The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-07
EXITS WERE
FASTENED
Gross Carelcssncss Responsible
for Loss Of Life ut Iroquois
Theatre Ifirc.
TIT-V. Z
TAKEN
PRECAUTIONS ~
None Of the Employees Had Been
Given Any Instructions in
the Event Of Fire.
iDy Associated Preas.l

CHICAGO, ILL.,, jan G.--By thoir own
evidence, givon to-day before Monroe
Fulkcrsoli, who is conducting the Fro
Department Investigation. into tho Iro-
quois Theatre horror. tho proprietors Of
tho theatre showed that worse condl-8
ton OF affairs existed than he'd hereto
fore been thought possible. 40,
B9 VIII j. Davis, Harry D. Overs AMI
Thos. ]. Noonan. active managers Of tho
Iroauols Theatre, were examined BY Mr..
Fukcrson to-day All Of them pleaded
prevent loss Of life by IRE ut their thea
trc. They admitted failure to instruct
employees In lighting flre, and failure even
( TO provide suitable appliances FOR guard
ing against flames. Their statements wcro
corroborated by the testimony OF twenty
employees OF tho theatre. nonc Of whom
had eyer been told his duty III case Of
fire.
EXITS BoLrDD.
Noonan, who Is tho working manager
OF tho theatre. under direction OF Davis
and Powers. admitted to-day that eleven
OF tho theatre exits were locked and
bolted Two OF these exits. leading to
tho front Of the theatre on the ground
door, were locked, three additional exits 4
on the north side Of tho ground floor
were bolted, three exits on tho north side
OF the theatre from tho first balcony wero
Lolted, and three exits on the north side
OF the second balcony were bolted.
Tho greatest loss OF lie from the frs
was In tho first and second balconies.
where hundred OF people were suffocated
through inability to got out or wero
tramped to death while trying to do So
Had these three exits In each balcony
been available. according to Inspector
F'ulkerson, the loss OF lilo would have
been greatly diminished.
Noonan declared that no person had i
been named by the theatre management
to supcrintend tho operation OF tho veil 4
tilators OF the theatre In case OF fire and
that In consequence the flames had been
permitted to sweep the place instead Of
seeking a natural outlet through the stage
roof. II wns said by Noonan that George
Nj. Dlisenberry. tho head usher; Archibald
Bernard, chief electrician. ind the thea,
tire engineer knew how to operate tho
vcntilntors. It was proved by the ties
timony Of these men that two OF them
never went upon tho stage and that tho
other had never been told 10 assume
charge OF tho ventilators In case OF ire.
ONE NgTHREE.
III From figures obtained by NoonanF to-
day 1t became evident that almost ona
In three OF the people who attended the
matinee lost their lives, the percentage
being trfc over 81 per cent. Tho
theatre seated 1905 people and In add
ton to these 236 had been admitted a1ters
all seats were sold. making total OF.
]. ss2 people in tho theatre, Of whom SOL
were killed. 5
That the employees in the front OF tho
house were thrown into Il panic BY the
fire was shown by the testimony Of all
the stage hands examined to-day. Two
ushers, each sixteen years old. declared
that they ran on the first alarm OF IRE.
and did not return to the theatre until
the next day. The stage hands SAD
they all sought safety on hearing that the
pace was on fire. IN,
The formal Inquest in regard to fire VIII
begin tomorrow morning. The first Wit
nesses called will probably pc spectators
who we're In the theatre when the hre
was discovered, and after them tho stage
hands will testify.