Evening star., 1904-01-01
WHOLE CITY IN GLOOM
Saddest New Year in the
History of Chicago.
BURIAL OF THE DEAD
COUNT OF ACTUAL CoRPsEs NOW
PLACED AT bS2.
Chief Electrician Of Inflated Theater
Arrested-People Satiated
With Details.
BURIAL OF THE DEAD

CHICAGO January 1.-Pitiless investiga-
ton of the Iroauois fire horror today Oh
vided attention with the burial of the dead
The removal of bodies from the public
morgues to private undertaking estaplish-
ments developed a fresh element OF uncer-
tainty In computing totals OF dead and
missing.
The count OF actual corpses most general
~ agreed upon was $50, including 45O iden-
iified and 1872 unidentified. Lists of missing
vary greatly, one authority putting the
total at 312 Injured are figured as lo4
More arrests of persons who may be held
responsible were said today to be not I'M
probable. The twelve arrests made as
start were ordered on information that sew
eral of the stage employees were preparing
to leave the city.
Coroner Issues an Appeal.
Coroner Traeger today issued an appeal
to the public to notify him of all fire deaths
that may have escaI<d the records.
1t has come to my notice." said Coroner
Traeger, that bodies of some persons were
removed from the temporary hospitals and
relief stations opened by merchants in tine
vicinity of the theater directly after the
fire without any records having been made
by the police.
In the hurry and confusion persons who
could identify remains were allowed to take
them to their homes without question. L
understand that this occurred in a few
instances.
Il have also learned that some of the in
jured were taken to private residences and
hospitals without the making of any rec
ord, and 1t Is reported to me that some
have since died. / ask that any citizen
knowing of any such occurrence report the
matter to my Office at once"
People Satiated With Details.
Except among relatives and friends of the
dead, injured and missing, the people here
We're today to a large extent apparently
satiated with details Of the horror. To
such an extent was this evident that the
evening papers decided to follow the usual
holiday custom and abandon publication.
The City Press Association today discon-
tinued all attempt to keep track of the num-
Der of bodies at the morgues, the fact being
palpable that the effort was more produc-
tive of error than genuine informa tion ow-
Ing TO the confusion incident to the removal
of bodies and the daZed condition of those in
charge as the result of overwork and loss of
sleep.
Instead Of records at the morgues, the
Issue OF burial permits at the coroner's
Office was substituted as less unsatisfae-
tory method of holding the death count
Anxiety and WEAKNESS Intensified.
The crowds of searchers for relatives and
friends continued at the morgues~ today
While the number of persons pressing for
tidngs or identification showed material
diminution, the anxiety and r'eariness was
intensified
The constant presence Of the black wagons
oi undertakers were consl cuous additions
today TO the many scattered neghborhoods
where the morgues are loca ted
A mournful variation was the occasional
appearance of bands playing dirges as
funerals slowly passed toward churches,
railway stations and cemeteries.
AT the hospitals, where many fearfully
burned persons are being cared for death
was being momentarily awaited in a. num-
Der of cases All that could be done had
been except to sit and watch for the last
breath. A typical case was that of James
Schneider, who was being cared for at the
Samaritan Hospital by relatives from his
home ON Roscoe boulevard. Mr. Schneider
finally passed away today.
Drivers Return to Work.
A majority of the striking drivers have
returned to work. and 1t is not likely that
any funerals viii be interfered with.
we ordered them back, wages or no
wages. to help the city out of the great
calamity that has befallen it," said Presi-
dent Hagen Of the union.
After ten days the strike will be resum
ed where 1t left off. Strike benefits are
being paid today. and will be paid Just
the same.
back, said President Edgerton OF the
Iiverymen and undertakers' Association
All Will be taken back as soon as possi-
bic They will have to work and check
ers and cards in the drivers rooms will
no longer be the main occupa ton of their
WORKING hours When a man is ordered
to clean up. he will do it, and he cannot
plead the union as an excuse"
Burial Permits in the Hundreds,
The funerals during the next two days
will tax the capacity OF the iiverymen and
undertakers to the utmost There will be
a demand for the services of all. and some
people doubt whether the strike will be
: resumed.
At the coroner's Office today burial per
mlts soon reached into the hundreds. Prep
! srations have been made for the issuance
or all that may Re asked for, as il is an
tlcipated that tomorrow and Sunday will
be particularly characterized by funerals
The city Press Association had last night
the names OF 800 identified dead. A re-
examination of the list today showed that
a number were included incorrectly
Instead of being dead. the names of some
We're those who had identified bodies
While II is perhaps true that the total
number OF dead is in the neighborhood of
os2. only aoout 450 have been Identified A
recount Of the unidentified dead was start
ed today.
Coroner Prosecutes Work.
Coroner Traeger today bent efforts toward
the carrying out of plan to have all the
unidentified dead placed in one building CEN
trally located.
This would eliminate the necessity of
friends and relatives going from moreue to
morgue. He said that If the use of some
building in the downtown district couid
not be obtained all unidentified bodies
would probably be removed to the county
morgue
The following dead were identified at the
morgues today; Otto Berry, Battle Creek
/ Mich; Kate Hamilton Buddeke Mrs Mary
| f. Donohue. Mrs. w. A. Dott. John Kwan-
! ieski Miss Eugenie Ludwig and Mrs Will
: liam Palmer