WAVE OF FLAME GREETS AUDIENCE--FEW REALIZE APPALLING RESULT--DROP WHERE THEY STAND--MANY HEROES ARE DEVELOPED--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 TO SAVE--NONE LEFT ALIVE IN GALLERY--DEAD AND DYING CARRIED INTO NEARBY RESTAURANT BY SCORES--TERRIBLE REALITY COMES TO AWESTRICKEN CROWD--ONE LIFE BROUGHT BACK FROM DEATH--ONE HUNDRED FEET IN AIR, POLICE CARRY INJURED ACROSS ALLEY--CROWDS OF ANXIOUS FRIENDS--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 SEARCH FOR 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 A HERO--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 FOUR CHILDREN SUFFER--LEARNS CHILDREN HAVE ESCAPED--FINDS HIS DAUGHTER--MR. FIELD'S NARRATIVE--NARROW ESCAPES 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--AN ELEVATOR 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--ANOTHER STORY AS TO WHY THE CURTAIN DID NOT LOWER--THE THEATER FIREMAN'S NARRATIVE--THE STAGE CARPENTER--THE CHIEF 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--EXAMINATION BY ARCHITECTURAL EDITOR--PROPOSED PRECAUTIONS FOR NEW YORK THEATERS. CHAPTER IX. THIRTY EXITS, YET HUNDREDS PERISH IN AWFUL BLAST 123