Newspaper Page Text
The Jones News.
VOL. X.
«*% n p» r\ AT
* * *
u
In Frightful Catastrophe Caused by
Fire in Theatre in Chicago.
While Play was in Progress Electric Wire
Set Fire to Stage and Panic Ensued,
Terminating in Most Awful
Avalanche of Death.
About six hundred people were killed
in ten minutes Wednesday afternoon
during s. fire in the Iroquois theater,
the newest, the largest, and as far as
human power could make it, the safest
theater in the city of Chicago. Esti¬
mates of the dead and injured vary.
Besides this, there are fifty-five peo¬
ple missing, the majority of whom are
probably among the dead in the
morgues and various undertaking es
tab.'ishments.
A few of these people were burned
to death by fire, many were suffo¬
cated by gas, while scores upon scores
wore trampled to death in the mad
panic that followed the plunge of
the frightened audience for the exits.
It will be several days before all the
dead are known and identified. There
were bodies lying, by the dozens Wed¬
nesday night in the undertaking room3,
in the police stations, and in the hos¬
pitals, from which nearly everything
that could reveal their identity to
those who knew them best is gone.
Their clothing is torn to rags or burn¬
ed to cinders and their faces have been
trampled into an unrecognizable pulp
by the heels of the crowd that tram¬
pled them down ns they lied lor safety.
During "Bluebeard” Play,
The fire broke out during the second
act of the play, “Mr. Bluebeard,” which
was the first dramatic production giv¬
en in the theater sinct- its tfrcctibn.
The company, which was very large,
to the street in safety, nearly
uf them, however, being compelled
to flee into the snowy streets with no
clothing but their stag? costumes.
A Scene Most Horrible.
Tbs theatre is modeled after the
Opera Comique, in Paris, and from
the rear of each balcony there are
three doors leading out to passage¬
ways toward the front of The theatre.
Two of these doorways are at the end
of the balcony, and one being in the
center. The audience in its rush for
the outer air seems to have, for the
greater part, chosen to flee to the left
entrance, and to attempt to make its
way down the eastern stairway leading
into the lobby of the theatre.
Outside of the people burned and
suffocated by gas, it was in these two
doorways on the first and second bal¬
conies that the greatest lossi of life
occurred. When the firemen entered
the building the dead were found
stretched in a pile reaching from the
head of the stairway at least eight feet
from the door back to a point about
five feet in the rear of the door.
Frantic Struggle for Life.
Women on top of these masses of
dead had been overtaken by death as
they were crawling on their hands and
knee3 over the bodies of those who
had died before. Others lay with
arms stretched out in the direction to-
ward which lay life and safety, holding
in their hands fragments of garments
not their own. They were evidently
rn from the clothing of others whom
ey had endeavored to pujl down and
trample under foot as they fought
their own lives.
As the police removed layer after
layer of dead in these doorways, tho
sight became too much even for police
and firemen, hardened as they are to
such scenes, to endure The bodies
were in such an inextricable mass and
so tightly were they jammed between
the sides of the door and the walls that
it was impossible tc lift them one by
BARR SUCCEEDS WILLIAMS.
Directors of Seaboard Air Line Trans,
mit Some Important Business.
At the meeting of the directors of
the Seaboard Air Line in New York,
Wednesday, J. Skelton Williams re-
signed the office of president of the
company and Vice President Barr was
elected president and general mana-
gcr. Mr. Williams was elecied chair-
man of the board of directors.
Mr. Williams expressed a desire to
be relieved of the active management
in order to give more of his time to
•his banking interests and personal af¬
fairs.
SITUATION AT DESPERATE STAGE
Feeling Over Strained Re-
lations in the Par East.
It is learned in diplomatic circles
at Paris that the Japanese government
has informed the foreign diplomats
that the situation with respect to Rus¬
sia is desperate, but not hopeieas. It
is believed this information was com¬
municated to the French government
for presentation at St. Petersburg.
one and carry them out. The only
possible thing to do was to stizo a limb
or some other portion of the body and
pull with main strength.
Men worked at the task with tears
running down their cheeks and the
sobs of the rescuers could be hoard
even in the hall below, where this
awful scene was being enacted. A
number of men were compelled to
abandon their task and give it over to
others whose nerves had net as yet
been shaken by the awful experience.
As one by one the bodies were drag¬
ged out of the water soaked, blackened
mass of corpses, the spectacle became
more and more heartrending. There
were women whose clothing was torn
completely from their bodies above
the waist, whose bosoms had been
trampled into a pulp, and whose faces
wore marred beyond all power of iden¬
tification.
Origin of the Fire.
The accounts cf the origin of the
fire are conflicting and none of them
certain, but the best reason given is
that an electric wire near the lower
part of a piece of drop scenery sudden¬
ly broke and was grounded. The fire
spread rapidly to the front of the
stage, causing the members of the
chorus, who were then engaged in the
performance ,to flee to the wings with
screams of terror. The fire in itself up
to this time was not serious, and pos¬
sibly could have been cnecked had not
the asbestos curtain failed to work.
As soon as the fire was discovered,
Eddie Foy, the chief comedian of the
company, shouted to lower the curtain,
and this was immediately done. It de¬
scended about half way and then
stuck. The fire thus was given practi¬
cally a flue through widen a strong
draft was setting, aided by tne doors,
which had been thrown open in the
front of the theatre.
With a roar and a bound the flames
shot through the opening over the
heads of the people on the first floor,
and reaching clear up to those in the
first balcony, caught them and burned
them to death where they sat. Imme¬
diately following the rush of the flames
there came an explosion, which lifted
the entire roof of the great theatre
from its walls, shattering the immense
skylight into fragments.
As soon as the flames first appeared
by the curtain a man in tne rear of
the hall shouted "Fire,” "Fire,” and
the entire audience rose as one per-
son and made for the doors. It is be-
iievod'that the explosion was from the
flames coming in contact with the gas
reservoirs of the theatre, causing them
to burst.
Will T. Davis, manager of the thea¬
tre, said after the catastrophe, that if
the people had remained in their seats
and had not been excited by the cries
of fire, not a single life would have
been lest. This is, however, contra¬
dicted by the statements of the fire-
men, who lound numbers of people sit-
ting in their seats, their faces directed
toward the stage as if the performance
was still going on. It was the opinion
of the firemen that these people had
been suffocated at once by the flow ot
gas wnich came from behind the as-
beEtcs curtain.
As near as can be estimated at the
present time, about thirteen hundred
people were in the theatre. Three hun¬
dred of these were on the first floor,
the balance being in the upper balco-
uies and In the hallways back of them.
THIEVE8 ROB DEAD BODIES.
Human Jackals Ply Their Work in
Chicago Burned Theatre.
A Chicago special eays: While
scores of men were busy carrying out
the dead and .injured of the Iroquois
theatre, others, fortunately few in
number, searched "the aisles and seats
for valuable®. Two men were found
who had provided themselves with bas¬
kets and were filling them with the
property of the dead. They were im-
mediately placed under arrest, and tho
theatre ushers and stage hands were
given the work of collecting all tho
valuables.
■*-T
NEW METHODIST HYMNAL.
Joint Commission Meets in Washing¬
ton to Consider Matter.
The joint hymnal commission of the
Methodist Episcopal church and tho
Methodist Episcopal churca south, met
in Washington Wednesday in the third
session of that body. The commission
ia to draw up a common hymna! and
an effort will be made to complete the
work at this session of the commission.
OKAY. JONES 00. GA.. THURSDAY. JANUARY 7,'4904.
WHITE HOUSE NEW YEAR.
Unusual Precautions Taken Tor Pro¬
tection of President at Reception.
No Concealed Hands Allowed.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt inau¬
gurated Friday the official season In
the national capital with a brilliant
New Year’s reception at the white
house.
For more than a hundred years it
has been an unbroken custom of presi¬
dents of the United States to receive
on New Y'ear’s day all officials of the
government located in Washington
and such citizens as might care to pay
their respects to the nation’s chief
magistrate.
All persons, rich or poor, with or
without rank, were given a gracious
greeting by the president and Mrs.
Roosevelt.
First to be received were the mem¬
bers of the diplomatic corps. All of the
ambassadors! and ministers were ac¬
companied by their entire suites.
As dean of the corps, Count Cassini,
ike Russian ambassador and master of
the imperial court, occupied the posi¬
tion of honor at the head oft he line.
Following the representative of the
czar in order were Seuor Don Manuel
De Aspiros, the Mexican ambassador,
and staff; Baron Hengtimuller, the
ambassador of Austria-Hungary, Baron,
ess Hengelmuller and the ambassa¬
dor’s staff; M. J. J. Jusserand, French
ambassador, Mine. Jusserand and
suite; Baron Speck Von Sternberg, the
German ambassador, Baroness Von
Sternberg and the embeasssy staff,
and Sir Henry Durand, the British am¬
bassador, Lady Durand and the embas¬
sy staff. In the absence oft he Italian
ambassador, Count De Celleri, the
charge d’affaires of the embassy, ac¬
companied by his taff, represented the
Italian government.
Among the representatives of the na¬
tions of the world it was noticed that
there was one absentee. Colombia,
one of the country’s sister represen¬
tatives pf the south, was not repre¬
sented at the reception.
Among the ministers who attended a
Mew Year’s recaption at the white
house for the first time were Sir Chen
Liang-Cheng, of China.
In gorgeous oriental suits, silks and
satins, Venezuela, were and General M. Du Hernandez, Marthuray, of of
Switzerland. In all thirty-five coun¬
tries of the world were represented at
the reception.
Following the diplomatic corps, the
members of the United States supreme
court, headed by Chief Justice Fuller,
were received.
The reception of members of con¬
gress began at 11; 30 o'clock. Com¬
paratively few were in attendance, as
many of the senators and representa¬
tives have not yet returned from their
holiday visits to their homes.
For the first time at a reception
the army was led by officers of the
general staff. Foiowing the army were
officers of the navy, headed by Admi¬
ral Dewey. The officers of the marine
corps followed the navy.
Following the military was Ihe civil¬
ian contingent of the government ser¬
vice, the civil service commission, the
insterstate commerce commission and
assistant heads of departments.
At 12:30 o’clock members of the So
cty of Cincinnati war veterans were
received with the Mexican war veter¬
ans, the military order of the Loyal
Legion, the Grand Army of the Repub¬
lic, the United Veteran Legion, the
Union Veterans’ Union and the Span¬
ish war veterans.
Then began the reception of citizens,
hundreds of whom had been waiting in
line for several hours.
Special precautions were taken to
insure the per^nal safety of the presi¬
dent. No person was pesmltted to ap
proach the president with his hands
in his pockets or otherwise concealed.
CONVICT KILLS GUARD.
Stancey Had New Pistol and Two Hun¬
dred Cartridges.
Tom Stancey, a convict in the Louis¬
iana penitentiary at. Baton Rouge,
made a desperate attempt to escape
Friday afternoon, killing Charles Arl-
ant, captain of the watch, by shooting
him with a pistol. Stancey’s pistol
was a new one, and he had 200 car¬
tridges. No one knows how he got
them.
THEATRE MANAGERS ARRESTED.
Davis and Powers Placed Under Heavy
Bonds at Chicago.
Formally charged with manslaugh¬
ter Managers Will J. Davis and Harry
J. Powers, of the Iroquois theatre,
with City Building Commissioner Wil¬
liams, were held under bonds of $10,-
000 each at a hearing in Chicago Satur-
day.
Col. William Pinkerton and Charles
p!atfindon furnis hed bonds for Davis
and p 0WerB . and Andrew J. Graham,
banker, furnished bond for Commis¬
sioner Williams.
GAME OF GRAFT SUSPECTED.
Accounts of Interstate Commerce Com¬
mission Being Probed.
Treasury department expert® have
instituted an investigation of the ac-
cot!nts 0 f the Interstate commerce
comm ission.
The action la taken at the instance
of Acting chairman elements, of the
commission, as a result of persistent
rumors of irregularities In the draw-
ing of vouchers, etc,
PALL OF QLOOM
Settles Over Chicago
in Wake of Great
Holocaust.
ALL IS WOE AND MISERY
Weeping and Wailing Mourners Crowd
Dead Houses in Search of Their
Loved Ones—Total of Dead Not'
Known ; as Many are Missing
and Death Hover* Over
Scores of Injured.
For the first time since Chicago has
possessed bells to peal, whistles to
shriek and horns to blow, the old year
was allowed silently to take its place
in history and the new permitted to
corn# with no evidenco of joy at its
birth.
In an official proclamation Issued
Thursday afternoon by Mayer Carter
Harrison, he made the suggestion that
the usual New Year’s celebration be
for this time omitted. The idea found
a ready response in tho hearts of the
people, and the mayor’s words in fact
only gave utterance to the suppressed
thoughts that had filled them all.
Ordinarily, on New Year's eve the
streets of tho city are filled with mer¬
ry-makers, but the only throngs to be
found wore those around the morgues;
ordinarily, numbers of fashionable res¬
taurants in the heart of the city are
filled with light hearted revelers, who
toast the year that is passing and hail
the year that comes. Thursday night
these places were comparatively de¬
serted and some of them closed en¬
tirely with doors locked and curtains
down.
From early Thursday morning until
late at night crowds besiefled the un¬
dertaking rooms and hospitals looking
for the dead and injured. Policemen
were detailed at all places where the
dead and injured Lad bsetV carriel,
to restrain the anxious men and wo¬
men who pressed in at the doorways
and inquired for their lost friends and
relatives.
In all tho undertaking rooms the
bodies were placed, as far as possible,
upon cots, and when these were ex¬
hausted stretched in long lines upon
the floors, and a constant succession
of pale-faced men and tearful women
proceeded slowly between the lines
lifting tho covers from the charred
and bruised faces and searching in
the clothing of the dead for something
by which their lost ones could be rec¬
ognized. In many instances women
fainted when lifting the sheet from
some face in which they recognized
tho features of a dead child or a beau¬
tiful young girl. Scenes that were en¬
acted around the bodies of the little
children were pathetic in tho extreme.
While the crowds of anxious seekers
for news besieged the morgues, the
telegraph and long distance telephone
offices were almost swamped wilh the
flood of inquiring messages. Messen¬
ger boys from the telegraph office of
the Postal and Western Union carried
bundles of messages, and the terrific
rush of business was still on. ‘Private
wires of stock exchanges and board
of trade houses were likewise loaded
down with inquiries and answers.
Woe is on Every Side.
It is no extravagance of language to
say that tho city is stunned by the
overwhelming tragedy enacted when
the theatre which housed “Mr. Blue¬
beard” became a chamber of horrois
indeed. There is the deepest woe in
hundreds of homes, deep sorrow in a
thousand others, and a pity beyond
the potency of words to convey in all.
The first streak of daylight on tho
snow-covered streets Thursday morn¬
ing found the morgues ©till the sorrow-
haunted centers of many a searcher.
There were husbands searching for
wives, frenzied parents seeking their
children, so many of whom lo3t their
Jives ,and in some instances, wild-
eyed children, still dazed from the hor¬
ror of their experience, groped dis¬
tressingly about in search of father
or mother.
The total number of victims involved
in the tragedy are estimated at 1,088,-
the dead are estimated at 504; tho
missing are 314. This includes the
vast number of people who are either
dead, Injured or unidentified which
have not as yet. been accounted for.
One hundred and fifty-seven are In
tho city hospitals. It is estimated that
53 of the injured will die. These fig¬
ures are furnished from a careful sum¬
mary made of the tragedy returns from
all sections of the city, including the
hospitals, temporary morgues and
doctors’ offices and private residences
and homes of the injured. The report
is based upon information returned by
the police, firemen, doctors and news¬
papers.
CHICAGO HOTEL IN ASHES.
Three Guests Killed and Other* In¬
jured in Mad Rush for Streets.
Three persons were killed and four
others injured in a fire Friday nigh*,
that destroyed the Louvre hotel, in
Chicago. Nearly one hundred guests
were in the hotel at the time. ’ With
the remembrance of the Iroquois thea¬
tre horror fresh in their minds, every
one In the place became panic-stricken
and rushed madly for the streets.
LONGSTREET DEAD
Noted Confederate General
Passes to Great Beyond.
DEATH CAME SUDDENLY
Had Only Recently Returned to His
Home in Gainesville, Ga., from
Chicago. Where He Had Been
Under Treatment.
General James Longstreet died at
the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. Estin
Whelchef, at Gainesville, Ga., Saturday
afternoon at about 5 o’clock, rather
suddenly from pneumonia.
A few days ago he contracted a cold
which went Into pneumonia and hem¬
orrhages camo on, overtaxing his
strength and causing his sudden death.
His sudden end was a great surprise
to his family, as only a short time be¬
fore ho was discussing improvements
to be made on his farm near the city,
and talked as though he had every'
hope of life for some time yet.
At the time of his death his wife,
who was Miss Ellen Dortch, formerly
of Carnesvilie; hts only daughter, Mrs.
J. Estin Whelchel, and. his sons, John
G. and F. Randolph Longstreet, were
with him.
The general raised up on his bed and
a great gush of blood came from his
mouth and through the old wound
which he received at the hands of his
own men through mistake at the battle
of the WildernesB, and he fell back
lapsing into unconsciousness.
General Longstreet returned to hts
home in Gainesville two weeks ago
from Chicago, where he went for treat¬
ment for cancer of the eye. The af¬
fected member was X rayed out, and
his general condition seemed to be
better than in year© before.
General Longstreet was first mar¬
ried to a daughter of General John
Garland, United States army, and she
died fifteen years ago
Five children survive the union,
namely, John G., R. Lee, James and
Randolph Longstreet, and an only
daughter, Mrs. J. Estin Whelchel. R.
Lee, who Is a-resident of Washington,
D. C-, and James, who is a captain in
the Thirteenth cavalry, United States
army, now doing service In the Phil¬
ippines, were tho only children not
with the general at the time of his
death.
In 1907 Genera! Longstreet. was mar¬
ried to Miss Ellen Dortch, former as¬
sistant state librarian. No issue re¬
sulted from his second marriage.
Since his appointment by President
McKinley as United States railroad
commissioner in 1898, General and
Mrs. Longetreet, for the most part re¬
sided in Washington, D. C. They spent
part of their time during the summer
seasons at the general's summer home
at Longstreet Heights, near Gaines¬
ville.
Sketch of His Life.
General James Longstreet was born
In Edgefield district, S. C-, on January
8, 1821. Hts family removed to Ala¬
bama in 1831 and he was appointed
from that state to the West Point mil¬
itary academy, where he was graduat¬
ed In 1842, and was assigned to the
Fourth Infantry. He was at Jefferson
barracks, Mo., in 1842-44; on frontier
duty at, Natchitoches, La., in 1844 45;
in Texas in 1845-46, and in Mexico at
the battles of Palo A Ho, Resaca de la
Palma, Monterey, Vera Cruz, Cerro
Gordo, San Antonio, Churubosco and
Moline del Rey, For gallant conduct
in the two latter engagements be was
brevetted captain and major, having
already been made first lieutenant
February 23, 1847. At the storming
of Cbapultepec, September 8, 1847, ho
was severely wounded. He was chief
commissary of the department of Tex¬
as, 1849-51, was commissioned captain
in'December, 1852, and major and pay¬
master In July, 1858.
In 1861 he resided to join the Con¬
federal e army, ot which he was imme¬
diately appointed brigadier general,
and won distinction In the first battle
of Bull Run. His brilliant and brave
record throughout the war is a matter
of hiBtory.
NINETEEN THEATRES CLOSED.
Mayor Harrison, of Chicago, Charges
Violation of Safety Laws.
At Chicago, Friday, Mayor Carter H.
Harrison took steps to provide, as lar
as possible, against a repetition of
the Iroquois theatre horror. As a re-
suit of an investigation made a't his or¬
ders, nineteen theatres and museums
were ordered closed. The act of the
mayor was based on a single violation
of the ordinances which are Intended
to protect the patrons of theatres.
This was that every one of these
places had omitted to supply an as¬
bestos curtain.
NEW LINE FOR SOUTHERN.
The Knoxville and Briatol, Short Road
in Tennessee, Is Absorbed.
With the beginning of the new year,
the Southern railroad absorbed the
Knoxville and Bristol, a road forty-
miles long, running from Corryton,
Tenn., to Morristown, Tenn. The road
was originally projected to run from
Knoxville to Bristol and there connect
with the Norfolk and Western. The
transfer was made at Washington.
NO. 7.
Our Country Friends
Lilt© to feel when they are buying things In the city that they are getting
the same returns for their money as tbetr city cousins.
THIS IS RIGHT AND PROPER.
They should havo the
Style, the Fit
and the Quality.
That is What We Give You in Our Shoes.
We keep the host that money oau buy, and our prices are alike to all.
and we are the cheapest
Como around and make our store headquarters when in Macon. Leave
your bundles here. If ,we can’t suit you In shoes buy elsewhere.
STRONG SHOE STORE,
36$ SECOND STREET, MACON, GEORGIA-
C. B. WILLINGHAM,
COTTON FACTOR.
By a liberal policy and honorable
methods I have built up the largest cotton
commission business in Middle Georgia.
Ship me your cotton and get best returns.
m - < a»ii
C. B. WILLINGHAM,
HACON, Ga.
Low Rates to California
and the Northwest.
I
Will sell dally between September HSth and November 30th, 1903, low
rate colonist flckols to points In
WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, MONTANA, IDAHO, WYO¬
MING, COLORADO, NEVADA, UTAH, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO.
Short line, quick time, no bus transfers, free reclining chairs.
For rates, schedules, maps and full Information wrlto to F. E. CLARK,
Traveling X’assonger Agent, Atlanta, Ga.; W. T. SAUNDERS, General
Agent Passenger Department, Atlan ta, Ga.
M. G. BALKGOM,
362 TIM Street, Macon, Ga.
I am better prepared than ever to serve those who are in need
of anything in th$ hardware line. My new store at 362 Third
street, near Cherry, is amply largo to accommodate a atock of
pistols, ammunition, ' ^
hardware, guns,
complete In every dstall, and I have It.
My prices are aa low as tho lowest.
M. C. BALKCOM, Agent.
S. S. PARMELEE,
BICYCLES, BUGGIES,
P.OAD CARTS, CARRIAGES,
_______ 8 CARRIAGES, WAGONS,
HARNESS, LEATHER,
ETC.
Jobbers of Bicycle Sundries.
CORNER SECOND AND POPLAR STREETS MACON, GA.
G. W. GANTT. W. V. HOLMES.
Gantt & Holmes,
Cotton Factors.
MULES,- HAY PRESSES,
HORSES, LEERING REAPERS,
FARM SUPPLIES, HARROWS, BINDERS,
MOWERS, RAKES.
Send us your cotton and we Will work to your Interest.
When visiting tho State Fair make our warehouse your headquarters.
Moqqq, OsSTK^i