New-York tribune., 1908-01-14
IROQUOIS FIRE RECALLED.
More Than 800 Lost an Theatre Dis
dster an CHICAGO an 1908.

More than six hundred persons perished in the
Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago on December 80
1903 The fire broke out in the second act of the
performance of Mr.. Buebeard,'' which was the
first dramatic performance in the theatre after
its erection The asbestos curtain. which would
have kept the fire from spreading from the stage
to auditorium. refused to work and added to
the horror A few of the victims were burned to
death, scores were suffocated by gas, while hun
dreds were trampled to death in the mad rush
reach the exits
1t is believed that an electric light the
bottom a piece of drop scenery suddenly ground
ed and started the flames The fire spr~ad rap
idly toward the front of the stage, causing the
members Of the chorus who then in the
fly with screams of terror TO the wings
From here all the members of the company
reached the street in safety AS soon as the fire
was discovered Eddie FOy. the chief comedian of
the company. sounded warning to lower the cur-
tain, which fell about halfway and stuck Aided
by draft which swept through the opening tow
ard the doors that had been opened at the rear
of the theatre by the fleeing actors, the flames
shot the orchestra chairs.
Immediately following the rush of flames there
came an explosion which lifted the roof of the
theatre and shattered the great skyssht into frag
ments Leading from the balcony was stairway
down which hundreds tried to make their way
The result was that when the fremen entered the
building the dead found reaching from the
head of the stairway at least eight feet from the
door to point about five feet in the rear of the
door. The aisles in the theatre were filled with
dead
All Chicago appalled, by the disaster. which
caused a general inspection and in many cases re-
modelling cf theatres throughout the country The
theatre was supposed to be of the most modern
and safest payhouses in the West.
The worst previous theatre fire in the United
States the in which Conways Brooklyn
Theatre was destroyed with loss of 29j lives
AS usual. panic reigned. and scores who might
have been saved were tramDed on or died fighting
to escape There was nothing with which to fight
the flames in the theatre itself. The fire occurred
on December >, 1875.
Kate Claxton was playing The Two Orphans.
and the house was crowded In the boathOuse
scene a lantern fell from the upper part of the
stage machinery and landed on the canvas scenery
below.
immediately there was burst Of flames the
raint soaked canvas aared up Among the victims
were two actors H. S. Murdoch and Claude Bur
roughs
In the great Vienna disaster December 5. 1ss1.
the Ring Theatre burned and nine hundred lives
were lost Again panic and improper precaut1On
were responsible for the greatest part of the loss OF
life AS in the Brooklyn Theatre. lamp was up
set on the stage 1t broke out early in the evening
before the house had been completely filled lnves-
tigaton showed that the man who was supposed TO
let down the iron partition which corresponds with
the asbestos curtain now used must have deserted
his post. as this never lowered At the first
sign of fire the people fought savagely for safety
trampng women and children ruthessly under foot
Among the victims were several members OF noble
families
The Comedie FRANCHISE in Paris, was burned
on March s. 1900 Mile. Henriot. an actress was
burned death in this fire
Abbeys Park Theatre, in this city was burned
IN the ground in 1852 No lives were lost however.
only about twenty-five persons being in the place
at the time the fire started
Gable messages received from England on Satur-
day told of the loss of sixteen lives and the in
jury of forty children in a rush TO get seats IN
hall where an entertainment was to take place at
Barnsey The gallery crowded with children
when shouted TO them TO come down
stairs. They trampled each other underfoot.