The Deadliest Theater Fire In History

February 13th 1875 readers of the Chicago times open their papers and are met with a rather alarming headline burned alive a seeming news bulletin of a horrific and gruesome fire caused by an overturned gas burner that engulfed an unnamed Chicago theater burning alive some 157 patrons as they fought desperately to escape the flames victims many trampled to death were pulled from the rubble as blackened corpses listed in the paper are the initials of numerous casualties a custom during that time to the casual reader skimming through the paper the story is quite real but a careful examination of the articles closing lines reveal that the event is simply hypothetical a fictional account presented as reality meant to enlighten the readership to the fire hazards present in Chicago's theater district this piece of the shocked mock journalism a public service of sorts Chicago Times readers are of course equal parts disgusted and incensed a flood of letters pour in telling the paper off for such ill-conceived sensationalism The Times rival paper the Chicago Tribune publishes a scathing article in response reporting that one local woman had died from the shock of seeing what she believed were her husband's initials in the article of course this story is also made up in the tribunes half-hearted attempt to showcase how such fake news articles are in poor taste the city's readers eventually walk away from the episode disgusted at both publications hoaxes respect is lost but so too is the message the Chicago Times had hoped the reader would walk away with that Chicago theatres are in desperate need of safety improvements [Music] November 23rd 1903 the ribbon cutting for the Iroquois theater located at 24 to 28 West Randolph Street a location chosen specifically to attract women on day trips from out of town who would be more comfortable attending a theater near the police patrolled shopping district as opposed to the more dangerous sections of Chicago under the dark of night thus far the theaters grand opening has been delayed for a number of reasons from labor disputes to architectural roadblocks still the venue is illustrious a capacity of 1602 attendees spread throughout three impeccably adorned audience levels the theaters single entrance a broad and beautiful stairway that leads from the foyer to the balcony level allows patrons of all shapes and sizes to see and be seen regardless of the price of their ticket and ornate 60-foot high ceiling held up by white marble two walls is inspiring and a glass skylight over the stage makes every performance look magical advertisements and playbills for the Iroquois theater in an effort to win safety-conscious customers claim the building is impervious to fire a declaration that certainly ruffles the feathers of one Chicago Fire Department captain who made an unofficial tour of the theater days before finding numerous safety deficiencies exit signs are missing or obscured by thick drapes there are no sprinklers no fire alarms no water connections and no backstage telephones an editor of fireproof magazine who toured the building during construction noted the absence of an intake and also expresses concerns about the abundance of wood trim used in the theaters aesthetic design by the time of the opening the only firefighting tools on hand consist of six metal canisters containing a dry chemical product called kill fire meant to be forcibly hurled at the base of any flames business is business though and deadlines even more so and with the stage now ready Iroquois theater opens its it will take only a single month for disaster to strike December 30th 1903 Wednesday the theater is presenting a matinee performance of the popular jury laying musical mr. Bluebeard the play a burlesque of the traditional folk tale features Dan McAvoy as Bluebeard and Eddie Foy as sister Ann the show has been playing at the theater since opening night but attendance has been poor many staying home due to the weather but on this day things are looking up every seat in the house has been sold and the theater owners eager to make up for earlier lost revenue sell hundreds of standing room tickets for areas in the back of the theater causing such a crowd that many sit in the theater aisles blocking the exits many of the estimated 2,200 patrons attending the matinee are children shortly after 3:00 p.m. as the show is well into the second act and sixteen performers are onstage delivering a rendition of pale moonlight an electrical short circuit causes the main spotlight to shoot sparks into the air one of the stages curtains begins to burn and wood trimming on the front of the stage catches fire a stagehand rushes backstage to fetch the emergency metal canisters and by the time he returns some of the singers start to notice smoke kill fire is meant to be thrown at the base of flames but the fire in the theater is taking place high above the stage thus when the stagehand throws the canisters the chemicals spill uselessly to the ground embers begin to fall toward the nervous singers below and in moments the audience realizes the emergency the patrons panic and show star eddie foy set to go on stage rushes out and attempts to calm the crowd chunks of the burning scenery fall around him as he tries in vain to maintain order in the room there is no telephone backstage a member of production is ordered to run from the burning theater on foot and alert the nearest firehouse the Chicago Fire Department will not arrive in time the fire spreads in seconds and the audience attempts in vain to flee the design of the theater which includes large hung mirrors disorients many in the crowd others arrive at the exits only to find locked accordion gates set up by management to prevent patrons from sneaking to better seats after the start of the show the audience is locked in the Iroquois broad and beautiful staircase proves to be a deathtrap there is a reason after all that Chicago fire ordinances require multiple staircases and exits for the various balconies and sections one single staircase means one single exit and 2,200 disoriented theater goers desperate for air and fighting for their lives do not form an orderly line the theater goes black and hundreds are trampled in the chaos in just 20 minutes 575 people are killed at least 30 more will die of injuries over the following weeks the Iroquois theater is destroyed in what will be the worst single building fire in US history more than doubling the number of fatalities seen during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the next day theaters in New York City and around the country eliminate standing room seating building and fire codes will soon be reformed theaters all over the world will close to be retrofitted exit signs from this point forward will need to be clearly marked and in many cases installed theaters in Chicago will close for six weeks investigations will take place in January of the next year will Davis the theaters manager is arrested and charged with criminal neglect after a short time he will be acquitted before too long newspapers across the country report on the disaster the victims names published and this time is no hoax this time what happened in the paper happened in Chicago this episode of really weird history is sponsored by curiosity stream a subscription streaming service that now offers over 2400 documentaries and nonfiction titles from some of the world's best filmmakers including exclusive originals if you love learning about true stories like this you'll love their selection covering history science nature technology and more unlimited access starts at $2.99 a month but you can get your first 30 days for free if you sign up at curiosity Stream comm slash Austin McConnell and use the promo code austin mcconnell during the signup process curiosity stream is available worldwide and by trying their service out not only do you get to watch great stuff but you'll be supporting this channel and this series at the same time so check it out today [Music]

Channel: AustinMcConnell

Views: 333,917

Keywords: austinmcconnell, austin mcconnell, iriquois theater, theatre, iriquois theatre, deadliest theater fire, theater fire, really weird, really weird history, worst disaster, worst fire

Id: f0W3_5IdKTo

Length: 9min 29sec (569 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 26 2019