Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-01-07
HOLIDAY HORRORS.


the same season for many year.
For several days one railroad acciden
followed another, and then came th'
unparalleled theatre horror in Chicago
by which $50 men, women and children
attending a matinee or afternoon per
formance Of spectacular play, weI'
burned or trampled to death, during
mad rush to vacate the building
The theatre in which this happened
/ is new one, and the building itself i
fre-proof; but the mass Of scenery re
quired for spectacular play is liable t
| flash, almost like powder.
The theatre seated an audience o
1000. but it is known that many NOR
than that number were present, as ev
cry seat was taken and people wer'
standing in the lobby and balcony.
A bit of scenery took fire from brok
en- electric wire or arc-lght, tank con
tanning oxygen gas for the calcium O.
spot light is said to have exploded, tn
flames spread rapidly, the people on th'
stage made rush for the double-door
back of it. the opening of which threw
strong dIaught over the audience; al
attempt to lower the asbestos curtai-
between the stage and audience failed
the flames surged over the audience, ;
panic followed; the people on the lowe
floor nearly all escaped, those in th'
balcony made mad rush for the exit
and stairways, somebody turned off thu
electric lights, the exits and stairway
became jammed and nearly six hundred
people were tranpled, suffocated o.
burned to death. In short half -houl
the most terrible calamity that had eve
happened in theatre was over.
The firemen came promptly and pu
ont the fire, but they found piles O
dead bodies, ten feet high on the stair
| ways. Some whole families had beer
killed and some people were burned an(
trampled beyond recognition. The bod
les were taken to the morgue as fast a
possible and up to Saturday evening al
but twelve had been claimed. The in
cidents of the calamity were as patheti
as any ever recorded and brought tear
to the eyes of the Nation.
Wednesday, December 30, 1903, vii
for many year be sad memory to tn
people of Chicago and to all who los
friends or relatives on that day.
Mayor Harrison promptly began al
Investigation, found some serious de
fects in the construction Of the build
ing, fire exits incomplete or not il
working order, asbestos curtain torn Il
shreds, ETC., and he ordered twenty
four of the twenty-five theatres of tn
city tn close until all the laws of tn
state and the ordinances Of the cit,
were complied with. But one theatr
in the city, the Auditorium, was allow
ed to Iemain open.
Similar Investigations will probabl.
follow in every city and large town il
the country. The laws of this state re
garding the construction of theatres ar
said to be commendable. but we hav
no borough ordinances regarding thei
management and no building inspector
In Chicago the theatre people are SAT-
to have bribed the inspectors TO pas
over defects by the free use Of comps
i nj he nd n
the employees of the Iriquois are nov
under arrest pending legal investiga
tion of the calamity. Saturday was fu
neral day in Chicago and all the cburcl
bells were tolled, and all the bushes
houses were closed.
OF the railroad accidents, the mos
disastrous was on the p. & o. at Daw
son or Laurel RIM, near Conneiir lille
| in this state. A freight train comm;
west dropped come loosely secured rail
road ties across eastbound, track the Du
quesnc Limited laundering along at tbs
rate Of mile minute, struck the ties,
the engine left the track ard etucb it,
| nose into the bank; the smoker" filled
with men returning to their homes foI
Christmas. telescoped the engine, break
| ing off the dome and some sixty ner
were suffocated or cooked to death by
the escaping steam.
II this accident teaches humanity any
lesson. not already learned by previous
accidents, it IL that fast-going passenge
trains and slow-going freight trains ca n
not safely and surely be run over th'
same tracks, We think the day will COM
| w hen the trunk lines at least will hay'
separate roads mot tracks, for thei
freight and passenger traffic.