"Lest We Forget": Chicago's Awful Theater HorrorEverett, Marshall
History
"Lest We Forget": Chicago's Awful Theater Horror
Everett, Marshall
Iroquois Theater, Chicago -- Fire, 1903; Theaters -- Fires and fire prevention
When the dread hour arrived at the Iroquois, the majority lost their all.
It was not to be expected they would leave their jewelry and money about
hotels of which they knew little. Quite naturally, they took both to their
dressing-rooms. Many were on the stage when the cry of fire came, and were
fortunate to escape with their lives, without thought of clothing, money
or jewelry, all of which were swept away. With employment, valuables,
everything gone save their hotel baggage, they were in a sorry plight,
indeed. But with the optimism that only the actor knows they rejoiced in
their escape from the fate that overtook little Nellie Reed and from the
terrible scars and burns suffered by many of their number.
A score of their number were under arrest, held as witnesses, men and
women alike. The management came to their relief to the extent of
furnishing bonds that secured their temporary release. Klaw and Erlanger
also furnished transportation back to New York for such as were at liberty
to go. Then another obstacle arose. Few had the means to settle their
hotel bills, and the proprietors of the places would not release their
baggage. At this juncture relief came from outside sources. Mrs. Ogden
Armour provided for the chorus girls, contributing $500 to settle their
bills. That night over a hundred of the players were headed back to the
great metropolis they call home, to seek new engagements, and if
unsuccessful, to do the best they could. And the majority started with
certain failure staring them in the face.
It was on Sunday, January 3, 1904, four days after the fire, that the
members of the "Mr. Bluebeard" company turned their faces homeward, for to
all players New York is "home." Just before the train started a plain
white box was put on board the baggage car. It contained all that was
mortal of Nellie Reed, the sprightly little girl who had delighted scores
of thousands by her mid-air flights from the stage at each performance.
It was her last railroad "jump." Poor little thing, still in her early
teens, she closed her earthly career with the close of the show, and went
back "home" with it! If the future has for her any further flights they
will be of celestial character, and not through the agency of an invisible
wire such as guided her above the heads of Iroquois theater audiences and
which was at first thought to have interfered with the fall of the curtain
and to have been directly responsible for the appalling holocaust.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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