" "" ' " " " i i N .I' i in """""'" """"" ' " "" 'mmmm ' ' nD i """"''''""'''''"''"" WIIiMESrGTON N.C.JANUARYS 1904. VOL. XXXVI E No. a 81.00 PER YEAR EVERY THEATRE iS CLOSED $100,000 FIRE FIND GUILTY WAR SEEMS ALMOST CERTAIN Mayor Harrison Will With all the SECRET OF THE FIRE DISCOVERED The Theatre Managers Made a Vain Effort to Secure a Postponement of the Order Which Compelled Them to Close Up Certain Provisions That Every Py House Must Com ply "With lie fore They Can Open ' A Estimate is Made That Over $100,000 Worth of Diamonds, Jew elry and Other Personal Property Was Lost in the Fire. Chicago. January 2. Tonight every theatre in the city of Chicago is dark and with doors locked. Not one of them will be opened to the public un til their managers have complied in the fullest manner with every section of the ordinances regulating play houses. The order compelling the theatres to close was issued this afternoon by Mayor Harrison after a conference with Corporation Counsel Tolman, who assured the mayor that ample legal ground existed for his action. Seventeen theatres and museums were closed last night and the sweep ing order of the mayor today shut the doors of sixteen more. These last are the leading theatres in th busi ness section of the city and are the fc'tudebaker, Grand Opera House, Busn Temple, Calumet, Cleveland. Great Northern, Hay Market, Hopkins Peo- pie's Institute, Trocadero and Colum Hn foVickers. LaSalle, Garrick, Illi- nois, Foyers. The lastz are ' " a controlled by Messrs. Powers B. Davis, the managers of the m-ratea iroquws. The Garrick closed today is not to be confounded with the Garrick theatre closed yesterday, it being one of the largest playhouses in the city, while the one concerning which action was taken yesterday is a much smaller af fair in the northwestern portion of the city. The seventeen places of amusement which were shut last night were closed for the one reason that they were not provided with an asbestos curtain. The further action taken to day is in consequence of violations of ether sections of the ordinance regu lating theatres. p There was a hasty rush of theatri- -cal managers to the office of Mayor Harrison in the effort to secure rhe withdrawal, or at least a postpone- ; ment of the order, but their recep tion was of an exceedingly frosty . nature. ! They were informed by the mayor that the inspectors had reported in : the case of every one ol the violations ; f the law and he was determined : that it should not be said hereafter f the city had neglected anything which notiHnn nf thP hor- ! rrrnVL; wJS nnPmnnn. iv,, - ' - " I me iaci mai ine u in the Iroquois theatre was so badly wrecked by tne nre tnat cnarrea pur- , tions of it have been carried away! L invtntinir rmmlttesi caused the mayor to decide that as- ' Plaints received of the loss of person bestos curtains could not be relied al effects from the bodies of the fire upon to afford the most complete victims coroner's office, clerks esti protection. It was announced that mate that $100,000 worth of dia- ,. M,TO in th oitv must here- I monds, watches. Jewelry, furs and after comply with the following pro- J ntr y,fo ,oV will v niinwPrt '"'V" w i x , . , oicci n v-"' ...w., ...v.. ; at tne morgues. Much or -the prop combustibles of any kind In the house t ert of value was undoubtedly lost. rumisnmgs, nre prooiea wene,,, caicium or spoi to u ; on the stage, skylights above the stage, provided with automatic lids to per- , mit tne egress ox smuKt. are aim b. separate stairways each exit having Its own stairs leading to the street. After Issuing his sweeping order. lfovnr Hnrnsnn sn?n? "I do not wish to assume respon- siblllty for these theatres. My order was issued to make it certain that no precaution to insure the safety or au- i Creigier had found a diamond pin diences had been neglected. It Is ' holding a stone as large as a pea, and quite probable that the owners of the j valued at-JEOO. Mr. Cregier added the theatres may sustain serious financial' to the collection of effeils dis- loss, but in view of the conditions of plaTyed for purposes of ident Iteatlon. the play houses we cannot take any j Mayor Harrison today received a risk, and if the law had been fully j letter from Coroner Traeger suggest complied with in the first place there , ing that a public funeral be held in would have been no question of clos- the near future of the unidentified ng them now. The Auditorium, which ! dead. The mayor agreed heartily is the only theatre left open in Chica- : with the suggestion, go, has a steel roll curtain, and j it also proposed to build a monu this seems to be the only curtain that : ment by popular subscription in hon affords absolute protection against j or of the unidentified dead. This sug- -fire, in view of the fact that the Ire- ' gestion came from Coroner Traeger quois curtain was destroyed, I have ; and was approved by Mayor Harri- .determined as far as possible to see ? son. that the other play houses are ,sim- The number of dead Is now deflnite Ilarly provided." j ly known to be 587. Of those 575 It Is a noteworthy fact Jhat Build- ; have been identified. The remaining Ing Commissioner Williams who is twelve bodies were tonight upon order now charged with mansiaugnter, in . of the coroner removed to the coun connection with the greatest fire hor- ty morgue where . they will be kept ror the country has ever experienced, I hereafter. owes his appointment to a tragedy of J -similar nature, but, of much less ex- j Oklost of the State colleges and schools tenU which occurred two years ago. wm reopen this week for ths spring Mr. Williams predecessor va.ca.tea nis office after the burning of the St. Luke's sanitarium at 20th street and Wabash avenue. This was the insti tution in which a score of men euf- f ering from delirium tremens were Require Compliance Ordinances burned to death while strapped to their beds. Mr. Williams was selected with the idea that he was the proper man to see that no such catastrophe could happen again. Fire Inspector Monroe Fulkerson tonight announced that he had finally discovered the secret of the fire. The asbestos curtain upon which the safety of the audience depended was, according to Mr. Fulkerson. blocked in its descent by a steel reflector, carelessly left open by a stage hand. While one end -of the curtain got within five et of the stage, the other was suspended twenty leet above it. and beneath it swept the flood of flame that carried death to so many hundreds. The first step toward a definite con clusion as to the cause of the fire was made when William McCullen. operator of the "spot" light threw the blame upon another electric light nearby. The task was completed when Mr. Fulkerson followed uo a clue furnished by John A. Mazzoni. a stage hand, and discovered the deadly reflector still open in the ruins of the theatre. The wire used in the aeriel ballet, mentioned as a possible cause of the curtains failure to reach the stage, was proven to have been out of tne way Df tne curtain as it descended. On each ride of the prosceneum arch at the theatre, was a metallic re flector, conclave in form, 20 feet long and studded throughout its entire length with incandescent lights. Nor mally these lights fitted into niches in the masonry, but when in use were swung out In order that the lights might be thrown upon the performers upon the stage. Their greatest width when opened, was fourteen inches. When both reflectors were in place, the fire curtain had no impediment ill iia uui .ni-i j uo in its course, but with either swung outward the descending curtain could not get below the reflectors top. Care lessness of some employe, whose Iden tity it will be the effort of the police to ascertain tomorrow, resulted in the combination of the open reflector and falling curtain, which iost nearly 600 lives. Mozzoni who was employed as a scene shifter was one of the first of the stage hands to be placed under arrest. After his release this after noon on bond of $50,000, he disclosed the truth of the misplaced reflector to Fire Inspector Fulkerson. "I stood near the switchboard from which the fire started, said Mozzoni, when I saw the flames shooting up from the drapery near the lamps. The wire curtain was coming down as I looked up and almost at the same time I saw that the second was lowei than the other. I looked close and 1 could see that It was caught. J. ran up on the bridge on' the north side to get the curtain free, but failed. When I looked again, a few seconds later a great sheet of flame was dart ing under the curtain and Into the faces of the people." Inspector Fulkerson taking wit neeses with him, at once went to th theatre where he found that although the flames had whipped the asbestos curtain Into sheds, the reflector which hafl blocked its descent was still in the ostlon stand by Moz20nl. . . .From the large number of com Jjher property was lost In the tire, Many of the victims had money in their possession which could not be fcund when the bodies were examined Lut a ,arffe rimount may nava uoen stoien by ghouls. The largest amount pinmMi to the earments of a waman. of cUrxePcy recovered was $403. found , Superintendent of Street Cleaning j Solon and a force of men wen; tQ the , tions tQ 4.lean u most tnoroURWy A, l . . v. . . , i me men sei 10 wor iney exvmineu every scrap for jewels, articles of clothing and trinkets. The. order was issued after City Custodian DeWitt C term. after the holidays. Wilmington's contingent of college boys and gir'.s will begin leaving today and by the end of the week all of them will kv returned to their ffrprfc, A Terrible Conflagration Visited Wilson this Morning TOBACCO LOST About a Quarter of a Million Pounds Were Burned In nil About 12 Buildings Were Burned, all of Them Being Completely Destroyed The Fire Department Fought Valiantly, B.it it Was Several Hours Before Ue Flames Were Gotten Under Control Tin; Loss is Partially In sured, A telephone message at 1 clock this morning from Wilson to The Mes senger brought the information that a terrible fire was raging in the heart of the business section of the city and was threatening to do extensive damage. The estimated loss at that time, when four large buildings had been burned was $60,000. After two o'clock another message was received stating that the flames were under control, but much more damage had resulted and the total loss will probr ably reach $100,000. lierore tne Rocky Mount fire company, which had been appealed to for aid, could respond, the fire was under control and the request was countermanded. The fire started in Cooper ana Watson's warehouse at 11:45 p. m. and the building was totally destroy ed. About 30,000 pounds of tobacco was stored in the building. The flames spread from the ware house to an adjoining tnree-story brick building belonging to the W. J. Batts estate. This building was also totally destroyed. The first floor of the building was occupied by Webb's saloon, but the second and third stories were unoccupied. The Batts. building being a tall structure caused the flames to leap across the street, setting fire to the Centre Warehouse, occupied by Co- zart. Gogles and Carr. About 30,000 pounds of tobacco was also stored in this building, which was totally ae- stroved. Another warehouse belonging xo Woodard and Jones was also totally destroyed. The building belonging to the Batts estate and the Centre warenouse were both brick buildings. The other warehouses were two story frame buildings. It was pouring down rain In Wil son last night, but still the fire pom panies were unable to get the' fire under control. The total amount of insurance car ried on the different buildings could not be learned last night. Cooper and Watson had $4,500 on their ware house, but this will not cover the loss. LATER NEWS. It was learned at 2:15 a. m. that eight other buildings had been de stroyed, but at that time the fire was under control. The other buildings burned were: A one story brick building owned by W. H. Morris, and occupied by Lewis and Cooper's bar room. One story brick building owned by W. H. Morris and occupied by Hayes and Son, groceries. Two story brick livery stable, build ing owned by J. P. Wiggins and livery business by John G. Moore. Two story brick livery stable, on the opposite side of the street.. Build ing owned by J. P. Wiggins and livery business bv W. T. Cork. Two story frame building owned by J. P. Wiggins and occupied by Young and Hargrove's blacksmith shop. One story frame building owned by F. A. Woodard and used as a restaurant-One story frame building owned by F. A. Woodard and occupied by Mr. T. Davis saloon. Ten pin alley owned by F. A. Woodard, run by John Brogdon. Two story frame livery stable own ed and occupied by Edwards Broth ers. All of the above buildings were to tally destroyed. A telegram was sent to Rocky Mount asking for assistance, but at 2 o'clock the Rocky Mount company had not started, so the request was countermanded. In less than two hours and a half more than one hundred thousand dol lars worth of property was destroyed. This is a very conservative estimate of the loss, many thinking that it will exceed this sum. About a quarter, of a million pounC3 of tobacco was burned. Two horses were burned at Cooper and Watson's warehouse. The firemen, assisted by hundreds of the citizens, fought the flames heroically. The fire would rage fiercely on one side of the street for awhile and then sweep across to the opposite side. The principal buildings destroyed were either warehouses n or livery stables. The warehouses had many thousand "pounds of tobacco stowed away in them and this caused the fire, when once started, to burn rapidly. After the fire had once gained good headway In the warehouses it would have been almost impossible to have saved any of them with the most modern fire fighting apparatus. Formal Proceedings to Fix Blame for the Iroquois Fire MANY ARRESTS Pi weeding Against Managers Davis and Powers Were Brought on Com plaint or Mr. Hall, "Whose Family Perished in the Flames Twenty 3Ien Arrested In Connection With the Fire Were Also Arraigned All the Hearings Were Postponed for a Few Days and Heavy Bonds Placed Over the Defendants. yWism ahrdlu etaoin cmfwy vbgkqjm Chicago, January 2. 'Formally charg ed with manslaughter. Managers Wall J. Davis and Harry J. powers, cf the Irioquois theatre, with City Building Commissioner Willams were today held under bonds of $10,000 each. Arthur H Hall, whose family peilshed in the threatre fire and who was the complain ant, was present, when the two thea tre managers and the city- officials un derwent the ordeal of facing the charges. The hearing of the case was set for January 12. The arraignment took place at the home of justice Underwood, where the accused presented themselves accom. panied by Counsel. An officer iead the warrants. The bonds, however, were quickly read and the defendants were released until the day set for arraign ment in court. "This is not a vindictive proceeding announced the complainant's attorney, "and we feel disposed to refralrWrom causing any one any unnecessary an noyance. In vtiew of the investigation now being carried on by the authorities we feel that this proceeding can. ba properly continued." " "The purpose of this proceeding Is, first, to place these men under bonds and to hold them by means of legal process. Secondly, Mr. Hull desires to spur the authorities to a complete i.n vestigation of the catastrophe. In the third place, if the official investigation is side tracked into small fry this pro. ceeding will reach the persons who oc cupy the position of the Keystor.s ot the whole affair. It appeared to my clieat to be a mockery to arrest stage carpenters and men and women in a minor capicity, while others who occu pied much more prominent posit'ons were allowed to go free. He feels that the responsibility ought to be fixed upon who ever Is guilfty. "On behalf of Davis and Power?. 1 will say that they are going to meet tha issue squarely' said the defendants attorney. "Both have -a clear con science In this proceeding and Intend to act their part as men should." This ended the proceedings for 'the present. Twenty men arrested in connection with the Iroquois theatre tragedy were arraigned before Justice Cavsrly In th Harr'son street police court today on a charge of manslaughter. Five of the defendants were members of the chorus of the "Mr. Blue Beard" Company and were defended by Attorney Thom as Hogah. No testimony was riven in court and It was immediately agreed that a continuance be granted. Most of the time was devoted to on effort .oy the attorney to have the bonds of his clients reduced from the 15,000 In which they had been held. In the nd th bond3 in each case were reduced to $1,000 and the cases placed on the cal endar for hearing January llth. Attorney Hogan told the magistrate that his clients had nothing to do with the management, construction or hand ling of the scenery. He said they con tinued singing evn after the au31enc became panic stricken in a vain effort to elliy the fear of the frightened au dience. The other defendants will have a hearing before Justice Caverly Mon day. Their bonds were placed at $3,000 each. H-H-M-i-H 1 1 1 1 : : : h-m- I-M-I-I heath of General Lonjrstreet. v A Atlanta, Ga., January 2. General James Longstreet. soldier, statesman and diplo mat, and the last lieutenant general of the Confederate army with the exception of General Gordon, died in Gainesville, Ga.. this after noon at 6 o'clock from an at tack of acute pneumonia. He had been ill two days. General Longstreet was a sufferer from cancer of one eye, but his general health had been good until Wednes day, when he was seized with a sudden cold, developing 5- UteMnto pneuSnl. Tof violent" nature. He was 84 years old. He Is survived by his wife, four sons and a daughter. He will be buried In Gainesville, which has been his home since the civil war. I-H-M-M I M-! I-M-IM-1 H W In St. Petersburg the Situation is Re garded as Very Serious THE RUSSIAN REPLY NOT YET SENT MOI1B IIlRFXJCLARTriBS. Accounts of Inter-State Commerce Coommission to be Investigated. Washington, January 2. Treasury Department experts today lastltmted an investigation of the accounts of the Inter-State CommerceCommission. The action Is taken at the instance of Acting Chairman Clements of the com mission, as e result of persistent ru mors of Irregularities in the drawing of vouchers, etc When the expert ac countants. Nathaniel M. Ambrose and Richard H. Taylor, and James L Chase, the latter of the office of the auditor for the State and other depart ments, reached the commission today, they sealed the safe and examined Sec retary Edward A. Moseley, H. S- Mll stead, the cashier, and other em ployees. MHstead has not been sus pended. Acting Chairman Clements stated to day that he did not knorw that any- thing was wrong, but that the rumors had become so persistent that they could no longer be ignored, and the Treasury department was therefore asked to taks charge of the accounts. Mr. Moseley is under $25,000 as dis bursing officer. It is understood that the rumors In clude allegations of payments madefor service at one place, while the payee was engaged elsewhere and similar ir regular methods. The Investigation will be thorough and every phase of the accounting work of the commission will be thoroughly overhauled. The commission handles about $275,000 an nually, the bulk of this being for sala ries, traveling expenses, supplies, etc. The payments axe by warrants, drawn o nthe treasury. H, S. Mil stead per forms the duties of cashier, but Ed- ward A, Moseley, the Secretary cf the commission is in charge of all the ac- counting work. Acting Commissioner Clements, who is head of the co.-nmis- sion in the absence of Chairman Knapp, in New York city, said that he did not regard the situation as start- ling and that he did not believe any wrongful conduct should be found, but that it was the unanimous opinion of the commission that the rumors should be inquired into by experts to ascer tain the exact facts. A PLEASANT RECEPTION. Mrs. Hunter Smith Entertains In Honor of a New Orleans Lady- Other Fayctteville News- (Special to The Messenger.) Fayetteville. January 2. Mr. J. A. King, tne prominent ouiespie eiirm carriage and harness dealer, who oas been for &ome days in the Marsh - Highsmlth hospital with a badly frac - tured ankle is getting on wen. ana will De sparea me ampuiaiion ui "" I'e ftn w rerfriencJ on Green street. Mrs. Hunter G. Smith gave a charming reception to a lew friends, complimentary to Mrs. jnni C. Gorham. of New Orleans. 1 he cards were received at the door byl Misses Alice Haigh Underwood and Mary Anna Drake, and the guests were greeted in the hall by Mrs. Hun ter G. Smith and Miss Lillian Slocomb In the drawing room received Mts dames J. C. Gorham, H. M. Pemberton W. E. Kyle. J. C. McDiarmid. B, C. Gorham L C. Wooten. H. McD. Rob inson. M. J. Pembrton. E. Williams. The guests were conducted to the nunch room by Mesdames W. Frank Blount and S- H. Strange, where Mist Lina Pemberton served delicious fru't punch in a grotto of woodland ever greens, through the boughs of which filtered the ruddy glow of crimson lights. In the dining room preside! Misses Fannie Williams. Mary McNeill Rosie Dodd and Eloise McDiarmid. where in the centre chandeliers and fln hrancifd candelabra formed a glittering canopv. from which depend ed in festoon garlands of narrow red ribbon, and beneath flashed the daimy service of cut glass, china, ana sliver. From the dining room the visitors wert ushered into the north parlor, wner Mesdames J D. Williams and John Underwood and Miss Hawley "apd thv tartine euests." The decorations were in red and white, with pottei plants and ferns grouped through thel parlors In profusion. A string orchis-1 tra m an alcove gave fine music Postmaster McCaskeli is every day now expecting the appointments from! Washington of the free delivery mall I ! I carriers for this city, the system going .4-Hntr sfre?t on the 1st or February. H Mr. J. R. Boyd, manager of tn- Postal and Commercial caoie som- 4- panv inj this city, has received an oner i-1 of a like position in the same company 4. at petersDurg. v a., in a veTy compu- 1 HisFareU 5 JHffZ T' 'tJT ju . rille friends are glad to know that he : win aeciine me vnxcr. 4-J (Special to T MesseT.) h , Raleigh. K. C. January z. The stats 4 charters ths Durham Lumber Com- pany with a capital stock of $25,Cf. Itnssia Has Decided Not to Accept Japan's Precise Proposal, Bat Of ficiAls Arc Still Trying to Arrive M an Amicable Adjustment Cfydo Engineers Receive Cable Orders to Frocced to Japan at Once mad U is Probable They Will bo CaSetf ta Active Service The War Party fc Russia Is In the Ascendant. FBKrST. JANUARY 1.-IXFORUA-TION IN THE POSSESSION OF TOO BEST INFORMED DIPLOMATS IK PEKIN CONVINCES THEM rHAT WAR IS INEVITABLE. IXX3SLBL5 WITHIN A FEW DAY8. St. Petersburg. January a Ap. pears to be true that RusU has eci ed not to accept Japan's prec se propo Sals. But the fnrplirn Afft day informed the Associated Press that . Freirn Ulster Lamsdorf sad tba Japanese Minister M. Kurine. are still O " vmvu .a VE conferring with the view of arrivfof; at an amicable settlement. Unofficially the situation Is regards as being most serious. Tokio. Japan, January 2. Th repsrt is current that the Japanese squadroa of six armored cruisers under Admiral Kamimura, now at Saseho. will seize the port of Maaampho, Korea, and that its departure has been fixed for Janu ary 4th. In well Informed circle, how ever, it Is doubted that Japan woufS seize Masamph or any Korean port. except to forestall Russia, in tha es-ant j of the latter showing evidences of oay; intention to take a step or in ttie event I f the negotiation between tao twf I countries finally ending in failure. I threat activity prevails and tne fores I of workmen has been increased at the 1 aiia arsenel. The holiday's of the arsenel operatives have been ourtald in order to hurry up the work im hand. Glasgow, January 2. a large somber of Clyde marine engineers rece.ved ca ble orders from the Japanese govern ment today to proceed immediately to Japan. These engineers were asrored by the Japanese government six months ago, on the understand! that they would be called on If active ser vice was probable. Full lnstruotianM were sent them in cipher. They will go to the Far East by war of Canada. leaving January 5th. London, January Z.Vio irord has I yet been received here telling to show 1 when the Russian reply to Japan may j be expected. Foreign Secretary Lani- i downe has informed Baron ITa1 the Jaoanesa mlnftr fha h trm the Pty in Russia is In the &a I cendant and that he has faint bop I or japan receiving a favoraois reply. Baron Ilayashl says he has recetvtia I no ne-wa of the Intend! A!ratjH nt a Japanese squadron to Masamp- o. rhO last news he heard was that a Rus- sian cruiser was there. The mla!sier pointed out that the dispatch of a squadron to Masampho would not ne cessarily be a wor-Mke action, though it could scarcely help being reg?rdX in the line of other precautloas wteh. Japan has openly taken. PRESIDENT BURT RESIGNS. Wishes to Give Up Position With the Union Pacific and Secure a Rest. Omaha, Neb., January 2.Horace O. Burt, president of the Union Pa cific railroad, has handled his resig nation to the directors. It is under stood that it will be acted unoa at the next meeting of tne board wiich will be held In the near future. At Mr. Burt's office it waa stated thtt he will take an extensive trip with Mrs. Burt for the purpose of securing rest. ills active railroad service hs ex- tended over 35 years, and it is stated he feels need of a complete rest- Ihe trip 'will be of several months dura tion. ' - Mr. Burt's resignation, it was learn ed, has been In the hands of tha di rectors for some time, although the fact was not made public until tomor row. It is not believed that the board will refuse to accept It, as Mr, Burt has been very explicit In his expres sion of a desire to retire from tie company's service. The matter of selecting a nsw pres ident foe the Union Pacific has created considerable Interest and speculation, as to a successor for Mr. Burt has In cluded a wide range of names. At Union Pacific headquarter, however, no opinion was officially ventured as to who will in future contrsl tSie af fairs ef the company.

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