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66-538: The South Shore Country Club was founded in 1905 as a suburban counterpart to the urban clubs of Chicago, such as the Athletic Club. The original building was built at that time, designed by architects Marshall and Fox in a Mediterranean Revival style. In 1909, a theater was added, but in 1916, Marshall and Fox were engaged to design a newer building, still in the Mediterranean Revival style. This

132-712: A Chicago Landmark . http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-south-shore-country-club-flashback-perspec-1023-jm-20161019-story.html Marshall and Fox Marshall and Fox was a United States architectural firm based in Chicago from 1905 to 1926. The principals, Benjamin H. Marshall and Charles E. Fox, designed a number of significant buildings of many types in Chicago and other cities, but they were best known for luxury hotels and apartment buildings. Benjamin Marshall (May 5, 1874 – June 19, 1944)

198-610: A descriptive plaque was donated by the Union League Club of Chicago . The dedication was attended by members of the Chicago City Council , the Union League Club and Taft's granddaughter. Chicago held an annual memorial service at City Hall until the last survivors died. Five years after the fire, Andrew Kircher, founder of Montrose Cemetery , erected a memorial on the grounds to memorialize

264-586: A great deal more victim photos than any other Chicago newspaper. The Tribune created a panel to investigate the causes of the fire, publishing the results in January 1904. The family of Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison Jr. owned the Chicago Times newspaper. Coverage by Chicago newspapers of what became a political scandal was harsh, particularly from the Chicago Inter Ocean , which

330-601: A managing editor of several newspapers in the Hearst chain. He was later immortalized as the scheming, ruthless managing editor Walter Burns in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur 's play The Front Page . Chicago Tribune assistant city editor Edgar Sisson situated himself at Dyche's Drug Store on Randolph and State near the Iroquois Theatre, directing dozens of Tribune reporters, some of whom removed bodies from

396-679: A series of buildings for the South Shore Country Club , the last of which was a large Mediterranean revival style clubhouse erected in 1916. This building still stands, and has been converted by the City of Chicago into the South Shore Cultural Center . The clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . One of the firm's most noted works is the 1910 Blackstone Hotel , also on

462-583: A similar lock. Houseman credited his friend outfielder Charlie Dexter , who had just quit the Boston Beaneaters , with forcing open another door. A third door was opened either by brute force or by a blast of air, but most of the other doors could not be opened. Some patrons panicked, crushing or trampling others in a desperate attempt to escape. Many were killed while trapped in dead ends or while trying to open windows that appeared to be doors. The dancers on stage were also forced to flee, along with

528-488: A theater near the police-patrolled Loop shopping district . The theater opened on November 23, 1903, after numerous delays resulting from labor unrest and, according to one writer, the unexplained inability of architect Benjamin Marshall to complete required drawings on time. Upon opening, the theater was lauded by drama critics; Walter K. Hill wrote in the New York Clipper (a predecessor of Variety ) that

594-494: Is the building that still stands. Originally built as a Protestant-only club, later, Irish-Catholics were admitted. Besides the main clubhouse, the Country Club also had stables, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, a bowling green, and a private beach on Lake Michigan . By the early 1960s, the character of the neighborhood was changing rapidly. As Hyde Park , Woodlawn , and South Shore became racially integrated,

660-508: The panic bar , asbestos fire curtains, and doors that open outward. The theater was rebuilt and operated until 1925, when it was replaced by the Oriental Theatre . The Iroquois Theatre was located at 26 West Randolph Street , between State Street and Dearborn Street. The syndicate that bankrolled its construction chose the location specifically to attract women visiting the city on day trips who would be more comfortable attending

726-791: The American and international press, and backlash from the scandal likely was a factor thwarting Harrison's bid to become the Democratic Party vice presidential nominee at the Democratic Convention of 1904 . The front page of the January 26, 1904 edition of the Washington Evening Star featured a story about the Chicago coroner's jury findings headlined "Harrison arrested". First elected in 1897 and reelected in 1899, 1901, and 1903, Harrison did not run for reelection in 1905. His 1907 bid to return to

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792-678: The Cultural Center houses the South Shore Cultural Center School of the Arts (youth and teen programs, community art classes, the Paul Robeson Theatre, a Fine Art Gallery, two dance studios, music practice rooms, and a visual arts studio with a kiln). In addition, there are banquet facilities for rent for weddings, receptions, and meetings. The golf course is still in operation, and is open to

858-612: The Iroquois Theatre Fire. Walking the streets of Chicago near the theater, Howey was startled to see a knight and three elves climb out of a manhole. He had stumbled upon four Mr. Blue Beard actors fleeing the conflagration. As more people escaped via the theater cellar through the sewers, Howey reported his scoop; the story, one of the biggest in Chicago's history, established his reputation for speed, resourcefulness, and skillful writing. Howey moved to William Randolph Hearst 's Chicago American and went on to become

924-481: The Iroquois Theatre, which opened a month before the fire, exhibited numerous deficiencies in fire readiness that contributed to the high death toll. Some of these deficiencies were known by city officials tasked with public safety . The resulting scandal resulted in changes in building safety codes and code enforcement in the United States and throughout the world. The fire broke out at about 3:15 p.m. while

990-499: The Iroquois presented a matinee performance of the musical Mr. Blue Beard starring Eddie Foy . A broken arc lamp ignited some muslin curtains, which stage managers were unable to douse; an attempt to lower the safety curtain to contain the fire was unsuccessful. Despite attempts by Foy to calm the crowd, audience members frantically rushed for the exits, only to find that fire exits were locked or hidden. The largest death toll

1056-519: The Iroquois was "the most beautiful ... in Chicago, and competent judges state that few theaters in America can rival its architectural perfections ..." The Iroquois had a capacity of 1,602 with three audience levels . The main floor, known as the orchestra or parquet, had approximately 700 seats on the same level as the foyer and Grand Stair Hall. The second level, the dress circle or (first) balcony, had more than 400 seats. The third level,

1122-1335: The Lake Shore Trust and Savings Bank Building, all in Chicago, plus the Schaff Building in Philadelphia, as well as the Edgewater Gulf Hotel and in Biloxi , Mississippi , a sister project to their Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago and the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. The firm also designed Kaskaskia Hotel in LaSalle County , Illinois , and the Cobe Estate in Northport, Maine. The firm designed many large and outstanding residences on Chicago's North Shore, including 681 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, IL and 615 Lincoln Avenue in Glencoe, IL. After Marshall's retirement, in 1935

1188-876: The National Register, along with the adjacent Blackstone Theater, now the Merle Reskin Theatre which was acquired by DePaul University in 1988 as part of their Loop Campus. Other major buildings from the era include Stewart Apartments , the Drake Hotel , the Mayslake Peabody Estate ( Oak Brook, Illinois ), the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City, the Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building , and

1254-481: The Pale Moonlight", with the stage illuminated by blue-tinted spotlights to suggest a night scene. Sparks from an arc light ignited a muslin curtain, possibly as the result of an electrical short circuit . Lamp operator William McMullen testified that the lamp was placed too close to the curtain but that stage managers had failed to offer a solution when he had first reported the problem. McMullen clapped at

1320-429: The asbestos curtain was stopped by the trolley wire that carried acrobats over the stage, but later investigation showed that the curtain had been blocked by a light reflector that protruded from under the proscenium arch. A chemist who later tested part of the curtain stated that it was composed mainly of wood pulp mixed with asbestos and would have been "of no value in a fire." Foy, who had been preparing to take

1386-511: The bodies of the first jumpers broke the falls of those who followed them. Students from the Northwestern University building north of the theater tried bridging the gap with a ladder and then with some boards between the rooftops, saving those few able to manage the makeshift crossover. The Iroquois had no fire-alarm box or telephone. The CFD's Engine 13 was alerted to the fire by a stagehand who had been ordered to run from

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1452-416: The burning theater to the nearest firehouse. On the way to the scene, at approximately 3:33 p.m., a member of Engine 13 activated an alarm box to call additional units. Initial efforts focused on the people trapped on the fire escapes. The alley to the north of the theater, known as Couch Place, was icy, narrow and full of smoke. Aerial ladders could not be used in the alley and black nets, concealed by

1518-593: The center. The center now competes with the Jackson Park 63rd Street Beach House and Promontory Point as South Side beachfront special use facilities in the Park District. The building's exteriors were used as the "Palace Hotel Ballroom" in The Blues Brothers . The Cultural Center was the site of Barack and Michelle Obama's wedding reception on October 3, 1992. On May 26, 2004, it became

1584-405: The coal hatch and through windows in the dressing rooms, and others tried to escape via the west stage door, which opened inward and became jammed as actors frantically pressed toward the door. A passing railroad agent saw the crowd pressing against the door and unfastened the hinges from the outside, allowing the actors and stagehands to escape. As the vents above the stage were nailed or wired shut,

1650-496: The country and in some cities in Europe. All theater exits were required to be clearly marked and the doors configured so that, even if they could not be pulled open from the outside, they could be pushed open from the inside. After the fire, it was alleged that fire inspectors had been bribed with free tickets to overlook code violations. Chicago mayor Carter Harrison Jr. ordered all theaters in Chicago closed for six weeks after

1716-499: The fire when it started, but the flame quickly raced up the curtain and beyond his reach. Theater fireman William Sallers tried to douse the fire with the Kilfyre canisters, but by that time it had spread to the fly gallery high above the stage where several thousand square feet of highly flammable painted canvas scenery flats were hung. The stage manager tried to lower the asbestos fire curtain, but it snagged. Early reports stated that

1782-401: The fire. As a result of public outrage, many were charged with crimes, including Harrison. Most charges were dismissed three years later because of the delaying tactics of the syndicate's lawyers and their use of loopholes and inadequacies in the city's building and safety ordinances. Levy Mayer was the attorney for the theater and its manager was Will J. Davis. The exterior of the Iroquois

1848-420: The fireball instead traveled outward, ducking under the stuck asbestos curtain and streaking toward the vents behind the dress circle and gallery 50 feet (15 m) away. The hot gases and flames passed over the heads of those in the orchestra seats and incinerated flammable materials in the gallery and dress circle levels, including patrons still trapped in those areas. Those in the orchestra section exited into

1914-508: The firm became Walton and Kegley until 1950. From 1950 until 1969 the firm was known as Walton and Walton . The firm's papers are archived at the University of Texas . Iroquois Theater Fire The Iroquois Theatre fire was a catastrophic building fire in Chicago , Illinois , that broke out on December 30, 1903, during a performance attended by 1,700 people. The fire caused 602 deaths and 250 non-fatal injuries. It ranks as

1980-447: The firm of Marshall and Fox went on to build many of the most iconic structures in Chicago. His work was also part of the architecture event in the art competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics . Marshall was handsome and wealthy and entrepreneurial, and he has been described as a cross between the fictional playboy Jay Gatsby and real-life showman Florenz Ziegfeld . Although not an original stylist, nor great structural innovator, he

2046-458: The following weeks. Many of the dead were buried in Montrose , Calvary , Saint Boniface, Mount Greenwood, Mount Hope, Mount Olivet , Oak Woods , Rosehill , Graceland , Forest Home and Waldheim Jewish cemeteries. Of the approximately 300 actors, dancers and stagehands, only five people died: aerialist Nellie Reed, an actor in a bit part, an usher and two female attendants. Reed's role

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2112-437: The foyer and out of the front door, but those in the dress circle and gallery who escaped the fireball could not reach the foyer because stairwells were blocked by high layers of fallen victims. Although iron grates that blocked secondary stairways during performances (to prevent patrons in the cheaper seats from sneaking downstairs to the more expensive lower levels) were still in place, first responders found very few victims near

2178-411: The gallery encountered a crowd leaving the balcony level, and people descending from the upper levels met the orchestra-level patrons in the foyer. The backstage areas were unusually large. Dressing rooms were on five levels, and an elevator was available to transport actors down to the stage level. The fly gallery (where scenery was hung) was also uncommonly large. After the fire, the Iroquois Theatre

2244-542: The gallery, had about 500 seats. There were four boxes on the first level and two on the level above. The theater had only one entrance. A broad stairway that led from the foyer to the balcony level was also used to reach the stairs to the gallery level. Theater designers claimed that this allowed patrons to "see and be seen" regardless of the price of their seats. However, the common stairway ignored Chicago fire ordinances that required separate stairways and exits for each balcony. The design proved disastrous: people exiting

2310-415: The gates. The largest death toll was at the base of stairways, where hundreds of people were trampled, crushed or asphyxiated . People who were able to escape using the emergency exits on the north side found themselves on fire escapes , one of which was improperly installed, causing people to trip upon exiting the fire-escape door. Many jumped or fell from the icy, narrow fire escapes to their deaths, and

2376-418: The house, plus hundreds more for the standing-room areas at the back of the theater. Many of the estimated 2,100–2,200 patrons attending the matinee were children. The standing-room areas were so crowded that some patrons sat in the aisles, blocking the exits. At about 3:15 p.m., shortly after the beginning of the second act, eight men and eight women were performing the double- octet musical number "In

2442-440: The large number of female casualties. Mass panic ensued and many of those trapped inside tried climbing over piles of bodies in order to escape. Corpses were stacked ten feet high around some of the blocked exits. The victims were asphyxiated by the fire, smoke and gases or were crushed by the onrush of others behind them. It is estimated that 575 people were killed on the day of the fire, and at least 30 more died of injuries over

2508-524: The mayor's office failed. However, he was again elected mayor in 1911 (to a four-year term) but was defeated for re-election in 1915. Iroquois Memorial Hospital was built as a memorial to the fire. The hospital held a bronze bas-relief memorial by sculptor Lorado Taft . The Chicago Tribune described the marker on December 31, 1911 as depicting "the Motherhood of the World protecting the children of

2574-499: The official opening and noted that there were no sprinklers , alarms, telephones or water connections. The captain and the theater's fireman William Sallers discussed the deficiencies. Sallers did not report the matter directly to fire chief William Musham, concerned that he would be dismissed by the syndicate that owned the theater. When Captain Jennings reported the matter to his commanding officer, battalion chief John J. Hannon, he

2640-472: The patrons on all levels were attempting to flee the theater. Some had found the fire exits hidden behind draperies on the north side of the building but discovered that they could not open the unfamiliar bascule locks . Bar owner Frank Houseman , a former baseball player with the Chicago Colts , defied an usher who refused to open a door. He was able to open the door because his ice box at home had

2706-463: The performers backstage and in the numerous dressing rooms. Several performers and stagehands escaped through the building's main rear exit, which consisted of a large set of stock double doors normally used for moving large fly sceneries and set pieces or props into the backstage area. When the door was opened, an icy wind blast rushed inside, fueling the flames with air and causing the fire to grow substantially larger. Many performers escaped through

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2772-625: The property was sold to the Chicago Park District for $ 9.775 million. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975. A coalition of neighborhood activists and historic preservationists successfully convinced the Park District not to demolish the buildings. Instead, the facility was renamed the South Shore Cultural Center. Over two decades, the main buildings were slowly renovated and repurposed. Other buildings were torn down. Today

2838-677: The public, as are the beach, picnic areas, gardens, and a nature center. The horse stables are currently used by the Chicago Police Department's mounted unit. The building houses the Parrot Cage Restaurant, which is operated as a teaching program of the Washburne Culinary Institute. The Chicago Lakefront Trail (abbreviated as LFT) is an 18-mile multi-use path in Chicago, Illinois along the coast of Lake Michigan and runs past

2904-442: The roof above the stage, combine to increase fire safety in theaters. This arrangement creates negative pressure; the stage area becomes a chimney, and fresh, breathable air is sucked through the exit doors into the audience area. At the Iroquois, the smoke doors above the stage were fastened closed. This meant that smoke flowed out of the building through many of the same exits through which people were trying to escape. The owners of

2970-497: The safety curtain and fire dampers , were either not present or not working at the time of the fire. Other contributing factors included a lack of exit signs, emergency lighting, or fire preparedness; doors that opened inward or were latched shut; confusing exit routes; icy fire escapes; and the presence of ornamental doors. The Iroquois Memorial Hospital was built as a memorial to the fire, and Chicago held an annual memorial service. The Iroquois fire prompted widespread implementation of

3036-459: The smoke, proved useless. The Chicago Police Department became involved when an officer patrolling the theater district saw people emerge from the building in a panic, some with clothing on fire. The officer reported the incident from a police box on Randolph Street , and police, summoned by whistles, soon converged on the scene to control traffic and aid with the evacuation. Some of the city's 30 uniformed police matrons were summoned because of

3102-537: The stage, attempted to calm the crowd from the stage, first ensuring that his young son was in the care of a stagehand. He later wrote, "It struck me as I looked out over the crowd during the first act that I had never before seen so many women and children in the audience. Even the gallery was full of mothers and children." Foy was widely considered a hero after the fire for his courage in remaining on stage and pleading with patrons not to panic even as large chunks of burning scenery landed around him. By this time, many of

3168-473: The theater building. An editor of Fireproof Magazine toured the Iroquois during construction and noted "the absence of an intake, or stage draft shaft; the exposed reinforcement of the ( proscenium ) arch; the presence of wood trim on everything and the inadequate provision of exits." Chicago Fire Department (CFD) captain Patrick Jennings performed an unofficial tour of the theater days before

3234-553: The theater claimed that the 30 exits would allow everyone inside to escape the building within five minutes. Audiences in 1903 were aware of the hazards of fires in theaters, especially after at least 384 people died in the Ringtheater fire in Vienna, Austria. In New York on New Year's Eve , some theaters eliminated standing room. Building and fire codes were subsequently reformed; theaters were closed for retrofitting all around

3300-416: The theater. Tribune reporter E.O. Phillips lost three nieces to the fire. The Tribune printed an eight-page special edition that hit newsstands on the morning of December 31, 1903. The entire front page consisted of lists of the dead and missing. Twenty Tribune employees had been assigned the job of obtaining photographs of the victims, and the issue of the following day (New Year's Day 1903) featured

3366-502: The time of Marble's death, he was named a full-fledged partner. In 1905, he established his own practice hiring MIT-trained architect and engineer, Charles Eli Fox.. One of his earliest commissions was destroyed a month after its completion in an event remembered as one of Chicago's worst disasters, the Iroquois Theater Fire of 1903. Marshall's career was only temporarily affected by the disaster, and from 1905 to 1925,

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3432-433: The traditional " Bluebeard " folk tale, featured Dan McAvoy as Bluebeard and Eddie Foy as Sister Anne, a role that showcased his physical-comedy skills. Dancer Bonnie Maginn was also in the cast as Imer Dasher. Attendance since opening night had been disappointing as the result of poor weather, labor unrest and other factors. The December 30 performance drew a much larger sellout audience. Tickets were sold for every seat in

3498-533: The tragedy. The Iroquois fire prompted widespread implementation of the panic bar , first invented in the United Kingdom following the Victoria Hall disaster . Panic exit devices are now required by building codes for high-occupancy spaces. Following the fire, it was required that an asbestos fire curtain (or sheet-metal screen) be raised before each performance and lowered afterward to separate

3564-540: The universe, the body of a child borne on a litter by herculean male figures, with a bereaved mother bending over it." The bronze memorial was removed from the Iroquois Hospital when the building was demolished in 1951. It was placed in storage in City Hall until it was installed in its current location, near the building's LaSalle Street entrance, in 1960. The memorial was rededicated on November 5, 2010, and

3630-404: The wealthy whites who formed the membership in the club started to leave the neighborhood in droves . In 1967, the club considered opening its membership to Jews (for the first time since the 1930s) and African Americans (for the first time ever). The decision at that time not to open membership accelerated the decline of the club; in 1973, the decision was made to liquidate its assets, and in 1975,

3696-581: The worst theater fire in the United States, surpassing the carnage of the Brooklyn Theatre fire of 1876, which claimed at least 278 lives. For nearly a century, the Iroquois Theatre fire was the deadliest single-building disaster in American history. Only the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, claimed more lives in a disaster affecting an American building. Despite being billed as "absolutely fireproof",

3762-669: Was a creative re-worker of style in popular building projects. After Fox's death in 1926, Marshall continued to operate the firm alone until his retirement in the 1930s when he was bankrupted by the Great Depression . He later moved into one of his buildings, the Drake Hotel, where he continued to design several of its interiors. Marshall designed and constructed an extravagant mansion for himself in Wilmette, Illinois . Charles Fox (July 1, 1870 – October 31, 1926)

3828-542: Was a native of Chicago. His formal education did not extend beyond his years at a private preparatory academy, the Harvard School, in then-suburban Kenwood. Impressed by the buildings being erected for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 near his south side home, the young Marshall decided on a career in architecture. At the age of 17, he became an apprentice in the firm of Marble and Wilson and two years later, at

3894-415: Was at the base of stairways, where hundreds of people were trampled, crushed or asphyxiated ; some people jumped to their deaths from the fire escapes. The Iroquois had no fire-alarm box or telephone, which hampered initial rescue efforts. It is estimated that 575 people were killed on the day of the fire, with dozens dying afterward; the vast majority of those killed were audience members. Two features,

3960-514: Was born in Reading, Pennsylvania . After studying architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology he moved to Chicago in 1891. He was employed by the noted firm of Holabird & Roche , working primarily as a specialist in steel construction. The final 21 years of his career from 1905 to 1926 were spent in the partnership with Marshall. He was the firm's construction specialist and project manager. Beginning in 1906, Marshall and Fox designed

4026-405: Was instructed to "forcibly hurl" the contents of the tube at the base of the flames. The fire began high above the stage, so the Kilfyre, when thrown, fell uselessly to the ground. On Wednesday, December 30, 1903, the Iroquois presented a matinee performance of the popular Drury Lane musical Mr. Blue Beard , which had been playing at the theater since opening night. The play, a burlesque of

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4092-569: Was intact and the theater reopened nine months later as Hyde & Behman's Music Hall. The building later reopened as the Colonial Theater, which was demolished in 1925 to make way for the Oriental Theatre , which was later renamed the Nederlander Theatre in 2019. Newspaperman Walter Howey was working for the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper as a reporter when he made his reputation by scooping competitors in reporting

4158-468: Was owned by traction magnate Charles Yerkes , an opponent of Harrison. The January 9, 1904 edition of the Chicago Eagle dedicated all eight front-page above-the-fold columns to Harrison's alleged role in the disaster, with headlines "Harrison to blame" and "Harrison warned", with a two-column wide illustration of the mayor under the center headline "Remember!". The fire was widely covered by

4224-782: Was renamed and reopened as the Hyde & Behman's Music Hall in September 1904. In October 1905, it was rechristened as the Colonial Theatre. It remained active until the building was demolished in 1925. In 1926, the Oriental Theatre was built on the site. In 2019, the Oriental Theatre was renamed the Nederlander Theatre . Despite being billed as "absolutely fireproof" in advertisements and playbills , numerous deficiencies in fire readiness were apparent in

4290-457: Was to fly as a fairy over the audience on a trolley wire, showering them with pink carnations. She was trapped above the stage while waiting for her entrance and fell during the fire. She died from burns and internal injuries three days later. The risks inherent in flammable scenery and props were recognized even in 1903. Two features, a safety curtain that confines fire to the stage area and smoke doors that allow smoke and heat to escape through

4356-455: Was told that nothing could be done as the theater already had a fireman. The onsite firefighting equipment consisted of six Kilfyre fire extinguishers . Kilfyre was a form of dry chemical extinguisher also sold for dousing chimney fires in residential houses. It consisted of a 2 in × 24 in (5.1 cm × 61.0 cm) tube of tin filled with about 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of white powder, mostly sodium bicarbonate . The user

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