The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1905-01-07

and saved Many Lives-rounE Lad,
by Courage aud Goodness, Re.eued
Mother aud Little CirI-Comediaa
Foy's Effort. 90 AIiay the Panic-A
ChiId's TouchinG but vain Appeal
One OF the most graphic descriptions
OF the Iroquois theater disaster in Chi.
cago was given by Frank Houscmnn.
professional ball player. who. with
Charley Dexter. another baseball play.
or. was occupying an upper box In the
theater when the fire started Here IL
Houseman's story.
Charley Dexter and | were in the
front upper box on the right hand
side. We had just been talking about
the double row OF little boys and girls
that filled the front balcony seats. The
thcater was dark for the second act.
and the stage was only partly lighted
too. Maybe dozen OF the chorus were
ON the stage singing 1 Meet You In the
Moons Pale Light when ! noticed a
little tongue Of flame back I'm the nies
on the other side OF tho stage. IL was
up just below the bottom OF the drop
curtain. which was raised. and looked
Just like somebody shaking a blazing
handkerchief.
Charley I said, Its me 20 the
exits. This may not be any thing. but
you know the dark little hall we had
10 come through so we moved along
quietly before anybody In the audience
knew anything was wrong We hadn't
any moro than got 10 the next floor
when the stage began TO get smoky,
and YOU could hear the crowd In the
theater begin TO get worried Just
then Eddie Foy came out 20 the front
or the stage. and. with the little blnz.
Ing bits OF scenery dropping back OF
him, he kept saying; Don't get fright
ened. sit still. TIA only little stage
fire by this time the whole thenter
was In an uproar Big chunks OF
blazing scenery began TO fall. The
girls on the stage were fainting, and
Dexter and | rushed to couple OF
exits on the east side.
Open the doors, said TO an usher.
"'Walt I'LL the drop curtain comes
down. he said
by this time the crowd was getting
Wild and pushing against the doors
The stage was blazing and the smoke
rolling out into the body OF the thcater
For Gods sake, open the doorsP
shouted. The usher didn't move Well.
l grabbed the fellow and threw him as
far as ! could and burst open the door.
The minute IL gave way the crowd
showed me with a rush and TANNED
me against pair OF iron doors that
were locked. felt OF the latch and
found II was like the one on my ice
box at home. This is easy said 10
Dexter, who had broken open another
door. We caught hold or the big iron
latch and with a few wrenches pulled
IL open. At that minute big sheet OF
fire came out from tine stage with q
pun that drove the crowd mad In a
fash saw Eddie Foy apparently bur
led In flames, and before | could catch
my breath the crowd caught me and
almost threw me clear across the alley
leading 10 state street
'In that alley was the most awful |
sight ! ever saw The fire escapes over
the nlley were packed with struggling.
screaming people lighting 70 jump 20
the ground They were falling like |
raindrops ana making n pile Of dead |
and dying under the escapes
"one man landed on the mass OF PEG. |
pie and struggled TO his knees. when u /
woman fell on his head and struck him I
dead. ! saw another woman cllnging /
Go the outside 81 the lower IRE escape |
'Jumpr yelled. 'It's only ten feet |
A. she came down | held out my arms |
20 break her fall and she struck my |
shoulder by this time the smoke wns |
pllng out ~ the door we had broken /
open. and Dexter and worked till we /
were exhausted pulling out women and /
children who were overcome by the 1
smoke and the horror
at was terrible. Mothers were call. /
ing for their little ones Little girls /
were screaming and bewlldercd A
mass OF crazy human beings were al
most tearing each other 20 pieces try \
Ing 10 crowd out Of that one small /
opening that we had made"
or the deeds OF herosm that marked 1
the dreadful fight for life IN the Iro-
quols thcater horror few ecllpscd an /
net 81 devotion and self sncrihcc per 4
formed 10y fourtecnyca old Byram F.
Green. son of a. w. Green. chairman 4
81 tie board OF directors Of the Ma T
tlonul Biscuit company.
Little Byrum. who bore like stole
the agony Of n dozen cruel burns. first 4
guided his mother 90 safety through \
the struggling throng fighting ncrcely
IN the nlslcs. ana then. though half sur.
located. fought his way back through
fame and smoke and deadly gns and
carried and dragged 60 safety n help
less little girl who was In his mothers
party.
Il was not brave" be said II was
scared 20 death. but | had 60 help
- a.