12/30/1903 a fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, IL leaves 602 dead, during the standing room only holiday matinee musical “Mr. Blue Beard, Jr.” at 3:15 p.m. late in the second act, an arc light shorted igniting a muslin curtain fire quickly spread to the fly gallery above the stage, exits were hard to find and the hardware difficult to operate. The “fireproof” theater had been open for less than a month, located at 24-28 W. Randolph between State Street and Dearborn Street. The theatre had been constructed with three audience levels, the main (1st) floor (known as the orchestra or parquet) was on the same level with the Foyer or Grand Stair Hall, the second level (the dress circle) and the third level (the gallery) were accessed through broad stairways that led from the foyer. The large backstage areas held dressing rooms on five levels, an uncommonly large fly gallery (where scenery was hung), and an elevator. 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” were noted in the Fireproof Magazine before construction was finalized. An “unofficial” fire inspection days before the fire noted: “that there were no extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms, telephones, or water connections; the only firefighting equipment available were six canisters of a dry chemical named Kilfyre, which was normally used to douse residential chimney fires.” Additionally, it was noted that “large iron gates blocked the stairways during performances to prevent patrons from moving down from the gallery to the dress circle or orchestra. Many of the exit routes were confusing.” – 12/30/2004 a nightclub fire kills 194 and injured 714 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, around 3,000 people were watching the rock group, Callejeros, when the foam ceiling ignited from pyrotechnic flare, 4 of the 6 doors, were wired shut, most victims died from inhaling poisonous gases, smoke and CO – 12/30/2013 a 112-car train carrying grain derailed and collided with a 106-car eastbound train carrying crude oil, outside Casselton, ND, a town of about 2,400 residents near Fargo, setting off a fire burning at least 21 cars, forcing residents to evacuate as plumes of black smoke rose and spread from the crash site; the accident points to the dangers of rail transport of crude oil, rail is the primary mode of transport for Bakken crude coming out of North Dakota, which is producing more than its existing pipeline network can carry, rail transport of crude increased 44 percent from 2012 to 2013 – 12/30/1922 Ardmore, OK a rooming house fire leaves 1 dead and extends to two business blocks. A fire of unknown origin discovered at 1:30 a.m. driven by strong wind caused the blaze to spread to a half block of frame buildings before fire fighting forces arrived. The railroad tracks prevented the fire from spreading to a thickly populated residence section – 12/30/1919 Tampa, FL 2 blocks in the wholesale district, bounded by the river and by Whiting and Washington streets burns. “The business section was cut off from electric lights and power, and special police protection was provided merchants last night, thieves having robbed offices at the Citizens National Bank of small amounts while the fire was in progress.” – 12/30/1908 Switchback, WV Bluefield Colliery Mine explosion kills 37 – 12/30/1908 Dallas, TX A. Abramson Clothing & Dry Goods Store fire started at 9:30 p.m. destroying the stock – 12/30/1894 Albany, NY the Delavan House, a famous hotel, is destroyed by fire. The hotel was the center of big state political events for 40 years, and the political headquarters of both Mr. Fish and Mr. Maltby, both candidates for speaker of the assembly. The fire rapidly spread up the elevator shaft, the front staircase, and corridors, cutting off escape routes of the five story 50 year old building with no outside fire escapes; leaving trapped occupants to use rope fire escapes. – 12/30/1862 a Civil War ironclad ship the U.S.S. Monitor sinks in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina – 12/30/1916, Grigory Rasputin, a self-fashioned Russian holy man, is murdered by nobles eager to end his sway over the royal family. The Siberian-born peasant had won the favor of Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra through his ability to stop the bleeding of their hemophiliac son. In their plot, the nobles lured Rasputin to Yusupovsky Palace, where they attempted to poison him. Seemingly unaffected by the large doses of poison placed in his wine and food, he was finally shot at close range and collapsed. A minute later he rose, beat one of his assailants, and attempted to escape from the palace grounds, where he was shot again. Rasputin, still alive, was then bound and tossed into a freezing river. 12/30/1922 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) established in post-revolutionary Russia comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation. –
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:22:56 +0000