"The Great Chicago Theatre Disaster"
"The Great Chicago Theater Disaster"
(Iroquois Theater)
Author
Marshall Evertte
1904
This book of 369 pages is the complete story told by the survivors of the Disaster. It presents a vivid picture, both by pen and camera, of “One Of The Greatest Fire Horrors of Modern Times”.
On Wednesday afternoon, December 30, 1903, a death-dealing blast of flame hurtled through the packed auditorium of the Iroquois Theater, Randolph Street, Chicago, causing the loss of nearly 600 lives of men, women and children, and injuries to unknown scores. It was a typical holiday matinee crowd, composed mostly of women and children, with here and there a few men. The production was the gorgeous scenic extravaganza “Mr. Bluebeard” with Eddie Foy, playing in the new theater that had been opened the month before.
( There are some very graphic descriptions in this book.)
VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY
CHAPTER 1 - THE STORY OF THE FIRE
CHAPTER 2 - FIRST AID TO THE INJURED AND CARE FOR THE DEAD
CHAPTER 3 - TAKING AWAY AND IDENTIFYING THE DEAD
CHAPTER 4 - SCENES OF HORROR AS VIEWED FROM THE STAGE
CHAPTER 5 - EXCITING EXPERIENCES IN THE FIRE
CHAPTER 6 - HEROES OF THE FIRE
CHAPTER 7 - THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE - THE ASBESTOS CRTAIN AND THE LIGHTS
CHAPTER 8 - SUGGESTIONS OF ARCHITECTS AND OTHER EXPERTS AS TO AVOIDING LIKE CALAMITIES
CHAPTER 9 - THIRTY EXITS, YET HUNDREDS PERISH IN AWFUL BLAST
CHAPTER 10 - HOW THE NEW YEAR WAS USHERED IN
CHAPTER 11 - A SABBATH OF WOE
CHAPTER 12 - WHAT OF THE PLAYERS
CHAPTER 13 - OTHER HOLOCAUSTS
CHAPTER 14 - STORIES AND NARRATIVES OF THE HOLOCAUST
CHAPTER 15 - SOCIETY WOMEN AND GIRLS CLBS
CHAPTER 16 - EDDIE FOY'S SWORN TESTIMONY
CHAPTER 17 - EFFECT OF THE FIRE NEAR AND FAR
CHAPTER 18 - SUGGESTIONS FOR SAFE THEATERS
CHAPTER 19 - THE SWORN TESTIMONY OF THE SURVIVORS
CHAPTER 20 - LACK OF FIRE SAFEGUARDS
CHAPTER 21 - IRON GATES, DEATH'S ALLY
CHAPTER 22 - DANCED IN PRESENCE OF DEATH
CHAPTER 23 - JOIN TO AVENGE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS
CHAPTER 24 - AWFUL PROPHECY FULFILLED
CHAPTER 25 - LIST OF THE DEAD
CHAPTER 26 - LIST OF CHICAGO SCHOOL TEACHERS KILLED IN THE THEATER
CHAPTER 27 - LIST OF THE INJURED
PHOTOS IN BOOK
Chapter XXVI
Pages 357 - 359
List of Chicago School Teachers Killed in the Theater.
BIEGLER, SUSAN M. - substitute; 6518 Minerva avenue.
BREWSTER, JULIA - Wadsworth School; 116 Thirty-first street.
CHAPIN, AGNES H. - Kershaw School; 4458 Berkeley avenue.
CLAY, SUSAN L. - Gallistel School; 6409 Monroe avenue
CROCKER, MELISSA L. - Oakwood School; 4730 Lake avenue.
DICKIE, EDITH - Sherwood School; 619 West Sixty-fifth place
DREISEL, HERMAN O. - physical culture teacher, Manual Training School; 697 North Robey street.
EGER, NELLIE SABINE, - Mosley School; 3760 Indian avenue.
FAIR, ELLA M. - Gallistel School; 7564 Bond street.
FALKENSTEIN, GERTRUDE R. - Harrison School; 7218 Lafayette avenue.
FITZGERALD, ANNIE E. - McClellan School; 3224 Fifth avenue.
FORT, IRENE - Principal Myra Bradwell School; 6321 Kimbark avenue.
GEARY, PAULINE A. - Felsenthal School; 4854 Prairie avenue.
GUSTAVSON, ALMA E. - Marsh School; 10333 Avenue N.
HARBAUGH, MARY E. - O’Toole School; (kindergarten); 6653 Harvard avenue.
HOFFEINS, ADELINE J.C. - Drummond School; 292 Haddon avenue.
KENNEDY, AGNES R. - Fuller School; 6528 Ross avenue.
KENNEDY, FRANCES E. - Hendricks School; 6528 Ross avenue
LAWRENCE, ELLA WARLEY - Farragut School; 819 Sawyer avenue.
LEHMAN, FRANCES M. - Nash School; Oak Park, Ill.
LIVINGSTONE, DAISY E. - Ray School; 271 Oakwood boulevard.
MANN, EMMA D. - Special teacher of music;1388 Washington boulevard.
MEAGHER, MARIA T. - Schiller School; 656 Orchard street.
MITCHELL, DORA A. - Darwin School; Lockport, Ill.
MILLS, MRS. PEARL M. P. - Wadsworth School; 5613 Kimbark avenue.
OWENS, AMY - Curtis School;6241 Kimbark avenue.
RADCLIFFE, ANNIE - Parkman School;4604 Calumet avenue.
REIDY, ANNA T. - Pickard School; 614 Sawyer avenue.
ROGERS, ROSE K. - Jefferson School; 809 Sawyer avenue.
SAYRE, CARRIE A. - Myra Bradwell School; 7646 Bond avenue.
SCHAFFNER, MINNIE H. - Forrestville School;578 Forty-fifth place.
STILL, LUCY A. - Calumet high School;7604 Union avenue.
STRAWBRIDGE, MRS. MARY A. - Hammond School; 849 West Jackson boulevard.
TOBIAS, FLORENCE - Jefferson School; 2016 Lexington street.
TORNEY, MARY EDNA - Throop School; 1292 West Adams street.
TUTTLE, GRACE - Ravenswood School; 22 Wisconsin street.
WELTON, ALICE - Scanlan School; (kindergarten); 6241 Kimbark avenue.
WHITE, FLORENCE O. - Ray School; 437 thirty-eighth street.
WILD, RITA - Felsenthal School; 4344 Calumet avenue.
ZIMMERMAN, ELIZABETH F. - Ericsson School; 374 Marshfield avenue.
SCHOOLS CLOSED IN THEIR MEMORY
As a tribute to forty dead teachers, victims of the fire, the public school was closed on Monday following the awful disaster.
Members of the Chicago Teachers’ Federation met in the society’s office in the Unity building in the afternoon and addresses. J.A. Guilford, business manager of the board of education, who by order of the Vice-president Charles A. Plamondon, issued a statement closing the schools, said they would reopen at the regular time on Tuesday.Mr. Plamondon appointed superintendent Cooley, Trustees Mark, Rowland and Tilden and the district superintendent, a committee to draw up memorial resolutions.