Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-04
UNPARALLELED Holocaust at Matinee IN
Crowded Chicago Theater
Panic and Flames Unite to Destroy Nearly
Goo People, Mostly Women and
Children

be identified. Their clothing was
torn To rags or burned TO cinders and
their faces were trampled into I'M
recognizable pulp by the heels OF the
crowd that trampled them down as
they fed for safety.
The fire broke out during the sec
ond act of Mr.. Bluebeard, the first
dramatic production produced in the
theater since its erection. The COM
pany. which was very large, escaped
to the street in safety, nearly all, how
ever, being compelled to fee into the
snowy streets with no clothing but
their stage costumes. A few members
of the company sustained minor in
juries. but none were seriously hurt.
Origin Electric Wire.
Accounts OF the origin of the nre
are conflicting and none of them are
certain. but the best reason given is
that an electric wire near the lower
part of a piece of drop scenery, broke
and was grounded.
The fire spread rapidly toward the
/ front OF the stage, causing the mem
hers OF the chorus then engaged in
the performance 10 fee to the wings
with screams of terror.
The fire itself up To this time was
not serious and possibly could have
been checked had not the asbestos
curtain failed 10 work. As soon as
the FIRE was discovered. Eddie Foy,
chief comedian of the company, shout
ed TO lower the curtain, and this was
I Immediately done. IL descended about
half way and stuck. The fire thus
was Siven practically a fiue through
which a strong draft was setting, aid
ed by the doors which mad been
thrown open in the front of the the
alter.
Flames Leap to Audience.
With a roar and a bound, the flames
shot through the opening over the
| heads of the people of 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
the flames there came an explosion
theater from the walls, SCATTERING the
great sky light into fragments. As
soon as the flames first appeared be-
yond the curtain a man i'm the rear OF
/ the hall shouted fire! fire." and the
entire audience rose as one person and
made for the doors. 1t is believed
| the explosion was caused by the
flames coming in contact with the gas
reservoirs of the theater, causing
them 10 burst.
Balconies Packed.
It is estimated that 1900 people
were in the theater. Only about 800
were on the first floor, the others
being in the balconies and Railways
back of them. From the rear of each
balcony are three doors leading to
passageways toward the front of the
theater. Two of these doorways are
at the end of the balcony and one in
the center.
The audience in it's flight seems to
have chosen the left entrance and at
tempted to make its way down the
eastern staircase into the lobby. Out
side of the people burned and suffocat-
cd by gas, it was in these two door
ways on the first and second balconies
that the greatest loss of life occurred.
~ Great Pile Of Dead.
/ When the firemen entered the build
{ ing. the dead were stretched in a pile
reaching from the head of the stair.
way at least eight feet from the door
back TO a point about five feet in the
/ rear OF the door.
This mass of dead bodies in the cen
ter of the doorway reached to within
two feet of the top of the passageway.
All the corpses at this point were of
women and children. The fight for