The chronicle=news., 1913-12-30
TEN YEARS SINCE
IsoQuoIs FIRE


Chicago. III. p-s- s-.-TSa years
ESQ to-,ss chIss. AS 'A- scene of
Z iir- catastrophe that .ha-1-i tho
.hai~ stssiis-,. sarla- the sarnins
.f the a-~ Is.laais shsaies. ~
which a.. i--non.. masily s".nea
AMI .htiar-s. insi their lives
r-,as a isre. Eforestiah "t the
city. population paus~si ia the .!sH
.ais of their usual occupations 81"
ia, tribute Ia the m~tn"ss os ~"
s-sas i,rnar-.,. -. s.-s..e. joined 10
,hr program .s ra-ai.siai .se,i.~s
hsid al sh- isniasss M-n.siai rsn~..
s-n.Y hospital Similar s~.ti.-.
ssf. held IN a nun,h7r of churches,
silent piisrimas-s s-r- trs''- In ,h''
,arious cemeteries. ~h-rr ~f-sihs
81. tia~.s. ~~rs laid aa the sras"s
Of the victims as the disaster,
The Lnrn,ns of The iruauss. thea
ter go tho mast appalling dt.ss'rf
af its Kind In IN. hiss"sf af Ans'irss
ana sti long is- remembered .s
hsnar~sis af families ~ha Lost oue o.
mos- ct 'h-if r,rmh-rs in tho .s'ss'
,sspr-.
The f,s- originated .n sh- s'a'sr
81 ,h- ,h~ai-r anfins tho matinee
p.rf.rn.anrr n. trs-mp-r 40. '."i.
at . tin~ sh-h every ra.i "f ths
hsi.~ ~a. crowded With 'h- usns!
ho,iaas auii-arc of ~oas~n ahi .hil.
sr-a. Tho ,L.ss-r ~ss srar'isnii'
nov. having Leen oi.n-i oais f@w
weeks rs-,i lot. to- the iir-. Il vas
. piay house of the nrsi class. anu
was cf .o.raiird firrpsoof seas'rns'
lion. \. u matter of fact the hcnsr
itself .utf~r"1 comparatively ltti'"
.amas- from tho fir. Tire official
examination shovel that the zr-a'
loss pf life "a. the rs."l' ri panic
among the sp~ciators
the fatal iay was 'h- Christmas
.p.~-ia~I, ct 'iiine.cnrI.' which had
h--a running at the irosluci. sins"
tito opritns "f the thsa'rr. u vas
the general belief that sparks Irun,
an- Of the spotlight. stationed In IA,
wings Of the stage srn,'"d some ol
few moment. the nissr spread M.
~ar,i. to the flies.
Somr of the actor. aud rnipicycs
tried To heat ou, tho Flames. hut did
hot succeed aud the signal was Eiyc1
io love- thief ircnroo. curtain. Ow-
ing To the ..,t that y rope. Win
ruiatc!. had been AZ fastened that
II ob.trnctcd tho movements Of trc
curtain. the latter rou'd not he lew
cred fcs some time.
when the curtain was rnaliy re-
leased III" fire had mad. such prog
res. on the stage that tho employees
became panic stricken and opened
the large double door In the rear NJ
tho stage. this resulted IN u terrific
draft that caused the asbcstos cur
tain to bulge out into the audito-
rum. In n few minutes the curtain
tore and fell and an immense vol
time OF smoke and flames poured in
the house.
when thee urtain fell the most
of tho seats on tho orchestra floor
had been cnlpticd ny the panic
stricken spectators. aud they were
crowding toward the exits as last
as they could When the smoke and
flames poured into the auditorium,
sweeping tho whole interior. hun
drcds were overcome. They fell In
heaps at the exits and were suifo-
Gated by the smoke and heat.
Those on top Of the pile of human
I ity. were scorchcd beyond rccogni-
! tion. The situation was made worse
by the fact that the ushers fnd f!ci
at the first alarm. without stopping
long enough to unlock the safety OK
It's with which every floor was pro
| vidcd.
The spectators. finding the snfctv
| exits boltrd and locked. were conf
PEELED to seek their way out through,
the main entrance and lobby Of the
thcatcr This entrance Immediately
1 became jammcd and hundreds per
ished before they could reach the