t.Stiii"d H." WI M
his dressing room and heard a nos" at
which h" paid little attention. H. sad
to himself: 49,.
Are they fighting again down there
thinking of Il quarrel which had occurred
:. few days previous. The NOISE Hr'W
stronger. and. Incoming anxious about
his G-ycar-"Id son. vino was sitting in IN
alcoVc Just below tn" switchboard. II"
ran down til" stcnS from ms dressing
room to the stage, picked w his boy right
in front II the switchboard ana then
looked ~ ANA saw fireman alloy" nm
who was trying to put ont the tre. u"
ran with tn" boy to q small door ~ Inc
back ot -. 81 tg.. ami when ne arrived 4
number Of p-opl. were trying 70 ''~c'ii'".
lie threw the 10y to 4 man. telling INN
to tax" him ont, and th'n ran back /" fh'
stage and out to the funtllShtS- Ihc aH-
dicnc. was getting into panic. - ne
thought and in order I" quiet 1t h" called
to the stag hands: Drop thu curtain.
and to the musicians. "N""p up Your
MUST lie urg,.d thu atiIicnrc repeat
eddy to remain quiet and not get "A'it'd
Whom tn" curtain cam" down II Stu'h
about thr"" feet 'G"v" ms h"aI. ,n,. ,.,,,-
Il shouted tor them {" lower th' cur
tain and then ] f'it what | w"uid t.
scribe. as a sort of cyclone. lh'r" was Il
heavy cold draft. evidently from tin out
side ana there was an t'NplnSinn ~ SOM
kind rs though v"I would hEht i ma''i
and tn" whole hos gn"S "h Il"n :
thought II my hoy ana that p"rhalS th
man did not t.tk" him cut. aHh th''n !
went ont myself ana found my hos ia tle
alley.
AIR Fov declared that u" WAS satisfied
in his own mind that IN flr" was c'li@',
Nv sparks from tn" spot !iEht, nut iiltl
no had mo- ucrSnual knowledge "f the tA"t
The next witness called Was ';""lg' ~.
St"t<ou Of bingham. Ma. S''''l' 'dit "l
the . +, Trainer Manut "'tnrinE ',,;
who mad. thu. .tShrStpS curt lin. II" Stl'l
that thrr,. were two kinds ui "-i"Si"S
curtains. ON" iu which \ in' brass wire
was interviewer. tn" other h'ing without
Oh. wire. Both curtains were of equal
u.s.. AGAINST flames. tn" wiz" being merely
to rrrvid" greater tensile strength I" the
fabric.
When asked by Coroner Tracg"r how
he accounted for tn" burning of his hr"-
curtain. Mr.. StttSpu replied tii:lI ne
lid not believe il had burned ~ ana ~
his opinion tn, greater part 81 TIE cur
tain was lying 1T the present TIM" upon
the th,Itr" stage. covered win S"ot a'I"
frozen He declared that in his opinion
tn, greater part Of III" curt IN was sun
intact and he was anxious to ont an from
the chief Of police permission I" remove
portions OF it from tn" theatr" ana 'N-
lie was shown a portion of the curtain
that had been brought from the ir"i''"iS
Theatre. and said that it had been III 4
very hot place and tn" life WAS rrA%h-
rnIIy an ont of the pieces shown him
AT the conclusion of MIR StetS"n ttS-
timony au adiourumcnt WAS taken I" lo
o'clock tomorrow morning.
II is believed that tn" bodies of thnS"
killed in Irnur:uiS theatre tlr" now re-
maiuing in the county m"rc'i' VIII not ~,
identic,t md IN snort I'm" my I'll,
bodies are four IN number, two h"ln'
women and two boys III" polio" hlN'.
however. numerous reports ~ misN'nA
people, hut mons Of the descriptions tally
with the bodies now III the morSlr
The investigation int" the safety 81
places of public assembly stu continues
and but few of them are able I" meet
the reauir. mcuts of tn" law. HuiidlnS
commissioner Williams. today ISSUED "'
dcrs CLOSING Il additional halls,
The Coliseum. III which the k"ruh'ican
rational convention will he held. was. To-
day. declared safe and entirely hre-rr""t
and allowed To open.
Sweeping action making for safety m
Chicago theatres is to I've taken ny ti'
council rs Il result of the work of th'
s,,, cial alGNrmanic committee for r"m"d-
.iuur tho Citv'S building laws governing
theatres.
Amoug tn, improvements recommended
Nv the committee mt the close 81 thcAdF-
litrratiunS late tonight. Were:
Steel curtains rircproot IN" paint 81
tirapingsp 81 the stag" side. to be hung
in each proSCruium arch.
Automatic Sprinkling systems over eN'
cry stage aud in places specially liable u
fire in every theatre.
Iron Standpipes on either side OF th'
stag. connecting with tanks on theatre
roofs tanks 10 be supplied with power
pumps.
Stages tn hc supplied with hos" reefs
having hose opening automatically upoi
being loos.ucd from the stage wall.
Every aisle to lead to an exit.
NarrowCSt aisle to I've two t"ct. nlt'
inches wide instead of two feet. three
inches AZ at present.
Seats to he 1T least two feet. ten inches
from back to back. instead ot two rect
two inches as AT present.
No seats to have more than FOUR seat!
between ii and an aisle
Axes hooks and hand apparatus To-
fighting fire on stages and in various
nartS ,f the auditorium.