In many of our public schools the pupils are occasionally called from their rooms, during recitation hours, and promptly assembling are marched in an orderly way out of the building. This is an excellent plan.
Two marked instances of superb self-control among children in the panic at the Iroquois theater have been brought to my notice. Two little daughters of a highly esteemed friend slid down the balusters from the upper balcony and reached the main floor unhurt. One of my Sunday School teachers met a young lad she knew, leading by the hand a girl younger than himself to her home. They were sitting together when the stampede took place. "Jump on my shoulders," said the boy. Then holding her fast by her feet, he said: "Now use your fists and fight for all you're worth." Bending his head he forced his way with his conquering heroine to life. Let every safeguard that human ingenuity can devise be furnished and yet there always remains the personal element to be taken into the account. Habitual practice of self-control in daily life will help give coolness and calmness in times of peril. Keeping one's head in the ordinary things prevents its losing when the extraordinary occurs.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| THE STORY OF THE FIRE | [33] |
| Wave of Flame Greets Audience—Few Realize Appalling Result—Drop Where They Stand—Many Heroes AreDeveloped—Dead Piled in Heaps—Exits Were Choked with Bodies—Survey Scene with Horror—Find Bushels of Purses. | |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| FIRST AID TO THE INJURED AND CARE FOR THE DEAD | [51] |
| Great Piles of Charred Bodies Found Everywhere in the Theater—Moan Inspires Workers in Mad Effort toSave—None Left Alive in Gallery—Dead and Dying Carried into Nearby Restaurant by Scores—Terrible Reality Comes to AwestrickenCrowd—One Life Brought Back from Death—One Hundred Feet in Air, Police Carry Injured Across Alley—Crowds of AnxiousFriends—Balcony and Gallery Cleared—Finance Committee of City Council Acts Promptly. | |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| TAKING AWAY AND IDENTIFYING THE DEAD | [67] |
| Heartrending Scenes Witnessed at the Undertaking Establishments—Friends and Relatives Eagerly Searchfor Loved Ones Missing After Theater Holocaust. | |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| SCENES OF HORROR AS VIEWED FROM THE STAGE | [77] |
| Story of How a Small Blaze Terminated in Terrible Loss—Orchestra Plays in Face of Death—Clown Proves aHero—All Hope Lost for Gallery. | |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| EXCITING EXPERIENCES IN THE FIRE | [86] |
| Experience of Chicago University Men—Bishop Braves Danger in Heroic Work of Rescue—Women and FourChildren Suffer—Learns Children Have Escaped—Finds His Daughter—Mr. Field's Narrative—NarrowEscapes of Young and Old—Pulls Women from Mass on Floor. | |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| HEROES OF THE FIRE | [94] |
| Piles of Dead in the Gallery—Eddie Foy's Heroism—AnElevator Boy Hero—Two Balcony Heroes—The Musical Director's Story—Child Saves His Brother. | |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE—THE ASBESTOS CURTAIN AND THE LIGHTS | [105] |
| Account of the Fire's Origin—Were Electric Lights Turned Out?—Statement of Messrs. Davis and Powers,Managers of the Theater—First Reliable Statement as to Why the Curtain Did Not Come Down—AnotherStory as to Why the Curtain Did Not Lower—The Theater Fireman's Narrative—The Stage Carpenter—TheChief Electrical Inspector's Tale—One of the Comedians Speaks—About the Lights. | |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| SUGGESTIONS OF ARCHITECTS AND OTHER EXPERTS AS TO AVOIDING LIKE CALAMITIES | [116] |
| Robert S. Lindstrom's Suggestions—The Architect Speaks—Examinationby Architectural Editor—Proposed Precautions for New York Theaters. | |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| THIRTY EXITS, YET HUNDREDS PERISH IN AWFUL BLAST | [123] |
| Horrible Sight Met the Firemen upon Entering Auditorium—The Gallery Horror—Girl's Miraculous Escape—AnAccount from the Boxes—Inspection After the Fire—A Young Heroine—A Narrow Escape—Finds Wife in Hospital—A Miraculousand Unconscious Escape—Little Girl's Marvelous Escape—Four Generations Represented—Daughters and Granddaughters Gone. | |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| HOW THE NEW YEAR WAS USHERED IN | [137] |
| Mourning in Every Street—Noise Seems a Sacrilege—MayorAsks for Silence—Merriment is Subdued—City of Mourning—Business World in Mourning. | |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| A SABBATH OF WOE | [143] |
| Seven Turner Victims—Sad Scenes at Wolff Home—Pathetic Scene at Church—Bury Children andGrand-children—Five Dead in One House—Entire Family is Buried—Mrs. Fox and Three Children—Mrs. Arthur E. Hull andChildren—Herbert and Agnes Lange—Sweethearts Buried at the Same Time—Five Buried in One Grave—Boys asPallbearers—Winnetka Saddened—Mother and Daughters Buried Together—Hold Triple Funeral—Women Faint in Church—Life-LongFriends Meet in Death—Edward and Margaret Dee—Miss E. D. Mann and Niece—Ella and Edith Freckelton—Miss Frances Lehman. | |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| WHAT OF THE PLAYERS? | [152] |
| The Chorus Girl—The Musical Director—The Joy of the Opening—Spendthrift Habits—Gambling, Pure andSimple—The Show on the Road—The One-Night Stand—The "Mr. Bluebeard" Company. | |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| OTHER HOLOCAUSTS | [181] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| STORIES AND NARRATIVES OF THE HOLOCAUST | [193] |
| Mrs. Schweitzler's Story of the Burning of the Curtain—Escape of Mother and Two Small Children—Expressionof the Dead—Only Survivor of Large Theater Party—All His Family Gone—A Family Party Burned—Carries Daughter's Body Home inHis Arms—Sad Error in Identification—The Hanger of the Asbestos Curtain—Keepsakes of the Dead—The Scene atThompson's Restaurant—Like a Field of Battle—Women Eager to Help—Steady Stream of Bodies—Clothing Torn toShreds—Prayers for the Dying—Child Saved from Death by Ballet Girl—Priest Gives Absolution to Dying Fire Victims—Little Boy ThanksGod for Changing His Luck—Use Placer Miner Methods—Daughter of A. H. Revell Escapes—Philadelphia Partner in Theater Horrified—AllKenosha in Mourning—Five of One Family Dead—Cooper Brothers Deeply Mourned. | |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
| SOCIETY WOMEN AND GIRLS' CLUBS | [214] |
| Miss Charlotte Plamondon's Account of the Fire—Screams of Terror Heard—Chorus Girls Escape, Partly Clad—FoyTries to Prevent Panic—Escape of Another Society Woman—Minneapolis Woman's Story of the Fire—Girls' Clubs Sorely Stricken. | |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
| [220] | |
| Eddie Foy's Sworn Testimony—Describes Stage Box—Curtain Would Not Come Down—Light Near the Fire—Sawno Extinguishers—Talks of Apparatus—Only One Exit Open—Wire Across Auditorium. | |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
| EFFECT OF THE FIRE NEAR AND FAR | [230] |
| New York Theaters and Schools—Crusade in Pittsburg—Washington Theater Owners Arrested—MassachusettsTheaters Investigated—Action in Milwaukee—Precautions at St. Louis—Orders Affecting Omaha Theaters—Effect Abroad—HorrorFelt in London—London Theater Precautions—Present Rules for London Theaters—Curtain Often Tested—Close Watchfor Fire—Tree Tells of Ruse—Fortune for Safety—W. C. Zimmerman on European Theaters—The Effect on Gay Paris—Upheavalof Berlin Theatrical World—Mr. Shaver on Berlin Theaters—Vienna Recalls a Horror of Its Own—The Netherlands and Scandinavia. | |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
| SUGGESTIONS FOR SAFE THEATERS | [243] |
| Francis Wilson Says "No Steps"—Staircases with Railings—Precautions Enforced in London—What theChicago City Engineer Says—Opinion of a Fireproof Expert—Illuminated Exit Signs. | |
| [CHAPTER XIX.] | |
| THE SWORN TESTIMONY OF THE SURVIVORS | [251] |
| The First Witness—Marlowe's Experience—Musical Director's Sworn Statement—Mrs. Petry's Escape—UpAgainst Locked Doors—Blown into the Alley—Just Out in Time—Sporting Men Testify—An Elgin Physician'sTale—Mr. Menhard's Difficult Exit—The Theater Engineer—A School Girl's Account. | |
| [CHAPTER XX.] | |
| LACK OF FIRE SAFEGUARDS | [271] |
| A University Student's Story—A Clergyman's Story—The Fly Man's Story—School Teacher's ThrillingExperience—Glen View Man's Experience—The Light Operator—The Jammed Theater—Gas Explosion Hours Before theFire—Panic Among Theater Employees—An Ex-Usher's Words. | |
| [CHAPTER XXI.] | |
| IRON GATES, DEATH'S ALLY | [300] |
| Evidence of George M. Dusenberry, Superintendent of the Theater—Purpose of the Two Iron Gates—Never AnyFire Drills—Gates Were Battered—Didn't Bother About Locked Doors. | |
| [CHAPTER XXII.] | |
| DANCED IN PRESENCE OF DEATH | [306] |
| [CHAPTER XXIII.] | |
| JOIN TO AVENGE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS | [312] |
| Attorney T. D. Knight Speaks—Coroner's Work Through—Remarks by Elizabeth Haley. | |
| [CHAPTER XXIV.] | |
| AWFUL PROPHECY FULFILLED | [317] |
| Mourning and Indignation—Nothing Else so Horrible—Unfortunate Victims—Fire! Fire!—Before the Disaster—TheHolocaust—The Stampede Begins—One of Stupendous Horrors—Cursed and Blasphemed—Dead Bodies Found—Suddenly and Forever Parted—TheFrenzy of Friends—Too Horrible to Dwell Upon—How the Theaters Should be Built. | |
| [CHAPTER XXV.] | |
| LIST OF THE DEAD | [325] |
| [CHAPTER XXVI.] | |
| THE STORY OF THE BURNING OF BALTIMORE | [357] |
MEMORIAL PRAYER.
The Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows wrote this prayer for Chicago on its appointed day of mourning. It is a prayer for all mourners of all creeds:
"O God, our Heavenly Father, we pray for an unshaken faith in Thy goodness as our hearts are bowed in anguish before Thee.
Come with Thy touch of healing to those who are suffering fiery pain.