Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-05

4coors. 11e 11.n4es seemed 10 be every where, and when I saw where was I got sick. Then I reached Lester. I re- member dragging her up the aisle Through the smoke l saw door where the crowd was not very big. We got through between the seats. They were hot and burned us. fell down when we got outside
 Eddie Foy, leading comedian in MT. Bluebeard.N said of the fire horror:
 tried to get passes for my whole family to the matinee at the Iroquois on Wednesday,. Dec 30, 1903. The house was sold out, but they promised to save some seats if possible. I took my boy Bryan with me and left Mrs. Foy with the others at the hotel. I thought maybe the management would send over few seats for them.
 was on in the first act and saw that of the great crowd--there must have been 2, 100 persons in the house e-nearly all were young people or children. I was in my dressing room preparing to go on in the elephant speciality in the second act when I heard q noise. I thought there was fight on the stage and, remembering my boy, took him from his seat in box on to the stage.
 By that time, ten seconds, the whole top of the stage was a mass of whirl- ing flame. I took my boy in my arms and ran to the stage door. People were fighting to get out of there. Then l thought of those crowds of children fn the balcony and gallery, and | thought to myself, "Foy, you're very selfsh!'' thought of my own babies at home, fearing one or two of them might, after all, have come to the show. I threw Bryan into the arms of stage hand and yelled to him, Take out my boy!'' Then turned and ran back across the stage and down to tha front.
 I looked into the balcony. I saw those hundreds of terror stricken chil- dren. I saw the flames sweeping across. thought again of my babies, and I said to myself: 'sYou poor little ones!. There is not one chance in million for you" Then I thought again of Bryan Maybe the man had thrown him down or been unable to get through the mass at the door. I half determined to run back, but went on to the front of the stage.
 was desperately cool. spoke slow ly. I realized that to have any effect on that panic stricken mass I had to speak slowly. God, how I wished for an education then that I could have been able to hurl words at them and stop theml stood perfectly still
 Fire was falling all around me. kept talking out of the corner of my mouth to the orchestra and swearing at the stage hands. who had almost all disappeared, telling them to get down that curtain. Still kept talking slow ly. talked slowly, as comedian does when he's working up to laugh, but in half a minute talking and acting were useless-the whole thing was aflre Herbert Dillea, who had kept on leading the orchestra, and that lit tie fat man at the fiddle were still there when all the rest had fled. Dill lea kept beating time, the fat man Kept fiddling.
 tried to talk. Once thought the rush would stop. The people on the orchestra floor thinned out and some
 
 best they could. blame no one. But women go crazy at fire. They'll run straight into flames. saw them do it. I looked up. The asbestus curtain was burning. I thought, twill Jump over the orchestra or try to get out at the back?' I guess went crazy about that time. remember jumping up and pounding away at the buttons that con trol the machinery, hoping by luck might bring that curtain down. Then ran on out found all the kids safe at home.
 Miss Georgia Swift, prominent so- ciety woman of Chicago, was badly battered and bruised in the panic in the theater. In talking of her expert ence she said:
 'sMy seat was on the first floor, near the stage, and when had reached the rear of the auditorium the aisle was choked with people who had fallen. looked down to avoid stepping on them, and just as I did so my eyes were caught by those of little boy about seven years of age who was lying on the floor, unable to rise. As he saw me looking at him he said:
 "sWon't you, please, please, help me ? Please do?
 tI stopped to raise him if could, but the crowd was too thick and the rush too strong. I seized him under the arms, and then was knocked over him on to my knees in the aisle. I strug- gled to my feet, but the weight of the