1903 Iroquiose Theatre Fire
Iroquois theater fire
Introduction
Since the inception of human civilization, fire has been both a cause of disaster as well as a resource of comfort to man. United States has had a long historical record of fire disasters that have claimed thousands of lives and caused heavy destruction of property. Some of the most disastrous fires in the United States in the 20th century include the Iroquois theater fire in Chicago in 1903, general Slocum wheel boat fire in 1904 the Ohio State penitentiary fire in 1930, the San Francisco fire in 1909 among other major fires that caused heavy loss of human lives and destruction. After the fire disasters, the fire and safety authorities in the United States have instigated various safety codes in various zones to protect people and property from the imminent risk of fires. This paper investigates the Iroquois theater fire, with special focus on the failure of existing code processes at the time, the impact of the fire disaster on the code processes after the incident and the current code processes.
Event history
In one cold afternoon of December 30 1903 in Chicago, about 2000 patrons most of whom were women and children assembled in Iroquois theatre. In addition, about 400 performers and stage actors were jammed in the basement, backstage and dressing rooms to witness what was surely an exciting show. The audience was full of anticipation in readiness to watch a musical comedy, Mr. Bluebeard. Five weeks prior to the staging of the music comedy, the 1,700 capacity Iroquois theater had just been opened with much excitement from the public and the press (Marshall 1904).
The Chicago Tribune one of the most reputable dailies in the city described the theater as “virtual temple of beauty” (Marshall 1904, p102). Iroquois theater was the finest of all theaters that had been constructed in the United States at the time. It had been lavishly furnished with marble and plate glass with luxurious mahogany and ornamentation. The
Introduction
Since the inception of human civilization, fire has been both a cause of disaster as well as a resource of comfort to man. United States has had a long historical record of fire disasters that have claimed thousands of lives and caused heavy destruction of property. Some of the most disastrous fires in the United States in the 20th century include the Iroquois theater fire in Chicago in 1903, general Slocum wheel boat fire in 1904 the Ohio State penitentiary fire in 1930, the San Francisco fire in 1909 among other major fires that caused heavy loss of human lives and destruction. After the fire disasters, the fire and safety authorities in the United States have instigated various safety codes in various zones to protect people and property from the imminent risk of fires. This paper investigates the Iroquois theater fire, with special focus on the failure of existing code processes at the time, the impact of the fire disaster on the code processes after the incident and the current code processes.
Event history
In one cold afternoon of December 30 1903 in Chicago, about 2000 patrons most of whom were women and children assembled in Iroquois theatre. In addition, about 400 performers and stage actors were jammed in the basement, backstage and dressing rooms to witness what was surely an exciting show. The audience was full of anticipation in readiness to watch a musical comedy, Mr. Bluebeard. Five weeks prior to the staging of the music comedy, the 1,700 capacity Iroquois theater had just been opened with much excitement from the public and the press (Marshall 1904).
The Chicago Tribune one of the most reputable dailies in the city described the theater as “virtual temple of beauty” (Marshall 1904, p102). Iroquois theater was the finest of all theaters that had been constructed in the United States at the time. It had been lavishly furnished with marble and plate glass with luxurious mahogany and ornamentation. The