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Newspaper
Lowell Daily Courier
Location
Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America
Date
Dec 31, 1903
Page
3
A Chicago theatre fire and gas explosion killed about 500 people among 1300 present. Fire officials clash with manager Will J Davis over cause and escape routes as bodies pile by exit doors and gas suffocation deeds horrific injuries across the balconies.
Eyewitness descriptions recount a chaotic scene where women and children lie crushed in a doorway mass as rescuers pull bodies from waterlogged rubble. Gas suffocation and trampling caused widespread injuries with torn clothing and brutal, untellable horror.
In the crowded aisles near the doors, chaos erupted with harrowing scenes as bodies lay scattered, depicting a deadly crush that overwhelmed emergency responders and bystanders alike. Officials investigate cause and magnitude of the stampede amid shattered glass and frantic evacuations.
A theatre fire escape proved useless as ladders were incomplete causing a deadly crush. Women on rear iron platforms fell, fractured limbs and skulls amid a chaotic escape. George H. Elliott aided with improvised planks, enabling about two dozen to cross a narrow makeshift bridge.
Eddie Foy, last to escape, describes a deadly blaze in which flames swept through scenery as a draft carried fire and gas to balconies. He aided women to safety and sought medical help after suffering burns, blaming the curtain failure for spreading the fire rapidly.
Spectators surged toward a theatre amid a historic blaze near State and Dearborn. Police pressed back frenzied onlookers while firefighters aided in rescues, with William H. Thompson among rescuers carrying eight women from the deadly scene.
Fire rescue in a dark building filled with smoke as Orr Locket hardware furnished lanterns. Over 200 lights aided crews pulling bodies from the theatre while crowds waited. Merchants supplied blankets and linen, doctors and nurses rushed to aid, ambulances overwhelmed by casualties.
An automobile headed for a scene on State Street could not pass as 80 or more people crowded the route. The driver sounded his gong repeatedly but the crowd refused to part, and the vehicle ultimately moved away.
Eyewitness accounts from Will J. Davis and William C. Sellers describe a deadly theatre blaze caused by a calci um light, with 900 capacity balconies, hundreds escaping through 40 exits, and no fatalities due to prompt evacuation efforts despite dangerous gas and smoke.
Bishop Samuel Fallows aided victims as a fierce blaze swept a theatre. He crawled through smoke to reach a balcony where a pile of bodies lay, helping carry out the injured while bystanders, including Sheriff Barrett and deputies, struggled to restore order. The incident left him shaken by the hundreds of frantic relatives and survivors.
Tear blinded observers recall the night as Thompson's restaurant workers helped 15 women and children escape a theater fire. Waiters and cooks used a roof ladder to reach a rear window, guiding victims to safety with C. Little directing jumps into awaiting arms.
A Chicago theatre party led by Miss Charlotte Plamondon escaped a deadly fire after spotting flames above the drop curtain. Miss Elsie Elmore, Miss Mary Patterson, and Miss Josephine Eddie aided aid as patrons fled, with many injured, including a mother who was knocked unconscious and a child with a torn scalp.
Pittsburg December 30 Benjamin Marshall the young architect who designed the Iroquois theatre left for home after reading disaster bulletins. He said he would never allow another theatre to be built with wood and stressed the need for fireproof construction despite modern lines and multiple exits. He warned that inflammable materials and wooden stairways worsen blazes and spread.
The Iroquois Theatre, recently opened for the public on November 23 with Mr. Bluebeard, burned despite being fireproof and nearly complete with 1724 seats and 475 balcony seats. City records show full compliance with fire safety laws, and construction cost was about 500000 dollars.
A compact feature describes economical women drawn to mark-down hats that blend ingenuity and taste. It highlights the appeal of a between-season chapeau for stylish buyers seeking value and smart purchasing.
The Governor of Oregon endorses Peruna as the catarrh remedy of the age. Letters of commendation pour in from across the United States praising its cures and preventive power. Dr. Hartman urges households to keep Peruna for coughs and colds and to request the free 1904 Peruna Almanac.
We are prepared to supply on short notice upholstery repair and refinishing of furniture from common to antique pieces. We offer to build to order divans window seats davenports couches cabinets and cases with personal attention from both firm members.
The readable text is garbled with prices and measurements but lacks coherent details about a specific event or entity. No clear person, organization, date, or location is identified to form a proper summary.
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