The Three Tumblers Podcast

Investigating the Iroqouis Theatre fire.

Author’s Note: The event we will be discussing occurred one-hundred twenty years ago. Record keeping during that time period was sometimes shaky at best. We have endeavored to base our program on facts that we can verify to a reasonable degree. That being said, there are still some accounts that vary wildly. In producing this show, we have made every attempt to be as accurate as possible with records available today.

The Investigation Begins

Firefighters arrived on the scene at around three-thirty that cold afternoon with steamers set up in the Couch Place alley, Dearborn Street, and in front of the main entrance on Randolph Street. Entering the structure wearing the leather turn-out coats of the time and carrying hoses that would be carrying water at a volume and pressure considered completely inadequate today, the men managed to knock down the flames and control the fire.

The Iroquois Theatre’s Burned Interior.

Modern firefighters have high intensity flashlights that mount on their helmets, but in 1903, the fire department had only the light from open candles or kerosene hand lamps. Buildings that have burned are always very dark, even if they burned during the day. When you couple that darkness along with lingering smoke, it makes seeing anything especially difficult. Only eight days before the fire was the winter solstice, or shortest day of the year in 1903. With other buildings surrounding the Iroquois fire, limited daylight, and being inside of a large structure with only candles for light, rescuers had to grope around in the darkness for limbs in order to pull out victims. Continue reading →

The Iroquois Theatre after the fire.

Author’s Note: The event we will be discussing occurred one-hundred twenty years ago. Record keeping during that time period was sometimes shaky at best. We have endeavored to base our program on facts that we can verify to a reasonable degree. That being said, there are still some accounts that vary wildly. In producing this show, we have made every attempt to be as accurate as possible with records available today.

Ignition

It’s hard today to imagine lighting our homes with kerosene lamps. After all, how many of us have picked up our phone and turned on the flashlight function just to see our way to the bathroom in the middle of the night? But in 1903, residential electric lighting was still decades away from what we are used to now . So when people would visit Chicago, they viewed the bright electric lights as almost a form of magic.

Theatres were no different, in fact, the brilliance of electric lighting illuminated the colors on all the costumes, scenery, props, and backdrops much netter than oil burning lamps that were the standard up until the late 1800’s. However, since commercial electrical service did not have a set of codes like today, there were still issues with poorly manufactured equipment, circuit design, and a lack of safety features. It is important to note though, even some stage lights used today put off extremely high temperatures. With all the safety protocols developed over the years, even modern stage lights have the capability to ignite flammable materials.

… in 19th century theaters, within 15 years, 40% would have experienced a fire that ultimately closed the theater. A predominant number of those fires were caused by lighting. -Tyler

Back in 1903, theatre worker William McMullen had only been in the position of arc light operator for four months. However, he recognized that the light he was charged with operating was too close to one of the curtains. According to McMullen’s testimony a year after the fire, his warnings went unheeded by theatre management. Continue reading →

The Iroquois Theatre Entrance

Author’s Note: The event we will be discussing occurred one-hundred twenty years ago. Record keeping during that time period was sometimes shaky at best. We have endeavored to base our program on facts that we can verify to a reasonable degree. That being said, there are still some accounts that vary wildly. In producing this show, we have made every attempt to be as accurate as possible with records available today.

Origins

In 1893, a nineteen year old Benjamin Henry Marshall was fascinated by the construction of buildings for the Chicago World’s Fair. Although his formal education ended in prep school, he managed to get an apprenticeship at an architectural firm from 1893 to 1895. By 1902 Marshall had established his own practice. At only twenty-nine years of age, Marshall became the architect of record for the construction of what would be known as the Iroquois Theatre.

Located inside the police patrolled “loop” of Chicago, the Iroquois Theatre was hoped to attract more women as patrons due to safety from street crimes, as opposed to areas where patrols were less common.

The main entrance to the theatre was located at 24 West Randolph Street, a few blocks west of North Michigan Avenue. The backstage entrance was on Dearborn Street, while the stage right scenery door was located on Couch Place. The construction of the theatre was commissioned and in part, financed by the “Theatrical Trust” or, “The Syndicate”. It was a sort of conglomerate who regulated stage productions at different venues across the country, but mainly New York and Chicago. They regulated major plays much in the same way that national cinema chains do today. Furthermore, they were known to help finance the construction of new theatres, which may have attracted the two businessmen, Will J. Davis, and Harry Powers, to collude on the project that would become the Iroquois Theatre.

And this wasn’t like… conspiracy theory or hearsay or anything like that. They had their plan leaked to a paper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in 1896. – Tyler

After purchasing the land where the theatre would be built, the business partners were eager to have construction completed as soon as possible. This may have been at the urging of the theatrical trust syndicate, as they were starting to face competition from several outside upstarts. Construction started in spring of 1903 with an anticipated opening in October of that same year. The theatre syndicate was facing some upstart
competition at the time and the board wanted the Iroquois construction project to be completed as quickly as possible. However, there were several labor disputes and some bad weather that pushed back the opening. Some delays though were taken care of through unscrupulous means. Continue reading →