Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-01-07
Hundreds of Lives Lost in a
Fire at the Iroquois
in Chicago.
,Many SuffOcated by Gas and
Scores Trampled to Death
by the Frenzied Crowd.

Cnlcago, Dec. S1.-About $50 peo-
aple were killed in ten minutes yes.
terday afternoon during fire in the
lroQuois theater, the newest, the larg-
lest and, as far as human power could
make 1t, the safest theater in Chicago
Estimates OF the dead and injured
vary. The police count of dead is 536
The estimate of the newspapers is $780,
tBesides this there were So people miss
ling at midnight, the majority of whom
ARE probably among the dead in the
fmorgue and various undertaking es-
Establishments. Eighty-six of the dead
have been positively identified and
80 others are known to be injured.
"A few Of those people were burned to
death by fire, many were suffocated
by gas and scores were trampled to
death in the panic that followed the
mad plunge of the frightened audience
rf0r the exits. 1t will be many days
before all of them will be identified.
There were bodies lying by the dozens
last night in the undertaking rooms,
in the police station and in the hospi-
tails, from which nearly everything
that could reveal their identity to those
who knew them best was gone. Their
clothing was torn to rags or burned
v to cinders and their faces mashed into
an unacceptable pulp by the heels
Of the crowd that trampled them down
as they fled for safety.
How the Fire Originated.
The fire broke out during the sec
.ond act Of the play, "Mr. Bluebeard,"
which was the first dramatic produc-
ton produced in the theater since its
erection. The company, which was
very large, escaped to the street in
safety, nearly all of them, however,
being compelled to fee into the snowy
streets with no clothing but their stage
costumes. A few members of the COM
pany sustained minor injuries, but
f, none was seriously hurt.
The accounts of the origin of the fire
/. are conflicting and none of them GER
tain, but the best reason given is that
F: an electric wire near the lower part
of piece of drop scenery suddenly
broke and was grounded. The fire
spread rapidly toward the front of the
stage, causing the members Of the
chorus, who were then engaged in the
performance, to flee to the wings with
screams of terror. The fire in itself
up to this time was not serious and
possibly could have been checked had
mot the asbestos curtain failed to work.
As soon as the fire was discovered Ed
die Foy, the chief comedian of the
company, shouted to lower the cur
tain and this was Immediately done.
1t descended about half way and then
stuck. The fire thus was given prac-
tically a flue through which a strong
draft was settling, aided by the doors
which had been thrown open in the
front of the theater. With roar and
a bound the flames shot through the
opening over the heads Of the people |
on the first floor and, reaching clear
up to those in the first balcony, caught |
them and burned them to death where |
they sat Immediately following this |
rush of flames there came an explosion |
which lifted the entire roof of the |
theater from its walls, SCATTERING the |
great skylight into fragments. AS
soon as the flames first appeared be-
yond the curtain man in the rear of |
the hall shouted, Fire! Fire!!" as the
entire audience rose as one person and
made for the doors 1t Is believed that
the explosion was caused by the flames
coming into contact with the gas reser-
voirs of the theater. causing them to
burst. Will ]. Davis, manager of the
theater said after the catastrophe that
IL the people had remained in their
seats and had not been excited by the
cry of fire not single life would have
been lost. This is, however, contra
dicted by the statements Of the fire.
men, who found numbers Of people sit
ting in their seats, their faces direct
ed toward the stage as If the perform
ance was still going on. 1t is the opin-
lon of the firemen that these persons
had been suffocated at once by the
low of gas which came from behind
the asbestos curtain.
A sIckening sight Inside the Building.
When the firemen entered the build
Ing the dead were found stretched in q
pile reaching from the head of the
stairway at least eight feet from the
door back to point about five feet
IN the rear Of the door. This mass Of
lead bodies in the center Of the door
reached to within two feet Of the
passage way. All of tie corpses at
his point were women and children.
rhe fight for life, which must have
AIKEN place at these two points is
Iomething that is simply beyond hu-
nan power to adequately describe.
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