The fire that burned down Iroquois Theatre alerted the nation of the requirement for improvement of regulations for fire safety in theaters. For theatergoers, the incident was a horror that could not be forgotten by many of them. The disaster leads to the loss of over 600 lives people. This study focuses on the protection or prevention of fire issues in a historical accident. In December 1903, a fire broke out in Iroquois Theatre that consumed the lives of over 600 theatergoers as deemed to be the deadliest fire theater in the history of the USA. Blockage of fire exits and lack of plans for fire safety is believed to have caused this large number of deaths. The theater was luxurious and was assumed to have been fireproofed upon its commencement in 1903. The building commissioner of Chicago and inspector of fire inspected the theater on November 1903, declaring it fireproof with no doubt. William Clendenin who was the editor for the magazine Fireproof undertook an inspection of Iroquois theater and came up with a sarcastic editorial about their fire risks, highlighting that there deemed a great deal in wood trim, no sprinkler structure over the stage, and no alarm for fire alert (Brandt, 2003). Chicago city was growing fast and Americans understood that it was going to be a second city and a gateway to the West part. Apparently, the city turned out as infamous due to its architectural signs of unprecedented wealth. For every building that was constructed investors coupled with greed tried to wring each dollar to their advantage. The corrupt government of Chicago city made unfettered capitalism possible correctly City Mayor Carter (Brandt, 2003). Chicago companies of construction continued to provide a theatre of poor quality and reach out to every corner of perceived opportunity. The city environment permitted theater owners H. Powers and William J. to hire the Construction Company of George H. to produce an anticipated, theater of Iroquois. Architecture Benjamin had to design Iroquois Theatre having magnificence in his mind. He indeed came up with a very comfortable theater of the time. The builders highly decorated it with granite columns, jeweled fixtures, and gold (Danzer & Brandt, 2003). Whereas designers constructed the exterior of the structure with nonflammable materials and concrete, the interior of the theater is composed of elaborately flammable textiles and wood. While receiving significant pressure from owners to complete Theatre before its November with only essentials put in place, the Construction Company was to adhere to their command. Davis and Powers had to open the Iroquois theater having only necessities features (Danzer & Brandt, 2003). The theater was initiated with a stylish entrance hall, the seating arrangement of the luxurious sort, a smoke room for men and coat rooms, but it lacked effective means of fire deterrents and extinguishers plus many other factors of safety as a fire alarm. The building was well prepared as other theaters in Chicago having all decorations and was visually attractive but hopelessly unprepared in case of an emergency. According to media sources, the theater was deemed to be the safest theater in the city of Chicago. The theater showed to be fireproof; sadly it was just on the exterior side of it. The theater started its production through a musical comedy by Eddie Foy. It experienced a small turnout of attendances at its first commencement but the number increased with time as the holiday’s come in. On December 30, owners of the theater implemented the selling of standing-room vouchers. In fact, the occupation of free spaces violated the city’s code of fire but could not stop them from practicing it (Guenzel, 1945). Iroquois Theatre was overflowed with over 2000 audience comprising mostly of children and women. The light on the stage had exposed wires preserved for mobility. These wires due to sparkling caught fire while the lighting technician had neglected his responsibility and gone to wander around. Some members of the audience realized a small blaze, but many of them remained unperturbed and calm. By use of primitive fire extinguishing methods, stagehands did not manage to put off the fire. The fire was spreading flaming drapery that fell on the combustible scenery of the stage floor. The constructors of the theatre had provided a fire retardant curtain of asbestos that became difficult for operators to lower down to contain the spread of fire flames. This reveals that builders had not been well prepared for any case of a fire emergency. Also, asbestos curtains turned out to one made of paper thus having no importance in curbing the spread of fire (Guenzel, 1945). Even emergency doors of the exit had been locked, and few doors which were ably compelled to open stood four feet. The owners were more concerned with many than the lives of their audiences hence locking them inside the theater. There were no ladders or fire escapes to help them, and a few took chances of jumping through windows and high-stand emergency doors. Marshall had experience in fire safety since he had studied it before designing the theater of Iroquois. He had recommended appropriate measures of security in his plans. These comprised glass skylights coupled with events so that in the incidence of fire one might remove resulting toxic gasses to operate as a flue and attract flames upward (Guenzel, 1945). Also, he offered vents behind the dress circle in the mezzanine and at the back of the gallery seating. Owners of Iroquois Theatre had placed both of the above safety precautions in place but did not enforce workers to remove wiring from skylight vents that kept them closed securing transport to the theater (Rugg, 2000). Skylight, therefore, did not unlock other than in concurrence with events of the audience to make a cyclone of atmosphere that carried fire, gasses, and smoke under a curtain and more than orchestra level seating parquet in faces of ones in balconies. The people caught directly through the burning atmosphere died instantly due to asphyxiation while others survived to make it up to the exits with some hope for survival. The owners locked emergency exits door with bascule locks which were difficult to unlock, and only one person understood how to unlock them, but out of curiosity, he was out. This resulted in too many being locked in hence a large number of victims consumed by fire (Rugg, 2000). As firefighters get to Iroquois, they experienced a group of persons crushing against glass entrance hall doors. By their way of inspection, they realized that three doors were locked and thus broke through the glass and permitted the crowd to go into the street as they go through to get into the playhouse. Indicating that a lack of standard fire safety precautions caused most of the deaths.
Conclusion
This incidence of fire in the theater of Iroquois prompted the enactment of new regulations specifying the number of transformations to standards in fire safety. Every balcony in any theater was to have segregated exits and entrances. The new rules required that 32 inches between rows and fire doors be unobstructed on view, spotted with signs, and unlocked when occupied. The scenery of the theater is required to be painted using non-flammable chemicals and create all events activated.
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References
Brandt, N. (2003). Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre fire of 1903 . Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
Danzer, G. A., & Brandt, N. (2003). Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903. The Michigan Historical Review , 29 (2), 167. Doi: 10.2307/20174042
Guenzel, L. (1945). Retrospects: "The Iroquois Theater fire.” Chicago: Champlin-Shealy Co.
Rugg, R. A. (2000). Shout Theater in a Crowded Fire A Translator's Note. Theater , 30 (1), 4-5. doi: 10.1215/01610775-30-1-4
