Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-01
tenth ANNIVERSARY
Of 1nEAIER FIRE

Chicago, ILL.,, Dec. 3l.-Ten years
ago today Chicago was the scene Of
fire catastrophe that shocked the
whole civilized world-the burning of
the new %Iroquois theater. in which
G52 persons, mostly women and chill
dren, lost their lives.
Today a large proportion of the
city's population paused in the pur-
suit of their usual occupations to pay
tribute to the memory of the dead.
Hundreds of persons joined in the
program of memorial services held at
the Iroquois Memorial Emergency
hospital. Similar services were held
in a number Of churches. In the
downtown district the flags on many
buildings were at half-mast Silent
pilgrimages were made to the various
cemeteries, where wreaths were laid
on the graves Of the victims of the
disaster.
The burning of the lroquois theater
was the most appalling disaster OF
its kind in the history of America,
and will long be remembered by hun
dreds of families who lost one or
more of their members in the catas-
trpphe.
The fire originated on the stage Of
the theater during the matinee per-
fOrmance Of December 80, 1908, at a
time when every part of the. house
was crowded with the usual holiday
audience Of wOmen and children. The
theater was practically new, having
been opened only u few weeks previ-
GUS to the fire. It was a playhouse
of the iirst.Class and was Of sO.callcd
fireproOf construction. AS d matter
Of fact, the house itself suffered com
paratively little damage from the fire.
The official investigation showed that
the great loss of life was the result
Of panic among the spectators.
The attraction at the theater on
the fatal day was the Christmas spec
tacle of "Bluebeard," which had been
running at the lroquois since the op'
ening of the theater. It was the gen
eral belief that sparks from Of
the spotlights stationed in the wings
Of the stage ignited some of the film.
sy pieces of scenery and In Il few mo
ments the blaze spread upwards to
ward the flies.
Some of the actors and employees
tried to beat out the flames, but did
not succeed and the signal was given
to lower the fireproof curtain. Ow
ing to the fact that a rope, with which
the aerial ballot was manipulated
had been SO fastened that it obstruct
ed the movements of the curtain, the
latter could not be lowered for some
time.
When the curtain was finally releas
ed the fire had made such progress
on the stage that the employees he
came panic. stricken and opened the
large double door in the rear of the
stage. This resulted in u terrific
draft that caused the asbestos cur
tain to bulge out into the auditorium
In a few moments the curtain tore
and fell and an immense volume o.
smoke and flames poured into the
house. ts
When tile curtain fell the most o.
the seats on the orchestra floor hat
been emptied by the panic-stricker
spectators, and they were crowdfnl
through the exits as fast as they
could. When tile smoke and flame:
poured into the auditorium, sweeping
the whole interior, hundreds were
overcome. They fell in heaps at thu
exits and were suffOcated by thu
smoke and heat.
Those on top Of the pile Of human
ity we're scorched beyond recogni
ton. The situation was made worse
by the fact that the ushers had flet
ut the first alarm, without stoppip.
long enough to unlock the safety ex
Its. with which every acvr was pro
vtded.
The spectators, finding the safet!
exits tolted and locked. were com