The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-01-01
GLOOMY BEGINNING
OF THE new YEAR
Mighty Chicago Was Quiet for First Time
In History Last Night.
No Change Today in the Number Of Dead
Many Yet Unidentified in Morgue.

Chicago, Jan. For the first
time since Chicago has possessed bells
to peal, whistles TO shrek and horns
TO blow, the oil year was allowed to
silently take its place in history and
the new year permitted TO come With
no evidence of JOY at its birth. In an
official proclamation issued yeste;-
day by Mayor Carter II. Harrison, he
made the suggestion that the usual
New Years eve celebration for this
time be omitted. The idea found a
ready response in the hearts Of the
people.
Ordinarily on New Years eve the
streets of the city are filed with mer-
rymakers. but last night the only
throngs to be found were those around
the morgues; ordinarily numbers Of
fashionable restaurants in the heart Of
the city are filled with light-hearted
jewellers. Last night these places were
comparatively deserted, and some Of
them closed entirely.
THE SECOND TIME.
For the second time in her life the
city OF Chicago has been stricken TO
the heart. The blow has fallen almost
as heavily upon strangers as citizens.
There is hardly n town within a radi-
us Of 100 miles whose people are not
directly or indirectly interested in the
piles Of dead OF in the injured.
II is generally accepted that the
most accurate estimate is 564, This
number will be increased, as there are
people in the hospitals who cannot
survive. Ii is believed however, that
the total number Of dead will not ex-
coed $40.
Including the missing it is estimst-
ed that the total number Of casualties
is at the present time approximately
/. geo.
There are among the missing the
names of many who are at their
homes, and of some who were not at
the theater at all. When the namesi
of the dead who are still to. be identi1
fed have been subtracted from the lis
OF missing it is probable the extent o
the catastrophe will be- fully revealed.
THE CAUSE IN DOUBT.
There has since the fire been an ami
mated discussion rs TO the cause. Ac
counts differ widely. Tine theatrical
people are practically a unit in declar-
ing that the FIRE started with an ex-
plosion, and in this they are fatty |
by scores of people in the
audience, who declare that they saw
the fire creeping along the edge of the
curtain for several minutes before the |
explosion took place. I
The best evidence obtainable is to
the effect that fire was caused by the
sparks from an arc light striking the
edge of the drop curtain, but the ac-
tual fact, however. will not be known
until after the conclusion Of the coro-
ner's inquest.
Although the Iroquois theater was
the safest theater in Obi
,ago the city building department had
not strictly enforced one or two sec.
lions OF the building ordinances
William Curran, a building inspec-
tor, was in the theater only few
before the catastrophe and
went away saying that everything
was in good condition. The deputy
went to the theater TO
make an inspection. Upon returning
10 the city hall he said;
1.-The theater and its management
we're strictly within the law. will
not go into details until have DOM
pleted my report"
All yesterday kilograms of sympathy
10 the people of Chicago and offers of
aid poured in by telegraph upon the
mayor. He announced Last night;
81 have received many offers of aid.
II may be that before We get through
This few persons will be found to
Fave boon put to need, bat Chicago