The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-01

mings, Miss Adelaide Baker and Miss Helen
Bagley, all personal friends and debutantS
of the present social season. All are be-
lieved to have persisted, although at a late
hour tonight definite news had been re-
ceived of the fate of but one. The body Of
dertaking establishment far out on West
Madison street, and has been fully iden1
tilted.
Miss Cummings was the daughter OF Rob4
ert Cummings. grain dealer and elevator
proprietor OF Chicago and Clinton, Ill Sh-
the family moved TO Chicago. Relatives
and friends of Miss Bagley and Miss Baker
searched persistently through the under
taking establishments and morgues all day
and all evening, but at midnight they hadi
been unable to obtain any trace OF the
missing girls.
Because of the disaster the gubernatorial |
campaign of Col. Frank o. Lowden. who
aspires to be chief executive of Illinois, was
temporarily postponed. Arrangements had
been made for a conference, at which tho
organization" leaders who favored Low
den's candidacy were TO appear and declare
themselves. The men gathered promptly, !
but ii was decided that no business should
be done, in view of the great calamity which
had overwhelmed Chicago, and that the
opening Of the campaign would be put of.
: +
Miss Gladys Morell. a young lady residing
at the Windermere Hotel, was one of the
fortunate few to make her escape from the
first balcony. She was seated in the first
row of the balcony with a friend when the
panic started. Instead of rushing to the
aisle to make her way toward the door Miss
Morell started to climb over the seats. step
ping from chair TO chair. When she had
gone half way TO the door she looked back
and saw that her friend was sitting In her
seat in the first row. apparently dazed. She
rushed back and urged her to jump up and |
follow, but the young woman seemed on
the point of fainting and was unable 10 |
arise. Miss Morell promptly slapped herr
several times ia the face, eXclaiming tharv
this was no time to faint and that IL sheI
wanted to save her life she must jump anfX
run for it. Again Miss MorelI started ove1
the seats, her friend following her closely
Both young women made their way TO the
door and out to the street. They were somej
what bruised, and nearly all their clothing
was torn from their bodies.
Lying on a cot in the Michael Reese Hos
pital, badly burned about the upper portiou
of his body, James II. Strong told to-nightI
Of his experience in attempting 10 force.
open one of the exits leading from the hrsr
balcony. Mr.. Strong went TO the theater
in company with his wife. his mother and
his niece. Miss Tina Strong. When the
panic commenced Mr.. Strong led the two
ladies and the girl off toward an exit i'm
the center of the balcony. toward which he
saw but few people fastening. On arriving
at liz uOOI III lOuilQ u lOChtu. 4 JunlDeO
up" he said, caught the edge OF the tran
som in my fingers, drew myself up and
smashed the window in the transom. l had
found it impossible to open the door.
and thought that possibly / might do
it from the outside If l could not
from the balcony. l dropped TO the
horror found that the door was not only
tight shut, but was actually locked with a
paddock and hasp- / did all in my power to
loosen the hasp, but IL was too strong for(
me. Just then a carpenter with some tool3X
in his hand came running up and / told himy
to help me open the door and we would bs@
able TO save a large number of people on
the inside. We worked and pulled and
tugged at the paddock like crazy men. but
we cOuld make no impression upon IL. The
our combined weight we tried TO break the{
door down. This was also out of the ques-l
ton and l then told the other man TO give&
me a boost so that / could reach the tranX
som and possibly 1 could pass the people,
out 10 him. He helped me up and [ gou&
the upper portion of my body through thaI
transOm and looked for my people. They
were STANDING lust beneath me, but lust aI
that second the flames swept through the.
balcony and 1 don't believe that any %
those who were in there then escaped. q
Inhaled the flame and in trying TO hang on
and at the same time avoid the fire 1 lOsty
/ my grip and fell back into the allway OUT
side. The carpenter picked me up and :
ul ged him 10 help me back and that u
about all 1 can remember except that hsy
dragged me off. l suppose, though, ID
would have been no use II he had got meN
through that transom again 1 do not sed
how IL was possible for any OF my people
10 have escaped. L think that a great many
more people could have been saved II that
door had not been padlocked."
Mrs. Strong, IT., the wife Of Mr.. Strong, |
Is among the identified dead. His motherl
and niece are among the missing He. him7I
self. is in a critical condition and may nod
survive.