Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903
This chilling narrative provides a minute-by-minute chronicle of one of the most physically and psychologically devastating disasters of the twentieth century. On the afternoon of December 3, 1903, a capacity audience enjoyed a matinee performance ofMr. Bluebeardat the newly opened Iroquois Theatre in downtown Chicago. When a spark ignited a fire on the stage, everything that could go wrong did. Roof vents were sealed off, the fire curtain malfunctioned, and the exits were inexplicably locked. Although more than 600 people perished and subsequent investigations revealed that the building was opened without complying with the standard fire code, neither the theater owners nor the city's building inspectors were ever held accountable for the tremendous loss of life. Packed with eyewitness testimony, this gripping account takes on a sense of dreadful immediacy as theatergoers, players, rescue workers, and victims' family members recount the grisly horrors of that afternoon and its aftermath. This superior piece of historical investigative journalism will keep readers turning the pages until the bitter end.Margaret FlanaganCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved