The Tragedy of the Iroquois Theater Fire
The day before New Year’s Eve in 1903, a tragedy befell the city of Chicago. In the brand-new, dazzling Iroquois Theater, as a packed crowd of mostly women and children watched the matinee performance of a musical, an arc light ignited a curtain backstage. Though initially unnoticed by the audience, the fire quickly spread. Chaos ensued over the next several minutes, and in
Source: wttw.com