The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-06
NEAR SIX HUNDRED DEAD.
Fire and Panic in Chicago Theatre
Cause Horrible Tragedy.

and Gas and Other Hundreds
Trampled to Death in Aisles
and DoorWays.
Chicago, Dec. 30.-Abent Eve hun
dred and fifty people were killed in
ten minutes this afternoon during
fire in Che Iroquois Theatre, the new
est, the largest and, as far as human
power could make it. the safest thea-
ire in Chicago. Estimates of the dead
and injured vary. The police account
of the dead is $50. The estimate of
the newspapers is 562. Besides shis
there are 30 people missing at mid
night, the majority Of whom are prba-
bly, among the dead In the morgue and
various undertaking abiishEents.
Eighty-si1 Of the dead have been posi-
lively identified, and 90 others are
known to be injured.
A few Of these people were burned
to death By fire, many were sufocated
by gas. and scores we're trampaed to
death IA the panic that followed the
mad plunge of the frightened audience
for the exits. 1t will be rnany hours
before the number OF dead is ac-
curatety known, and many Gays be-
fore adj of them will be Identified.
There are bodies lying by the dozens
tonight i'm the undertaking rooms, In
the police stations and in the hospi-
tails, frcu. which nearly everything
that could reveal their identity to
those who knew them best is gone.
Their clothing is torn to rags or burn
ed TO. cinders, and their faces have
been crushed into an unrecognizable
pulp By the heels of the crowd that
trampled them down as they aed for
Isafety.
The fire broke out during the second
act of the play ''Mr. Bluebeard, :"
which was the first dramatic produc-
|. I.tion presented in the theatre since it's
erection. The company, which was
very large, escaped to the streets IN
safety, nearly all of them, however.
being compelled to flee into the snowy
streets with no clothing but their stage
costumes. A few members Of the COM
pany ssutained minor injuries, but
none were seriously hurt.
The accounts of the origin of the
FIRE are conflicting and none Of them
certain, but the best reason given is
that an electric wire near the lower
part of piece Of drop scenery sudden
I ly broke and was grounded. The ire
spread rapidly toward the front of the
stage, causing the members Of the
chorus, who were then engaged in the
performance, to fee to the wings
with screams of terror. The fire in
itself, up to this time, was not serious,
land possibly could have been checked
had not the asbestos curtain failed to
work. AS soon as the IRE was dis
covered Eddie Fey, the chief come
'dian OF the company. shouted to lower
the curtain and this was Immediately
done. It descended but half way and
then stuck. The fire thus was given
practically a aue, through which a
!; Strong draft was setting. aided by the
doors, which had been thrown open in
| the front of the theatre. With a roar
and bound the flames shot through
the opening over the heads Of the peo-
pie on the first floor, and reaching
those in the first balcony, caught them
and burned them to death where they
sat. Immediately following this rush
lof flames there came an explosion,
| which lifted the entire roof of the
theatre from its walls, shattering the
great skyight into fragments.
As soon as the flames first appeared
| beyond the curtain man in the rear
Of the hall shouted "Fire! ire!' and
the entire audience rose as one person
and made for the doors. It is believed
that the explosion was caused by the
flames coming into contact with the
gas reservoirs of the theatre, causing
them to brust. Will j. Davis, man
lager Of the theatre, said after the
catastrophe that If the people had re-
NAMED in their seats and had not
been excited by the cry of fire not a
single life would have been lost. This
| is, however, contradicted by the state
ment of the firemen, who found num-
bers of people sitting in their seats,
their faces directed toward the stage
as if the performance was still going
on. It is the opinion Of the fremen
that these people had been sufocated
at once by the aow of gas which came
from behind the asbestos curtain.
As near as can be estimated at the
present time about 1,300 people we're
in the theatre. Three hundred of
these were on the first floor, the bal
ance being in the two upper balconies
and in the Railways back of them.
The theatre is modelled after the
Opera Comique, in Paris, and from
the rear of each balcony there are
three doors leading out to passage ways
toWard the front of the theatre. Two
OF these doorways are at the end of the
balcony and one in the centre. The
audience in its rush for the outer air
seems to have for the greater part
chosen to fee to the left entrance and
to attempt to make its way down the
eastern stairway leading into the lobby
of the theatre. Outside of the people
burned and suffocated by gas, it was
in these two doorways in the first and
cooon6 bo1a,p;oc fhot tho OroatoSt lose