The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-01-06
Men, Women and Children Burned and
Suffocated in. Chicago Fire.
PANIC IS CAUSED BY FLAMES IN THE SCENERY
Many of the Victims Overcome BY Gas Which Filled
The Al, um-0thers Were Tramped to
DEATH Scenes of Indescrbable Distress
Attend the Great Catastrophe.


everything plunged in absolute dark
ness. not even friendly lantern to
show them the way out OF this dance
OF death.
The theatre, with its classic outlines,
beautiful plush hangngs. the arched
windows, with their stained glass, and
the stately pillars became a morgue in
five minutes after the first little flame
made its way along the stage.
Women who had managed by
strength or terror to get into the aisleS
found their awful ending in mingled
doom OF smoke and fire and tearing of
limbs in the aislcs and in the open
space back OF the seats. Dozens OF
others, swept, carried, dragged or
thrown ont TO the stairways and even
beyond them to the landings in actual
sight OF the daylight that strcamed
through the big front doors in sight of
the throngs outside, with fire wagons
and the smoking horses, died in great
masses 10 and II feet high, limbs min
glcd icariuly together. clothing burn
ed off and faces caught in their last
agonies all turned toward the doors
they could not reach
From windows at the north and west
end OF the building they streamed,
( blinded by the smoke and crazed beyond
any possibility OF helping themselves
farther or OF taking advantage OF the
aid extended TO them from the upper
floors OF the buildings facing the the
atre.
Ladders, planks, ropes, poles, every
thing that could possibly serve to as
! sist these poor creatures in their battle
for lie were rugged and turned into
bridges, but few got across alive. Rap
| idly one blackencd corpse after another
was passed along until every building
on the north and west side was filled
with them.
Barely five minutes after the first
! alarm was turned in tiremen were strug-
Cling into the theatre, making their way
in some miraculous manner, though
| the maddened mob was pouring out
OF the auditorium, doing what little
they could not only to check the fire,
which was fast turning the whole in
| terror shell into a cauldron, but to res
! cue the frantic hundreds in the upper
baconies by ladders stretched from the
main floor.
A ieW--,so at most-were rescued in
this way, and then the fremen after
controlling the flames abandoned their
lengths OF hose to go with the gather
ing police and make their way to the
horrors that waited for them on the
upper stairways and in the balcony
seats. Here was no more struggling.
no more frantic haste. Hundreds with
homes in every part OF the city still
showing at their windows Christmas
wrcaths, still filled with the decora-
tions OF the holiday season, lay be-
yond all thought OF worldly things in
silent heaps OF death.
And still outside the main entrance
to the building many passersby at
tracted by the presence OF the fire en-
gincs had no knowledge OF the fearful
disaster inside. Tens OF thousands
passed and repassed within a block
without knowing it. Hundreds OF po-
lice officers stationed in the roadway
were asking one another if there had
been any among the audience badly
hurt.
But when from the inside began to
stream procession OF fremen carrying
between them the charred bodies OF
those who a little while before had
been happy in the enjoyment OF an af-
ternoons pleasure the scene without
changed as il by magic. From every
business street OF the city men whose
wives and families had gone to the mat
inee, came with white faces and eyes
blinded with tears to the theatre and
screamed like madmen the names OF
those they were seeking. Many OF
them found their loved ones safe but
still half crazcd in surrounding stores
and hotels Others discovered them
among the dead by some particle OF
dress, alf-charred hair ribbon, a shoe
or a lockets
Eycwitnesses OF the Iroquois fire de-
clare that no words can begin to de-
scribe the pandemoniuip that occurred
nor the frenzy OF the men and women.
Among the hundreds OF persons who
rushed to the rescue when the call OF
fire was heard on the streets was Bish-
op Samuel Fallows, who happened to
be passing the theatre. Without fear
/ or hesitation he made his way through
the darkness that was intensified by the
| volume OF smoke which filled the audi
torium to the top gallery and assisted
in carrying out the victims.
God forbid that ever again see
such a heartrending sight" said the
Bishop later. Il have been in wars
and upon the bloody field OF battle, but
in all my experience have never seen
anything hall so grueSome as the sight
that met my eyes. when, with the aid OF
tiny lantern, was finally able to pen.
citrate the inky blackness oil that bal
cony.
There was a pile OF twisted and
bleeding bodies 10 feet high, with
blackened faces and remnants of char
red clothing clinging to them. Some
were alive and moaning in their agony
Others. and by far the greater number.
were dead. assisted in carrying many
OF the injured down and ministered 10
them the best | could"