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This newspaper page contains 11 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Washington Evening Journal
Location
Washington, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Jan 01, 1904
Page
1
The LaRoyis theater in Chicago burned after a calcium light explosion triggering gas tank blasts. Between 500 and 600 people were killed or injured as crowds rushed to exits, with 504 dead confirmed and 157 injured. Coroner Traeger vows a full investigation to identify those responsible.
A crowded venue faced deadly chaos as exits failed during a fire. Bodies twisted and crushed amid entanglements, with some doors jammed or blocked. Officials note the tragedy cost many lives, and precious seconds mattered as panic grew.
Eyewitness accounts describe a deadly theater blaze at Randolph and Dearborn with over 200 bodies piled in the main exit. Fire and panic spread through balconies while escape routes failed and lights dimmed as rescue efforts began.
Survivors struggled amid wreckage as a deadly fire claimed lives in the crowded venue. Some victims were rescued and rushed to safety, while others perished in the aisles and stairwells.
After the Thornton theater blaze in Chicago mourners describe ghastly rescue scenes. Firemen remove bodies from west alley and Randolph street exits as ghouls grab pocketbooks and jewelry. Hoars of clothing and candles mark the ruin while crowds seek missing relatives.
Bishop Muldoon and Father O'Brien administered last rites to Catholics among victims at the Tremont building now housing Northwestern University Law School. The two clergy gave general absolution and remained with the dying until morgue and hospitals received the injured.
The article notes electric lights placed near scenery borders sparked a fire at one venue and mentions how many theater staff across Chicago theaters bear responsibility. Authorities investigate duties of theater personnel and safety practices amid staging fires.
Eddie Foy describes an early act fire caused by a broken grounded electric wire that spread rapidly through the rear stage. He ordered the asbestos curtain down, helped women performers to safety in the alley, then escaped to the hotel as the theater burned.
Mayor Harrison, after learning of the Kansas City theater fire, plans a proclamation to close all business on Saturday and seek quiet on New Year’s Eve. He cites the asbestos curtain as a key factor if it failed and says blame awaits the coroner’s report.
Chief of Police O Neill oversaw efforts to aid families in identifying bodies. Secretary Markham read descriptions to a anxious crowd inside the morgue area, where only limited viewing was allowed and survivors pressed to learn if a missing relative matched.
The message from President Theodore Roosevelt extends deepest sympathy to Mayor Carter H. Harrison and the people of Chicago in the terrible catastrophe that has befallen them. The note is dated Washington December 31 and released in Chicago January 1.
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