The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-08
CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
Bursting of a Calcium Light Appa-
ratus, Says the Management Of
the House.

the House.
Chicago. Dec. 31.-Wh.le the policemen
and hremen were carrying out the dead
and injured, Will j. Davis. one of the pro-
prietors Of the theater. lent his efforts
to alleviate suffering and to assist to
care for the dead. He said:
There was no need. SO far as I know,
of a single life being lost. There were
more than forty exits to the theater.
The building is fire proof, and If some
bocy had not cried fire think that all,
as far as those killed in the panic were
concerned. would have reached the street
In safety, and of those who were suffo-
Gated by the gas nearly all would have
been out by the time the explosion oc-
cured if order had been preserved in go
ing out.
on the first floor except three escaped,
although several sustained bruises and
minor injuries. The great loss of life was
IN the first and second balconies These
combined will seat about 800 persons. The
sale OF seats had been good, but was not
-, 20 the capacity, and as far as / can
estirnate the two balconies held between
100 and 500 persons. The top balcony,
Where the cheapest seats are situated
was the more crowded, and it was here
that the crowd found most difficulty in
struggling towards the exits"
lt was declared by the management
OF the theater that the fire was not
caused by the grounding of an electric
WIRE or by any defect in the equipment
OF the theater. 1t started, they assert,
py the bursting of a calcium light APP
pafatus. The conclusion was so great
That 1t blew out the skylight over the
stage and auditorium. This state
Hlent OF the theater management is
contradicted by many who were in the
the explosion occurred they saw flamen
IN a narrow streak creeping along the
wall near the upper part of the drop
curtain.
Statement of the Coroner.
coroner Traeger examined the thea.
ter after the disaster and said:
II tie asbestos curtain had been in
might have been prevented from
spreading into the audience chamber.
An iron railing which separated each
row of seats from the adjoining tier
prevented many, think. from reach
ing places of safety. This circum-
stance, combined with the steep In
cline, made it difficult for so large
an audience to escape without great
delay, and this is modern. fireproof
theater, furnished with all the appli-
ances and equipment that are supposed
to prevent just such catastrophe as
has occurred. The plush on the seats
of the first balcony was charred, but
still visible. This does not look to me
as though everybody would have got
out of the theater alive If there had
been no panic, wh.n you take into ac-
count the speed with which the flames
spread. My inspection showed that the
seats on the main floor were only
identity shielded the seats In the par
quette. The heat of the flames was ey-
ident. The stage and the ceiling Of
the theater We're blistered and black
ened. There was almost no damage to
the furniture on the first floor. The
boxes on the second tier We're destroyed
by fire, While those on the first floor
were burned only in spots, evidently by
burning fragments from above"
First Playhouse in Chicago.
The Iroquois theater was completed less
than two months ago at a cost of $500 600.
and was the finest playhouse in Chicago.
1t was opened to the public on the night
of November % with Mr.. Bluebeard." It
had seating capacity of 1,724
The records of the city building DEPART
ment show that the theater was complete
in every detail, and that it was absolutely
fireproof, all the requirements of law
having been complied with.
W. A. Merriman, western manager of
the George A. Fuller company, the con-
Germ WnlCn eTecteu lue 1ToQuOlS tneater,
when seen last night made the following
statement concerning the construction of
the building:
1.-The Iroquois theater was quilt with
safety as the first consideration. All the
building ordinances were adhered to in
every detail. and more than that. there
We're additional safeguards thrown about,
until do not hesitate to say that there
was no theater building in the country
which was freer from danger. The ex-
its were numerous. and all the work
the company performed was fire proof
After making a careful examination at
the building since the fire find that the
structure as erected still stands intact" :
Rurned ia IA. Cali