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The Iroquois Theater Fire

The Iroquois Theatre fire occurred on December 30, 1903 in Chicago, Illinois. It was the deadliest theatre fire and the single deadliest single-building fire in the United States history at that time. The theatre was a new building that had opened in November after numerous delays mostly caused by labor issues. It was said to be the most beautiful theatre in Chicago, and some argued that no theatre in America could rival its architectural perfection.

The venue had a capacity of 1,602 with three audience levels. Everyone on all of the three floors used the same entrance and stairway, which designers claimed was for patrons to “see and be seen.” The common stairway ignored existing fire ordinances that required separate stairs and exits for each balcony. This flaw in the design proved disastrous when such a large audience attempted to escape the building using only the single stairway. On the particular matinee performance, tickets had been sold for every seat in the house plus hundreds more for standing room at the back of the theater.

Shortly after the beginning of the second act, sparks from an arc light ignited a muslin curtain, probably as a result of an electrical short circuit. A stagehand tried to douse the fire, but it quickly spread out of control into the gallery high about the stage. There, highly flammable canvas scenery flats were hung. The stage manager tried to lower the protective asbestos fire curtain, but it snagged and did not go down. Investigation later showed that the curtain had been blocked by a light reflector which stuck out underneath the aesthetically beautiful arch.

An actor who was preparing to go onstage at the time ran out and attempted to calm the crowd, but that was already impossible. By this time, most of the patrons on all levels were attempting to flee the building. Locked doors prevented those who first exited the stairs from leaving the building. Patrons and actors began to panic, crushing or trampling other people in a desperate attempt to escape the fire. More than 600 people perished in the flames and smoke. Amazingly, the Iroquois Theatre had no fire alarm box or telephone and the Chicago Fire Department only when an escaped patron ran on foot to the nearest firehouse.

The aftermath was horrendous with corpses piled ten high around the doors and windows. Although more than 600 people eventually died as result of their injuries, of the 300 actors, dancers, and stagehands only five lives were lost. The interior of the new and expensive building was declared a total loss; although the exterior was largely intact. It was remodeled later and reopened as the Colonial Theatre. After the fire, the mayor of Chicago ordered all theatres closed for six weeks for safety inspections. Public outrage led to many being charged with crimes but most charges were dismissed three years later because of the delaying tactics of the lawyers and their use of loopholes and inadequacies in the city's building and safety ordinances.

After the fire, it was alleged that fire inspectors had been bribed to overlook code violations. The risks inherent in flammable scenery and props were recognized and two safety features were enacted as a result of this realization. These features were safety curtains and smoke doors. Both the contractors and the mayor's office were considered responsible parties because so many safety measures had been ignored.

In current culture, more attention is given to preventing fires, and more possible exits are available from modern buildings. Large venues today have to be approved with strict fire codes regarding capacity crowds.

References

Brandt, N. (2003). Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903. Chicago: Southern Illinois University Press.

Harrison, B. (29November 2006). “Remembering the victims of Iroquois” Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-10-18.

Rudder, A (2003). A century's remembrance of the Iroquois fire. New York: Random House.

Sector, B. (19 December 2007). “The Iroquois Theatre fire” Chicago Tribune. Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-10-18.

Zasky, J. (2009). “Burning down the house: the 1903 Iroquois Fire” Failure Magazine. Retrieved 2016-10-18.