Iroquois Theater Fire

The Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago, Illinois, claimed 602 lives on December 30, 1903. It is, as of 2007, the single-building fire in U.S. history with the most fatalities, claiming over 100 more fatalities than the Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston. The Iroquois Theater, at 24-28 West Randolph Street, was advertised as "absolutely fireproof." The theatre opened on November 23rd and burned 37 days later on December 30th. Over 1,900 people were in attendance at a matinée showing of the popular musical Mr. Bluebeard. At about 3:15 P.M., a light ignited a curtain. The firefighting equipment on hand was ineffective, and the protective asbestos curtain failed to drop completely. Actors and dancers fled through a backstage door, and the influx of air fueled a huge fireball. The fire exit doors in the auditorium were hidden behind curtains and were not marked. The metal doors of the fire exits were equipped with bascule locks. Bascule locks were used in European theaters but were virtually unknown to Americans. The few patrons who found the doors were unable to open the locks. One patron had a bascule lock in his home and was able to open one door, another was broken by brute force, and a third opened when patrons were trying to force it open and an explosive blast caused the door to finally give way. Most of the lobby doors were locked. The balcony stairs were blocked by locked gates. The gates were locked during the show to prevent the balcony patrons from sneaking down to the more expensive seats. Unfinished fire escapes prevented many people from escaping. Of the 300 or so actors, dancers, stagehands, etc., only an aerialist (Nellie Reed), an actor in a bit part, an usher, and two female attendants died. The aerialist's role was as a fairy. She flew out over the audience on a trolley wire, showering them with pink carnations. She was trapped above the stage while waiting for her entrance. Comedian Eddie Foy was hailed as a hero for attempting to calm the crowd. Foy's role in this disaster is recreated by Bob Hope in the film The Seven Little Foys.

After the fire, it was revealed that fire inspectors had been bribed with free tickets to overlook code violations. Accusations began to appear that the asbestos curtain was not asbestos. The curtain had disappeared, which meant it was either viewed as incriminating evidence and removed or had burned, in which case it could not have been asbestos, which does not burn. Regardless, the mayor ordered all theaters in Chicago closed for a week after the fire. As a result of public outrage, many were charged with crimes, including Mayor Carter Harrison, Jr., but most charges were dismissed. The only person convicted was a tavern keeper charged with robbing the dead. The exterior of the Iroquois was largely intact and reopened as the Colonial Theater, which was torn down in 1926 to make way for the Oriental Theater.

Developments from the disaster

A result from the Iroquois fire was the development of the first panic exit device by the Von Duprin exit device company, now a part of Ingersoll Rand. Panic exit devices are now required by building codes for high-occupancy spaces.

References

Anonymous. Lest We Forget: Chicago's Awful Theatre Horror. Chicago: Memorial Publishing, 1904.

External links

• Iroquois Theater Fire hosted by Chicago Public Library, with illustrations and links to primary and contemporaneous sources. Accessed July 27, 2007.
• The Iroquois Theater Fire with photographs. Accessed July 27, 2007.
• Burning Down The House: The Iroquois Theater Fire Accessed July 27, 2007.
• Iroquois Theater Fire Memorial photograph of memorial at Montrose Cemetery, Chicago. Accessed July 27, 2007.

Coordinates: 41°53′5″N, 87°37′43″W

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