The L'Anse sentinel., 1904-01-16
Evidence Is Heard with a View Of
Fixing the Blame on the
Guilty Parties.
OFFICIAL LIST OF DEAD NUMBERS 5ss
Managers of Playhouse and City on
clal Arrested, Charged with
Manslaug hter - The In
quest Begins.

the fire department.
Carelessness in handling the lights,
lack of fire drill for employees, and de-
sertion of their posts by the employees
during the panic are charged.
The management Is bitterly arraigned
for failure to keep the skylights over
the stage opened.
Absolute Lnck of Supervision.
Absolute lack of supervision over
fire appliances, fire escapes and exits
In the theater was admitted by the
managers, Harry ]. Powers and viii
]. Davis, and the business manager,
Thomas Noonan, in an examination by
Attorney Fulkerson. Noonan furnished
the most sensational testimony. AS
suming responsibility for the manage
ment of the employees of the theater,
he confessed that he had never in
structed the men under him what they
should do in case of fire, and had as
signed no one to the management Of
the fire apparatus. He admitted that
two exits to Randolph street on me
ground floor were locked, and that the
fire exits to the north, three each from
the parquet and first and second bal
cony floors. were bolted.
Dead Number b60.
The cororer's official list of dead-for
use at the inquest-contains just 569
names. Previous police reports indicat-
ing 591 dead are declared now to be in
accurate and due to the shifting of bod
les from one morgue to another.
Managers Arrested.
Will j. Davis, Henry J. Powers and
Building Commissioner George Will
liams, who were arrested on warrants
charging them with manslaughter in
connection with the Iroquois disaster,
were arraigned before Justice Under
wood and were released under bonds of
$4,000 each. The hearing OF the accusa-
tions against the three men-Davis anG
Powers as managers and part owners oil
fetal whose province 1t was to prevent
the opening of an unsafe playhouse
will be held in the Stanton avenue po-
lice court January IL at 10 a. m.
Thought Theatre safe.
Chicago, Jan. 8.-When the Iroquois
fire started the audience viewed it with
calmness, and in fancied security sat and
waited, with astonishing faith, until
death suddenly swooped out from the
proscenium arch and claimed nearly GOO
souls.
This terrible fact was brought out
with distinctness at the first session OF
the inquest, which was begun Thursday
morning In the council chamber Of the
city hall.
Exits which could not be opened, cur
tains which would not come down, aisles
which were overcrowded, fire protec-
tion which did not protect, absence of
discipline among employees and many
other things which might have con-
tributed to cause the appalling loss of
life in the Iroquois theater fire were
charged in the testimony of the wit
nesses who appeared at the first days
session Of the inquest.
Draperies Covered Exits.
Chicago, Jan. 9.-Heavy plush por-
there's covering the exits at the Iroquois
theater effectually concealed the doors,
while overhead there were no signs.
Exit"
When the panic started almost every
body in the theater made q wild rush
for the street doors, apparently obliv-
ious Of the fact that avenues Of escape
existed elsewhere.
These facts were emphasized when
the inquest over the victims Of the Iro-
quois theater fire was resumed Friday
morning.
The testimony brought forth with
new clearness the lack Of all ordinary
precautions to let out an audience In
emergency. Exits not only were con-
cealed and unmarked. but they were
locked or barred. There was no one on
hand to direct the panic-stricken wom-
en- and children-no one to open the
exits, or to point them out. The people
perished while In horrible jam head
ing toward the lobby doors.
On the stage was no hose and no fire
extinguishers, except the "killfire"
tubes. Under the foyer was so feet OF
two-inch hose.
No system existed among the en-
ployes OF the theater for such an emer-
gency. Apparently such a possibility
as fire had not troubled anyone.
The examination of the engineer of
the theater showed that the playhouse
had small preparations for fire or
panic. He was questioned at length. but
knew of no instructions that had been
issued to anybody.