Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, January 06, 1904, Image 1
.Lancaster Enterprise.
Vol. XIII. LANCASTER, S.C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1904 No 42
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FEARFUL LOSS OF LITE
IN CITY OF CHICAGO.
Nearly Six Hundred Human Beings Destroyed
in a Theatre Fire.
Chicago, Dec. 30.?About 550 people were killed in ten minltes
this afternoon during a fire in the Iroquois theatre, the new
ist, the largest, and as far as human power could make it, the
afest theatre in Chicago. Estimates of the dead and injured
'ary. The police account of the dead is 536. The estimate of
he newspapers is 560. Besides this tliere are 55 people missing
it midnight, the majority of whom are probably among the dead
n the morgues and various undertaking establishments. Eiglityix
of the dead have been positively identified and 02 others are
mown to be injured.
A few of these people were burned to death by fire, many
vere suffocated by gas, and scores were trampled to death in the
>anic that followed the mad plunge of the frightened audience
or exits. It was many hours before the number of dead was
mown and will bo many days before all of them will be ldentiied.
Their clothing is torn to rags or burned to cinders and
heir faces have been crushed into an unrecognizable pulp by
leels of the crowd that trampled them down as they fled P>r
R f I > t V
J
The fire b 'oke out during tlie second act of the play "Air.
Bluebeard," which was the first dramatic production placed in
he theatre since its erection. The company which was very
arge, escaped to the streets in safety, nearly all of them, how
ver, being compelled to (lee into the snowy streets with no
Nothing but their stage costumes.
The accounts? of the origin of the fire are conflicting and none
>f them certain, hut the best reason given is that an electric wire
tear the lower part of a piece of drop scenery suddenly broke
md was grounded. As soon as the Ilia1 was discovered Eddie
<"oy, the chief comedian of the company, shouted to lower the
turtain, and this was immediately done. It descended about
lalf way and then stuck. The fire thus was given practically a
lue through which a strong draft was setting, aided by the
loors which had been thrown open in the front of the theatre.
A'ith a roar and a bound the flames shot through the opening
>ver the heads of the people in the first lloor and reaching those
u the first balcony caught them and burned them to death where
hey sat. Immediately following this rudi of flames there came
in explosion which lifted the entire roof of the theatre from it-*
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As soon as the flames first appeared bevoiul the curtain a mail
11 the rear of the hall shouted "Fire, fire," and the entire audi
nee rose as one person and made for the doors, it is belie v u
hat tfie explosion was caused by flames coming into contact
vith the gas reservoirs of the theatre, causing them to burst.
The firemen found numbers of people sitting in their seats,
heir faces directed towards tlie stage as if the performance was
till going on. It was the opinion of the firemen that these pen
de had been suffocated at once by the How of gas which ca.nc
roin behind the asbestos curtain.
As near as can lie estimated at the present time about 13(>0
leople were in the theatre. Three hundred of these were on the
irst floor, the balance being in 'he two upper balconies and
lack of tliein. Outside of the people burned and suffocated iy
;as, it was in the doorwa\s mi the firo and second hnleni 'ca
hat the greatest loss <*f lifo occurred. When the firemen or,ton 1
ho building the dead woro found stretched in a pile reaching
mm tho head of iho stairway it loast eight foot from tho door
?ack to a point ahout five foot in tho roar of tlto door. This
!i;i-s of doad bodies in tlto coturo of tho doorway roach'd to
vitliin two foot of the top of tho passage way. All of thocorpses
it this point wore women and. children. Women on top of these
ltassos of dead bodies had been overtaken by death as they wore
trawling on hands and knees over the bodies of those who Inn
lied before. Others lay With arms stretched out in the direction
award which lay li'e and safety, holding in their hands fragnents
of garments not their own. They were evidently torn
rom others whom they had endeavored to pull down and trample
mderfoot as they fought for their own lives. As the police and
iremen removed layer after layer fit" dead in these doorways, the
ight became two much even for them, hardened as they are to
uch scenes, to endure. The bodies wore in such an extricablo
nass, and so tightly were they jammed between the sides of the
loor and the walls, that it was impossible to lift them one by
>ne and carry them out. The only possible thing to do was to
uize a limb or some other portion of the bodv and null with
nain strength. Men worked at the task with tears running down
heir cheeks, and the sobs of the rescuers could be heard even
n the hall below where this awful scene was being enacted. A
lumber of the men were compelled to abandon their task and
;ivo it over to others whose nerves had not as yet been shaken
>y the awful experience. As one by one, the bodies were dragled
out of the watersoaked, blackened mass of corpses, the specacle
became more and more heartrending. There were women
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