599

THE IROQUOIS THEATRE FIRE December 30. The Iroquois Theatre at Chicago burned. "Mr. Bluebeard," with Eddie Foy as the principal comedian, was being presented before an audience made up largely of young people home from school or college for the Christmas vacation. Every one of the theatre's 1740 seats was occupied, and the aisles near the rear were filled solidly. The fire, starting from a defective electrical connection at the back of the stage, gained headway despite the efforts of stage-hands to beat it out. The audience suspected nothing until a large piece of burning muslin border fluttered to the stage, at sight of which the performers came to a pause, the orchestra faltered. Shouts of the stage-hands came clearly to the startled audience. Many left their seats but could make no progress through the clogged aisles. Others sought the emergency exits, but although the theatre was new and supposedly in excellent order, few of these doors could be opened. A general exodus was prevented by ushers and others who, believing the fire not serious, and fearing more a stampede in which many would be hurt, did all in their power to induce people to refrain from leaving the theatre. A momentary pause followed the appearance of Eddie Foy bearing his son in his arms. The comedian in his excitement had forgotten part of his costume, and his makeup was but half completed. Terror was not yet general, and many laughed at his grotesque appearance. Passing the boy to the conductor of the orchestra, he whispered: "For God's sake play, and keep on playing." The musicians responded bravely, but soon their efforts were smothered by the roar of flames fed by fresh air from opened doors. Men and women struggled to the aisles. Others climbed from seat to seat, trying to reach the rear and safety. Frantic employees attempted to lower the asbestos curtain which, had they been successful, would have prevented the flames from leaving the stage. The

curtain was part way down when something went amiss; it could be lowered no farther. Then the lights went out.

Half an hour later, when the chief of the Fire Department made his way into the theatre he found human bodies piled to a height of seven feet choking every exit. To his call "Is any one alive here?" not a soul responded. Of the 2000 people who an hour before had entered the theatre, 588 left it corpses.

This disaster led to a new theatre code in practically every American city, calling for fire-walls, more numerous exits, unobstructed alleyways, asbestos curtains, non-inflammable scenery, the covering of all lights, and doors opening outward.

December. During 1903 immigration records were broken, 857,046 being granted admittance.

December. The most important scientific announcement of the year 1903 was of the discovery made jointly by M. and Mme. Curie of the new element, radium. Its properties were so subversive of many accepted theories of force and matter as to produce a sensation. The discovery was the more discussed because a woman had done much of the tremendous labor connected with separating radium from the pitchblend in which it is found.

The popular fiction of 1903 included "Lady Rose's Daughter," by Mrs. Humphry Ward; "The Pit," by Frank Norris; "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," by John Fox, Jr.; "The Call of the Wild," a dog story, by Jack London. Andy Adams's standard picture of the old West, "The Log of a Cowboy," appeared this year. A remarkable autobiography, published in 1903, was Helen Keller's.

can musical comedies of any time. "The Prince of Pilsen" was less good. The refrain of one of Ade's songs was quoted for years:

It is no time for mirth and laughter

The cold gray dawn of the morning after.

Ade's "The County Chairman" was one of the best American character plays of the generation. Next to "The County Chairman," or equal to it in funniness, was Henry E. Dixey in the farce "Facing the Music. Lawrence D'Orsay in Augustus Thomas's "The Earl of Pawtucket" was one of the most extraordinary cases of the adaptation of an actor's natural personality to a character that ever appeared on any stage. It ran 296 times.

Ben Greet and an English company, including Miss Edith Wynne Matthison and her marvellous voice, made an old morality play, "Everyman," popular. Later they introduced a vogue of open-air performances of Shakespeare on college campuses. "The Darling of the Gods," a sombre tragedy of old Japan, was as good in its staging as in its art, probably the most worthy production of the early part of 1903.

Henry Irving produced Victorien Sardou's "Dante." Another classic drama of the year was "Ulysses." E. H. Sothern played the poetic and highly romantic "If I Were King," based on the life of François Villon. ForbesRobertson, with Gertrude Elliott, was drawing big houses and driving a "thriving trade in tear-bedecked pockethandkerchiefs," as James Huneker put it, in a dramatization of Kipling's "The Light That Failed."

William Gillette played in "The Admirable Crichton"; Richard Mansfield in "Old Heidelberg"; Mrs. Fiske in Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler"; Ethel Barrymore in "Cousin Kate"; Leo Ditrichstein in "What's the Matter with Susan"; Maxine Elliott in Clyde Fitch's "Her Own Way."

Maude Adams played Pepita in "The Pretty Sister of José"; Charles Hawtrey played "The Man from Blankley's"; John Drew, "Captain Dieppe"; Kyrle Bellew, Raffles in "The Amateur Cracksman.'

"Way Down East" was called by Broadway

COW

and chicken drama," but the country liked it. "The Little Princess" was a lovely play for children.

S

INDEX