The Iroquois Theater Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

"On the 30th of December, 1903, a fire began on the stage at the newly-built Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois..."
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - History of the Iroquois
03:05 - The Day of the Fire
09:08 - The Aftermath
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
​​​​​​​#Documentary #History #TrueStories

[@maksoncustommodels780]

"unsinkable" ships, "fireproof" theaters. People back in the days were very convinced of their ideas

[@johnnyholmes8840]

Much like people today are convinced what they hear from trusted news sources is anything close to fact. The masses have always been and probably will continue to be thoroughly convinced by different types of crazy lies, that when looking back seem very silly.

[@cardiffgiant9406]

As a Titanic nut, in defence of that statement. It was taken completely out of context. A Shipbuilder magazine, while doing an article on the Olympic class ships, was describing the watertight bulkheads and described them as "PRACTICALLY Unsinkable" which after the disaster was quoted, conveniently, eliminating the first word" In terms of construction, Titanic was actually safer than many ships today. The damage which sunk the Costa Concordia would have merely inconvenienced the Titanic, and no ship build since would have stayed afloat with the damage it sustained.

[@walterrudich2175]

May I add one from the present: Brexit dividend

[@HunterPeale]

these days, too. cruise ships come to mind.......about as seaworthy as a brick

[@Teskmehu]

@@cardiffgiant9406 The fact that it took 2 hours 40 minutes to sink is testament to how well-built it was.

[@Spektator]

Imagine trying to escape a fire in that theatre, thinking you’ve reached a window and it’s just a fake. Horrific.

[@lemcg5574]

Or worse, you get to the fire escape and it isn't finished.

[@Aranimda]

Patron: *Screams in panic Window: Trololo

[@matbroomfield]

I try never entrust my life to the integrity or judgement of another human being any more. I drive defensively, don't fly, prefer to ride the back of trains, and try to avoid tall buildings. These owners do NOT have our interests at heart. Not in the slightest.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@lemcg5574 I think it peeled off the building, like Triangle Shirtwaist, if I remember right...

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@matbroomfield Yeah, but if you really want a scare. Look up Auto liability lawsuits. The Pinto was only the start and it goes on to today. Nader's book addresses the early stuff, but Brian Chase wrote one that kept me awake. Still Unsafe at Any Speed. Your modern car isn't much safer than what went on in the 60s and before...every major carmaker has knowingly released dangerous cars.

[@SovietWomble]

No joke, this channel made me order one of those emergency fire escape ladders. Packed in a red bag directly beneath the windowsill. I've a new appreciation for how quickly a fire can go from small to 'holy fucking shit'.

[@ceezac4400]

A streamer I watch did the same thing. He even bought a harness to evacuate his dog in case anything happens. Gained a new respect for fire safety codes after hearing him talk about this (and also recommend this channel).

[@Ryuko-T72]

Especially now with buildings being made of such faster burning materials...

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Imagine it going much faster than you'd think. See Fire Lover. The arsonist made a fire in potato chips or tires or whatever. The guy WAY across the store, 30 feet from the door, running, almost didn't make it out.

[@waremergencypower6024]

The last thing you want is an unscaleable obstacle during a raging fire.

[@HolyGoddessMotherAnne]

Holy shit it's Soviet.

[@lesflynn4455]

"Those who fell later were more likely to survive, as their fall was broken by the piles of bodies." Yikes! 😨

[@charlottemartyr]

My grandmother told me a story from when she was little of being at a carnival when the Ferris wheel started to fall apart. The people who survived the fall did so bc they landed on the dead bodies of the people who’d fallen first.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@charlottemartyr How badly do you have to suck at your job for that to happen. I wonder...?

[@stephenp.6395]

No ... after you .... I insist !

[@ahill4642]

It occurs to me that that phenomenon is similar to how we are safer today because of the lessons learned from past disasters. They died and so we don't have to. Gives a person pause for cause.

[@nthgth]

​@@ahill4642huh, good catch, it's a microcosm of the whole "safety regs are written in blood" thing. It's also kinda like how if you're trying to outrun a bear or something, if your friend is slower, he'll save your life by dying first.

[@justinvreelandmusic]

I’m going to label my business as “moneyproof”, so that a huge storm of money will come and destroy it

[@juliebraden6911]

You found the cheat code.

[@happyfacefries]

LOL

[@Coconutscott]

Mind if I use that business model?

[@emilyadams3228]

Hi, I'm Emily, & I'm absolutely Sweet, Loving, Handsome Man-Proof. [come 'n get me, daddeh]

[@WxthexcuresxvirussxW]

@@emilyadams3228 😂❤️😁

[@UnknownOps]

Humans: *Labels anything as indestructable and unstoppable.* Death: "You know the rules and so do I!"

[@Goabnb94]

Create something idiot proof and the universe will send better idiots. Its like an insult, a challenge, to mother nature to call something "proof"

[@belphy205]

I read that in the Voice of Rick Astley. Thanks.

[@YeahNo]

@@Goabnb94 Like the valve in a plane that was constantly being installed backwards and causing crashes. It was redesigned with a extra bit so it couldn’t be installed backwards. A idiot mechanic had trouble installing it so he cut off the extra bit and installed it backwards.

[@veronicavatter6436]

Death: Challenge accepted

[@Fengsuave_]

@@YeahNo 💀I have a fear of planes and this didn’t help me at all

[@stanettiels7367]

“Fireproof Magazine.” God, I bet that’s an absolute page turner. A banger of a read.

[@gary1961]

I bet if you hold a lighted match to the corner of it, it will burst into flames!

[@famousutopias]

Today’s NFPA (National Fire Prevention) print handbooks have a one hour fire rating cuz of that 😜

[@richardmartin8998]

I can top that. "The History of Steel Reinforcing in Australia". 2 A4 volumes each 1 inch thick. Yours for a mere 1500 AUD.

[@alvianekka80]

I thought that's some kind of gun magazine.

[@euphoniacarstairs2955]

I had a great-great aunt in the audience for this fire. The way the story was described to me, she must've been on the main floor, for when she saw the great crowd of frantic people pressed against the main doors into the theatre, she *knew* she'd never get out that way, so she hitched up her long skirt, climbed over the seats, and went out a side door. Luckily, she found one which was unlocked.

[@dschinghiskhan5752]

What was her name?

[@euphoniacarstairs2955]

@@dschinghiskhan5752 Estelle Boulton Jones

[@alexanderbolton]

@@euphoniacarstairs2955 thank god she was able to keep calm and find a safer way out.

[@euphoniacarstairs2955]

@@alexanderboltonIndeed. And how tragic it was that more people in that theatre on the orchestra level, same as her, didn't, like she did, take a moment to think of another way out of there. (Actually, now that I think about it, she might have been a Bolton, not Boulton, too).

[@gaslin8259]

​@@euphoniacarstairs2955Jones, Stella Boulton - audience survivor from Goshen, IN. I went to check it out for you 🤝

[@tomjoad3868]

My jaw dropped when he said 573 people perished. That's insane!! So sad.

[@the_rover1]

mass public BBQ. like at cocoanut grove. or that street car that hit a gasoline tanker.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

You are absolutely correct: We rarely stop and think about casualty numbers and their significance -- our brain just hears it as "a lot," and that's that. But if an absolutely fully loaded A380 had caught fire and burned up on the runway with all souls lost, it would be *the* civil aviation disaster of all time. It's more people than died at Tenerife.

[@BTW...]

Real tragedy - So sad given commercial interest to open... safety cuts? So what... we call it fireproof and all good attitude created this mayhem. And of course the grubby lawyers who knew of the guilt strung the judicial process out to get their greedy grubby clients off scot-free. Disgusting. Nothing to joke about @ZiSt1989.

[@ptonpc]

I imagine a very high percentage would have been women and children too.

[@galacticbob1]

Plus 30 more dying from injuries sustained - that's 600 dead and who knows how many people traumatized for life. 😓

[@cmbeadle2228]

One actor's death was particularly horrible. She was an aerialist playing a dancing fairy who would be suspended on a metal wire that would move across the auditorium, spreading glitter and flowers over the audiences heads. Unfortunately no crew were able to help her remove her harness for evacuation and she was left trapped midair until the mechanism gave way and she fell onto the burning stage. She would be found alive, but died three days later of burns and internal injuries from the fall.

[@killman369547]

My God that really is horrible, poor girl, she didn't deserve a fate like that. R.I.P.

[@rafetizer]

Let's focus on the bright side here - at least no one was actually held accountable, nor had to pay any reparations. Yay!

[@CharlotteWeb100]

Yeah I remembered that and just looked it up - Nellie Reed her name was. Poor lass.

[@donnamariedavidson5065]

@@rafetizer love your comment! I hear you, loud and clear.

[@cristinaestrella]

Omg that’s absolutely horrific. I know she must’ve been terrified in her final moments :(( R.I.P. [P.S. I found this website where you’re able to leave flowers (virtually) for Passed people and she’s on there]

[@floopismcfloorpus4396]

Gotta love how the one of the most important principles of building design and management from the 1880’s to the 1910’s was like: *”How to we make this building completely impenetrable to T̶̡̟̥́́̈́H̴̬̩̐Ȇ̷̤͓̯ ̶̩̹̓P̴̱̌͂Ơ̵̻̥̤̿O̶͇͚͠R̶͉̲̔̔?”*

[@playnothack]

There's been like 4 videos I've watched from this channel that had locked fire doors so that no one could leave without paying/ to stop people with no money from entering

[@thecolorjune]

The worst part is it didn’t end in 1910 and in fact still happens to this day.

[@MrMarinus18]

The attitude has returned though. The amount of gated communities has exploded and concerts are starting to use a monetary voting system where the rich will get seats but the poor don't rather than a first come-first served model. Some argue even the design of many large cars today reflects this as they are very aggressive and borderline armored. That they exist for the rich to protect themselves against the poor.

[@stevenschnepp576]

@@MrMarinus18 If by "rich" you mean "middle class", sure. I'll get excited about gated communities, bidding for tickets, and sturdy cars when you demonstrate how they actively endanger the poor.

[@mythicdeathclaw4769]

@@MrMarinus18 some government housing projects are gated communities like Parkway Gardens in Chicago, I don't think that place consists of wealthy families. There's also no reason to be upset about ''armored'' cars unless you plan/want to shoot at cars...

[@thewatcher9237]

I feel like the creators of this theater were just straight up evil genius supervillains. “So... We construct a complete death trap of a movie theatre so that if any fires started it would become an inescapable maze of doom... AND THEN WE MARKET IT AS FIREPROOF!” “By Jove Horace, you’ve done it again!”

[@karaswentowsky7493]

OMG! I snickered way too hard at this! It's such gallows humor and I'm HERE FOR IT!!

[@vickykuhrau]

Money. It's all about the money. It is the root of all EVIL!

[@chuckschafer942]

THE BUILDING WAS FIREPROOF NOT THE CONTENTS

[@donweatherwax9318]

To be honest, given the lack of audience sophistication in 1903, you could probably have _advertised_ the Iroquois as "FIRE DEADLY! Patrons Beware: Can ANY One Survive the Inescapable Maze of DOOM?" and still sold the place out.

[@adamjohnson2914]

The people on the top were literally locked in so they wouldn’t sneak into the lower levels?? That is just asking for something bad to happen

[@the_rover1]

If a luxurious liner sinks, you want them peasants down in the ships hull, and not disturb the wealthier ones to smoothly board the rescue boats....apparently same thought process in theatres at that time 🙄

[@JoMarieM]

@@the_rover1 Actually, the reason why third-class passengers drowned on the Titanic isn't because they were intentionally locked down there. That's a myth that has persisted for decades. It's because they were so far down in the ship, that they were confused about how to navigate the various passageways to get to the top deck, to get to safety!

[@Jacob-eg3kv]

@@JoMarieM Yeah if I recall didn't the power go out almost immediately and it would have been pitch black down below deck.

[@Nikkeem1]

@@Jacob-eg3kv Actually the power on titanic was on for most of the sinking, thanks to some engineers that basically sacrificed them selfs to keep it on.

[@Gajoobles]

Extra crispy cruelty.

[@sunnyshayv]

i’m glad i’m alive today because folks in the early 1900’s literally had to learn everything about safety the hard way.

[@apancher]

This was greed, not lack of knowledge.

[@Fengsuave_]

Hey, we are too, I’m so glad we are prioritizing working on climate change, but we are learning the hard way, Denmark has to constantly rebuild their walls to avoid floods, half of Denmark could be gone in the next 10 years because of rising sea levels. It’s crazy. All the past extinctions have been due to climate change, except for the meteor one, so honestly, we could have learned the hard way

[@sunnyshayv]

@@apancher i agree. but on a larger scale, i’d imagine there are policies required by law in place for inspections/safety standards to ensure this doesn’t happen now ya know

[@sunnyshayv]

@@Fengsuave_ that’s interesting 🤔

[@janicesullivan8942]

Sadly we are constantly learning.

[@amyyoung2830]

"This building is fireproof" "This ship is unsinkable" "It can't happen here."

[@Mochrie99]

Or as was mentioned in his most recent video about the Summerland fire disaster, the description of the site's design that claimed "would set the architectural world alight." **cringe**

[@stevenstice6683]

All of these lead to one particular phrase: "that's not good."

[@pumkin610]

@@Mochrie99 oh no, they did a foreshadowing

[@motherlove202]

Famous last words

[@jadedone6900]

I won't catch this virus

[@LotsofLisa]

This is literally the Titanic of movie theaters. “Fireproof/Unsinkable.” “Most beautiful of its kind ever built.” The locked gates to keep the classes separated. Rushing use, lax regs and standards unfollowed.

[@alukuhito]

Rich and not-so-rich died together.

[@DarkDoge]

That's where ignorance gets you.

[@margin606]

@Carly Jack - literally?

[@EpsiIonEagle]

Lax regs? Try changing your diet

[@Dutchfalco]

In both instances, the orchestra played on.

[@snogglewort1]

Dang don’t you hate it when your lighted exit signs just don’t fit your decor??

[@adewilliam9047]

This building had Aesthetic on max and Safety on lowest setting

[@largeformatmaster2994]

To be honest, I would’ve had those lighted exit signs rather than let people suffer without the exit signs.

[@kristinebailey6554]

So tacky, my word! lol

[@WickedSunflower]

Right? Not unlike the Titanic….we COULD put enough lifeboats on here for everybody, but then the deck will look all cluttered. Nobody likes a cluttered deck.

[@MajiggerRose]

@@WickedSunflower Actually that's kind of a misconception and it's a lot more complex than that. The main error they made was not filling them up enough (one of the officers took "women and children first" to mean "women and children ONLY" and sent out boats that weren't full). Sure, there still weren't enough to fit everyone, but lifeboats are typically intended to go back and forth to transfer people to a safer ship or to the shore. Titanic was a very tragic event, but it ultimately happened under very unusual circumstances. A lot of what most people attribute to incompetence and arrogance was actually just really bad luck. I don't fault you in believing this, by the way. It's not common knowledge and I only recently learned about it. This is a really great video that goes into greater detail about the Titanic's lifeboat situation and about lifeboats in general: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6GqpYWqnM1or9E

[@meverly4133]

Watching this channel has taught me that if I am ever in any building where a small, innocuous fire has started, I'm hauling ass out.

[@thankyouverymuch]

You have not learned anything, then. What you should have learned is to stay calm and make your way out safely.

[@xpan195]

@@thankyouverymuch whatever

[@ohsweetnikki]

Absolutely, anything that looks suspicious or suspect, I’m leaving with no hesitation.

[@pumkin610]

@@xpan195 they have a point tho, basically just don't run and you should be fine

[@stevenschnepp576]

@@pumkin610 It's not "don't run", it's "don't panic".

[@bowemorning]

I noticed at my workplace in a pub that the fire exit door mechanism had a zip tie on it from installation or something that had never been taken off. I pointed it out and it was cut off, but I like to think that could make a difference, if needed, in the future. So many of these stories are made worse by people being 'locked in' to places. Just awful.

[@susanhamptonva4203]

You never know. It could have. We, reading these stories can notice things others don't or just don't think they matter. I've seen this sign before: SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. Very apropos.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I was in a place called Theoubique in Chicago. They didn't gave panic bars (smallish place), and they used cheap retail locks that are notoriously sticky. Then LOCK the one door but "only during the performance..." I said. That's funny, I don't remember that in the Chicago Fire codes. The other door was locked and blocked with, no sh*t, a full drum kit...

[@heartsDmise]

You probably did save future lives. Its always better to be safe than sorry. Good going! I applaud you!

[@enoch4499]

One of MANY reasons to always carry a pocket knife, even a tiny one might save your life.

[@THERES_BEES_EVERYWHERE]

one of the emergency exits at my workplace leads to a small fenced-in corridor outside with a locked gate. when the fire alarm went off I went out that exit cause it was closest and found that not only could I not exit, I couldn't go back in through the door since there was no handle and it locked behind me. I reported it, like you said it may have been a small thing but it might end up being super useful in the future

[@kabalan20]

People always forget that just because a location is fireproof doesn't mean everything inside it is.

[@brendan5065]

Well don't sell the modern cruise ships of today. They are built fireproof... Well except for the engine room, cooking areas, people sneaking a smoke, and idiots bringing flammable and combustible crap on board. Okay we have agreed that your right

[@ryano.5149]

@@brendan5065 Fire is one thing, but smoke inhalation usually ends people well before the flames ever reach them. What people don't realize is that you can have a relatively small, but smoky fire, and it can still be catastrophic.

[@gary1961]

You can make EVERYTHING fireproof .... except people.

[@sifridbassoon]

@@ryano.5149 a little off topic, but in WWII, hundreds of thousands of people were killed during the fire bombing of German cities. The investigations afterwards determined that most of the people in shelters and cellars had died of carbon monoxide poisoning or suffocation.

[@ryano.5149]

@@sifridbassoon Horrific. ...and that is precisely my point! Just because you can't see flames, that doesn't mean you are safe. The Kaprun disaster comes to mind - those that fled up the tunnel, and counterintuitively AWAY from the flames, died. The few that managed to make it below the fire survived.

[@MrFantasnick]

As soon as the gates between levels came up, flashbacks of Victoria Hall came to mind

[@chatteyj]

This disaster is x10 worse

[@OctoberLotus]

Same. And to know those emergency doors existed and were available makes it worse.

[@Harley-and-Her-Ruff-Riders]

@@chatteyj It depends on your version of worse. More people died, yes. And many of them were kids, yes. But the people who died in the flashover would've been instant. And the amount of chemicals coming from the decorations (i.e. anything green was dyed with arsenic) would've left many to pass out. And those who died from falling mightve been instant. Mightve not. But Victoria Hall is horrifying in its own right. I'm 10x more terrified of a crush than a fire. If I'm going to die, the smoke will likely knock me out. A crush is slow, where you can't breathe and suffocate, feeling every second. Imagine being a kid and having younger and older fall on top of you. You could probably move one or two if you're older (unlike some adult crushes). But then you can move less and less until you can't breathe or scream. All of these are horrific. Victoria Hall was horrible in the fact that it should've been obvious that throwing candy (a real treat back then) would've caused kids to stampede. It's fine for a piñata. Not for a full theater.

[@Round_Slinger]

I immediately thought of the Titanic

[@BeeWhistler]

There’s common issues that come up again and again in these things. Poor communication, poor planning, greed leading to locked doors in order to stop people from entering and getting something for free or getting out and not doing their work, more greed in the form of cutting corners and lying about safety, paying off inspectors, friends in high places. And those who suffer are those who trust, not the greedy bastards themselves. The bottom line is the bottom line... people who place money above human life. When they weigh their options, no side of the scale contains the enormous burden of loss of human life. One side contains profit, the other net loss... how much it will cost them to get out of it should things go pear-shaped.

[@chiefdan07]

So that’s why movie theaters warn you about locating the nearest exits before the movie

[@iwantthe80sback59]

You should do that in all places. Bars, hotels, office buildings etc. If you are not familiar you should check out the Station Nightclub Fire, 2003 in Warwick, Rhode Island. People will leave a venue the same way/door they came in, not the Fire Exit. Lots of people died in the blocked doorway. The Club had many, many faults to begin with. If people had been aware of the Fire Exits more would have survived. 100 dead, 240 injured, some horrendously. It was a preventable tragedy.

[@felicitybywater8012]

@@iwantthe80sback59 Thanks for the heads up.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@iwantthe80sback59 See John Barylick on that. He has many talks. There is an audio tape from inside. JB said you REALLY don't want to hear it. He cried. It's never going to be online. Same as with the live tape of Christine Chubbuck who shot herself on air. No, that one's a bad fake. Just to get views. Very greedy.

[@origirox]

Oh I thought that was bc of recent mass shootings in theatres?😒

[@TheBlueSunil]

Theater owner: *slaps roof of theater* "This bad boy can fit so much fire in it!!"

[@korlina7026]

I shouldn't have smiled, but that was cleverly dark

[@corbindioxide6253]

@@korlina7026 I thought the same thing lol. 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@objectionablechione]

I remember reading about this and how one escape door was only opened because a man had one of the nonstandard door types in his house and knew how to unlock it. The line between life and death is a lot thinner than we'd like to believe.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

The bastille locks, I think they were called?

[@user-ln2go4xp6d]

@@xmaskedartistx you're very insensitive.

[@user-ln2go4xp6d]

@@xmaskedartistx you seem like a young teenager. i'm telling you now that you will look back on how edgy you were trying to be and cringe. best of luck to you.

[@dargonfrot]

@@xmaskedartistx what is wrong with you

[@creativeusername8774]

@@user-ln2go4xp6d curious since they deleted the comment, what did they say?

[@DrumWild]

*Theater Owner:* Hey, Fire Marshall, if you ignore our fiery death trap and give it a pass, we'll give you free tickets to spend a significant amount of time in our fiery death trap. *Fire Marshall:* Duuuuuh, okay.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

It's not the firemen that have any say. It's the fire marshall. Good luck trying to report anything, even now.

[@killman369547]

That's what i'd be thinking. "Your theater is a death trap and your offering free tickets to bring my family there? You're out of your damn mind, gtfo of my office!... And fix your death trap!!"

[@iarpak]

Chicago has a specialty long history of corruption going to the highest levels of government.

[@alukuhito]

I used to work for a very popular and famous old department store in Toronto, Canada. The building was quite beautiful, but it was old and fire regulations were constantly broken. It was cheaper for the store to just pay the annual fines than to actually change things to meet the regulations, so they just paid the fines.

[@PrezVeto]

@@alukuhito oh Lord. Did it not occur to the legislature that perhaps fines should increase every time they're applied for the same violation? 🤦‍♂️

[@molybdomancer195]

I see why theatres in the U.K. have to lower their fire curtains during the interval as it ensures they will work when needed rather than sticking on something

[@fyeahgabs]

I literally wrote about this fire as a research paper in college! I was able to track down great microfilm articles from different newspapers of the time. It even shutdown theatres across Europe as their safety curtains were checked to make sure they were fireproof.

[@ambergathings7160]

Did you get a good score?

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Please note, I know damn well a number of "fire curtains" in Chicago are cheap b/c they're liable to CATCH on fire.

[@carolsummers8734]

In high school I gave a speech in class on the Titanic. I just picked it as a topic and for decades it has been a continuing interest.

[@kaycwtchmahoney2940]

Seems that the most important and horrific disasters get consigned to history or forgotten. Thank you for remembering them and letting us know how safety regulations were built on the bones of those who tragically died.

[@cjlake5754]

The most important things to remember are the health and safety lessons learned in order to make sure the tragedies aren't repeated...

[@ferderonhurgeron9263]

It only seems that way, as the reason you're nowadays able to do things in life in relative safety is their undeniable legacy. And if and when we might get annoyed by seemingly overbearing precautions these tragedies should help us remember they're actually quite necessary.

[@BarbaraAnnB-yi5ew]

Agreed. I hadn't heard of this tragedy.

[@janmcguire5268]

It is often said that most safety regulations were written in blood.

[@s-zz]

yes sadly this is the case, I doubt anyone here has heard of the Banqiao Dam Tragedy which killed over 100,000 people in the 70s (no I am not exaggerating look it up). a lot of the events that are covered on this channel also come from first world countries, but a lot of the really devastating ones come from poorer countries.

[@addicted2mako]

After watching the Victoria Hall video, I can never look at an emergency door push bar without thinking about the children whose deaths spurred it’s invention. Knowing that the bars were in use before this tragedy and just not installed because of aesthetics and to save money makes me sick and angry.

[@alukuhito]

Lighten up. It was a lot more difficult for new ideas to spread back in those days. You can't just make a great invention then automatically expect the whole world to use it.

[@JenCrystal]

@@alukuhito no, but you can expect safety to be a priority over aesthetics. No emergency telephones, sealed vents, fake windows, *UNFINISHED* fire escapes and uncommon door types that would make them impossible to open in case of an emergency. Complacency, willful ignorance, greed plagued the construction of that theater and no amount of blasé “Lighten up” comments can change those facts or the 573 deaths that happened.

[@alukuhito]

@@JenCrystal I said lighten up.

[@tonysoprano3921]

Seek counseling

[@GothicaBeauty]

The Victoria Hall was on Toward Road in Sunderland literally just round the corner from my Drs surgery. xXx

[@dinowolf359]

I felt my heart sink at the words 'family friendly' cause I know there'd be kids involved

[@Sparks.Ignite]

I work in Loss Prevention and stories like this keep me motivated during my dull safety audits. It may be boring, but if something ever happens, we need the fire exits and extinguishers working.

[@lisadolan689]

That’s called ‘professional integrity’. Good on you 🙌🙏🙂

[@goinggaga4ladygaga]

We need to cut costs, what should we cut first? Let’s start with all the safety features No safety feature spared and for a laugh let’s call it fire proof 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@fishofgold6553]

+handstampedbylee Those responsible should have faced the possibility of the death penalty by MACHINE GUN for that.

[@GiordanDiodato]

Libertarians in a nutshell

[@photone]

Worse, fire inspectors signed off on it, saying that all of the safety equipment was functional!

[@mattlogue1300]

And they got off legally speaking.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

> "fire proof" absolutely. "absolutely fire proof" You know, people want your money and tell anything. Never believe in anything being "absolutely .... proof"

[@CosmicWaltz7]

Regulations are written in blood. Always worth remembering that when someone says "it will be all right" to skip over them.

[@DisposableSupervillainHenchman]

“tHe FrEe MaRkEt WiLl Do A bEtTeR jOb” * burns to death in a shoddily built structure *

[@majungasaurusaaaa]

@@DisposableSupervillainHenchman I come from a poor country. People are ok with that as long as costs are kept down. The consumer by the end of the day determines how much safety gets put in place. If you ask those around me what they prefer, they'd choose cheaper tickets even if it means some bugger may die horrifically some day. Life's a lot cheaper over here.

[@DisposableSupervillainHenchman]

@@majungasaurusaaaa Where do you live?

[@majungasaurusaaaa]

@@DisposableSupervillainHenchman Vietnam. A communist shithole where lives are quite cheap but cost of living is harsh compared to wages. Cutting corners to keep cost down is just a regular way of life.

[@scottydu81]

@@DisposableSupervillainHenchman Right, because authoritarian governments never cut corners, it’s just the mean and greedy capitalists 😒

[@Nikki0417]

While people in charge of building the theater are terrible, it's kind of heartening to hear about all the random nearby people who tried to help.

[@AmandaLeigh1004]

It amazes how people will always help if they are able. The ordinary people with the tools and knowledge to save those trapped inside are heroes.

[@sifridbassoon]

indeed. Another hero was the young elevator operator backstage. There were several levels of dressing rooms backstage, and an elevator ran between them. During the fire, he ran up and down picking up people and taking them to the ground floor. As the fire got more out of control, it got closer to the elevator. On his last trip down, he pushed the riders to the back because to operate the car, he had to stand at the front and pass right through the fire. I think he died at the hospital.

[@pumkin610]

Some able people don't help, someone can call for help when someone else collapses, and the rest of the people there will just stare blankly, is it fear and shock? Disbelief? Based on a true story. However there are heros out there everyday and that's cool

[@normalhuman9878]

@@pumkin610 often when people don’t help it’s because of something called the bystander effect, people in crowds think “oh someone will do something” while doing nothing

[@pumkin610]

@@normalhuman9878 ah so that's what it is, thanks

[@classicmicroscopy9398]

I have noticed a pattern in these disasters: no one is ever held accountable afterwards. Mind blowing that hundreds of people could die and no one responsible is punished.

[@Croz89]

I think in a lot of these cases there's such a complicated web of overlapping responsibility and blame that it becomes nigh on impossible to get a clear legal outcome and the case just falls apart. Clear lines of responsibility can be drawn but these don't always hold up in court.

[@generallordjowbra8871]

Its because police and courts don't exist to hold anyone wealthy enough to own a theatre or politicians accountable, they exist to hold you accountable and keep the wealthy and their lackeys in charge. I don't understand why people are so dumb that they think the police and military are the good guys, they most certainly are not.

[@classicmicroscopy9398]

@@generallordjowbra8871 Well yeah that is what I was rather cynically implying.

[@generallordjowbra8871]

@@classicmicroscopy9398 yeah you get it, but sadly most dont. It's so obvious, I just don't get it.

[@rabbitraisin]

@@generallordjowbra8871 they're dumb and trusting. They're not always bad people, but very dumb and trusting. Like children almost, but far less endearing.

[@ece-hr5fg]

it's crazy and so saddening to see how many disasters have taken place throughout history all because of negligence...

[@psi10001]

Don't forget profit..

[@Nostripe361]

@@psi10001 and the fact that most of the time the ones responsible get away with no punishment at all. Or worse, like in that one case legal eagle reviewed about a woman injured at a freak train accident, get a ruling that awards them damages.

[@cardiffgiant9406]

Most, if not all safety regulations today are written in blood. Learning the hard way is how it's done when society places money above all else.

[@generalhorse493]

What’s worse is that only theatres learned from Iroquois, other industries couldn’t be damned to be firesafe until they repeated the exact same mistakes. Such as Collinwood, at Triangle, at Cherry Illinois. Hell a theatre at Acapulco in 1909 would also make these mistakes with hundreds killed.

[@Idol76]

The Rhoads opera house fire here in Boyertown was another one.

[@quillmaurer6563]

One interesting thing I've noticed in modern theater is that they always have lit exit signs, like any other public building. These signs cannot be turned off or disabled, I once saw a production that required total and complete darkness for a scene, so they had ushers cover the signs with pieces of cardboard attached to poles they were holding. This might seem like a rather primitive solution, but I actually see it as brilliant not only in it's simplicity, but it's safety - it was totally and completely failsafe. If anything were to happen, the ushers would drop their cardboard and the signs would be visible. This is another scenario where I feel safer because of safety laws and regulations, regulations that were written in blood.

[@seriouscat2231]

I've watched so many accident videos now on multiple channels on train crashes, plane crashes, burning and collapsing buildings that that phrase is beginning to sound ridiculous. It's dramatic and serious the first hundred times you see it, but then it begins to lose its meaning. I know you're not guilty for being the hundredth and first, but I wish people would tone it down. "People with conflicting interests often need to be forced to do the right thing instead of them showing caution or learning from the mistakes of others." The whole idea is practically lost when people instead just prefer to "write things in blood".

[@majungasaurusaaaa]

@@seriouscat2231 People also forget how much say the consumer has in this. When push comes to shove, they will always choose affordability over increased safety. Outside the west's obsession with safety, tragic accidents don't even make much of a public impact. People shrugs their shoulders and go on with their day.

[@seriouscat2231]

@@majungasaurusaaaa, in the west, people used to believe that they live for the next life and so this life would be full of unavoidable suffering. But that suffering had a purpose. It (or medieval Christianity) in a way asked people to grow in virtue. This enabled the betterment and enrichment of society. Which enabled the appearance of the western, secular individual during the last five centuries. Having shed his eternal purpose, his purpose is to have as much as he can here and now. In this he is threatened by accidents and disasters. Not having gone through all this, elsewhere in the world, neither the individual nor suffering have any purpose. They're where ancient Romans were and Orwell was. In other words, the object of power is power, everything is power and power is all there is.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

They should have them on the floor, as that's where you might end up. And day glo paint to follow.

[@francescavitali7252]

Being from Chicago, I've always been fascinated/horrified by the Iroquois fire. First learned about it as a kid when my dad took me to see a show at the previously-named Oriental Theater (now the Nederlander) and told me the story. Since the show was a matinee, the majority of the victims were women and children, nannies and mothers taking little kids out as a Christmas treat. All the performers/stagehands except one were able to escape--an aerialist who was awaiting their scene up on the catwalk was tangled in her harness and was trapped. Every time I see a show there I always think about all the death that happened right where I'm sitting. The Actor's Alley that connects State Street to behind the theater has loads of ghost stories, since that's literally where the bodies of the people who fell/jumped piled up. Great episode as always!

[@scottnyc6572]

“Absolutely fireproof” like “unsinkable” should’ve been the dead giveaway.As soon as i saw iron accordion gates at staircases i shook my head in disgust.

[@nerobernardino88]

"This is absolutely fireproof" Nothing is fireproof with a determined enough fire.

[@glidershower]

@@nerobernardino88 _*nods in nuclear fusion_

[@LuanMower55]

@@glidershower yikes

[@perennialistperspective]

yea this is like a theatre version of the titanic

[@amadeokomnenus1414]

So i guess i wont be selling you my unbreakable car?

[@glidershower]

"We're completely fireproof!" Death: And I took that _personally..._

[@LuanMower55]

In essence, fire was the one weird trenchcoat kid in school, who everyone tried to stay away from

[@killman369547]

@@LuanMower55 Today the weird trenchcoat kid is nuclear energy, which is unfortunate because it's an incredible source of power if handled safely.

[@glidershower]

@@killman369547 Nuclear weapons were a mistake by the mere fact it drove the idea of nuclear power as a destructive force in the popular mindset instead of a near-limitless high-yield powersource. Thus rendering nuclear energy research into a crippled state.

[@GeekRaj]

I love that you dont put scary music in the background, but just some chill authentic beat which is the signature beat of this channel. Love that thing. Thanks for that. I get really paranoid after hearing scary music in my ears for 30 mins straight. Affects me psychologically as I have a mental illness. But your channel is gold. Keep it up.

[@pseudotsugame]

This channel inspired me to keep a fire extinguisher clear when people kept trying to stack chairs in front of it. I'm sure they thought I was being too strict but this channel showed me how much those things matter!!

[@scottydu81]

It’s remarkable how little people care about fire extinguishers

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Is it also by a door? Because that's DEFINITELY NOT fire code. People will trip over all that junk.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

To me, this is the most important function of disaster retelling channels such as this? Inspiring people today to learn from the tragic lessons of history, and become just a bit more safety-conscious in our everyday personal & professional lives. In addition to telling the stories of those affected by these awful incidents, so they are not forgotten...

[@StarGuardianKassadin]

Fascinating Horror: *shows gates saying that they were closed during shows* Me: Oh dear, I already know where this is going

[@canislatrans8285]

There is a book about this disaster that goes into details about how the horses got hitched and everyone flew out of the fire station in such a short time, and about the fire fighting apparatus of the time.

[@Kiki-cs8xv]

Fire in a performance venue was always our worst nightmare when I was managing theaters. Fortunately, there are much stronger regulations for theaters these days. But it still doesn't stop people making stupid decisions (like overselling tickets or blocking exits). I swear, half of my job on show days was patrolling fire exits.

[@jderrick1994]

and people always get crappy when you tell them to not be sitting/standing near fire doors, like bruh that shit is clear for a reason

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

No, the regs were pretty much the same since 1903. Have a look at the books about this. They spell it all out.

[@Kiki-cs8xv]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 I'm not sure whether you're trolling or whether you're serious. A modern theater wouldn't even get past planning stage with narrow public stairwells or gates across stairwells that could be used during a performance. Not to mention the lack of smoke sensors, heat sensors, proper fire suppressant systems, or non-flammable curtains. The way this fire started (a light setting fire to a curtain) shouldn't be possible on a modern stage. By law all of our stage curtains are wool (which is the industry standard) or professionally treated with chemical flame retardant. Technology for fire systems has moved on a lot in 120 years, and so has our understanding of how people behave in a fire.

[@eclectic_nerd]

I'm so glad you took your job seriously. This channel is such a lesson in how easily things go wrong if people start being lax.

[@daffers2345]

That does not surprise me. Where I live, one live theatre had no sprinklers. They had obtained a waiver, claiming it would be too expensive to replace things damaged by water. An errant spark during a remodeling phase set the building on fire and the whole place burned down. Keep in mind that this was only back in 1997. They rebuilt, and this time IT HAS SPRINKLERS.

[@knuckleopera8378]

Wow, it just struck me...I've been to this theater, when it was operated as The Oriental Theater. I sat on the main floor, where the fireball struck during the Iroquois disaster, to watch ALIEN get screened in 1979. Now I'm creeped out, thanks man!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

It's not the same building. It was the Oriental in the 30s. It's now Needermayer However, Marshall Fields/aka Macy's is a stunning ORIGINAL building they used at that time. For a morgue? Something like that. Go inside to the atrium and look at the incredible ceiling. Huge handmade mosaic.

[@lcolsen22]

I've worked as a House Manager at an antique theatre for the better part of a decade and every part of this is nightmare fuel.

[@rabbit0664]

I'm a Chicago native and thanks for covering this. It's crazy how someone could build a death trap and get away with it.

[@fishofgold6553]

The responsible parties should have been forced to run across a minefield while being shot at, maybe also while blindfolded and/or with their hands tied.

[@Mochrie99]

The fact that fire alarms, sprinklers and emergency phones were considered "luxuries" just makes me want to find a time machine, travel back to 1903, and slap the bejeezus out of the people who were building this death trap.

[@rabbit0664]

@@fishofgold6553 They definitely shouldn't have been let off scott free.

[@rabbit0664]

@@Mochrie99 I know exactly how you feel. These things are there for a reason. I don't care how tacky or "luxurious" they are they're needed.

[@RezaQin]

Lori Lightfoot gets away with murder in her city every day.

[@jessikachu3893]

Chicago native here: I went on a tour where were walked in the alley behind the theater and were told that's where they stacked the burned bodies that were trapped inside the theater. The Chicago Tribune called it "the alley of death." What makes it feel eerie is it's well lit and lined with advertisements for upcoming shows in plexiglass frames.

[@photone]

Actually one of two places that bodies were stacked...they were also stacked along Randolph Street for nearly a block.

[@KryssLaBryn]

Most theatres are rumoured to be haunted but I reckon this one has higher odds than most :/

[@chatteyj]

@@KryssLaBryn Have you seen the show 'paranormal witness' the first ever episode I saw of that show talked about the capitol theatre building in salt lake city and they said it was haunted as hell with lots of activity scaring most of the night time security guards away but did not explain why, ie who died there etc.

[@daffers2345]

@Jessica Wozniczka Out of curiosity, do they say it's haunted? A tragedy occurred at the Fulton Opera House (Native Americans were murdered) and it's supposed to be really haunted.

[@euphoniacarstairs2955]

@@KryssLaBryn The alley behind it is *very* haunted, according to some local ghost-hunters. But I've walked down that alley and neither sensed anything, nor witnessed anything odd.

[@crispycritterz]

Engine Company 98 was literally right around the corner from this theater but could do nothing. This was one of the truly unsurvivable incidents in history.

[@carolsummers8734]

I grew up in Chicago in the 40s and 50s. I knew about that horrible fire as it was such a tragedy it was still in memory all those years later.

[@dylanoneill2651]

I like screaming "theater!" in a crowded fire

[@kjhman]

Sigh. Nice dad joke. 🙄

[@nickyblue4866]

Lol

[@LunaDelTuna]

Now _that's_ a call to action

[@dylanoneill2651]

@@kjhman it's from Abbie Hoffman, a great 60s protester, so yeah.kinda a boomer joke

[@kjhman]

@@dylanoneill2651 wow. It’s sad a dumbass comment like that would be something remembered for longer than 5 minutes… much less 60 years.

[@tarynolyvia]

Whenever he says, “with school out,” my heart drops hard core.

[@brynstarkiller7419]

“Fireproof” , “Unsinkable”. They sure loved to taunt fate .

[@GreebleClown]

4:59 “The stage manager tried to lower the fire curtain... and buy time for an orderly evacuation.” As a former stage manager, I am proud. Someone doing their job properly! “On the way down the curtain hit a light reflector and was jammed.” ... ow... I felt that in my soul. T^T It’s a new theater, was there no fire curtain test? [Edit] After hearing the Aftermath portion, I am now numb with fury. I thought finding a theater without a proper backstage first aid kit was enough to make me put my foot down, but this... the fire wouldn’t have had anything left to burn with the holy hell I’d have raised.

[@marymckissick7926]

In a former life I was a stagehand. The most terrifying 3 minutes of my life (to this day) was the 3 minutes between lighting up some hand held fire sticks as part of a show and dowsing it with wet towels. 3 performances of that $&@# plus the test for the fire marshal. Another stagehand stood behind me with the fire extinguisher (just in case, because the things had to come backstage before being extinguished)

[@Goabnb94]

I'm glad the actor was well received. Even if his appeals were basically ignored, he was still giving good advice, and reassurance based on how the theater had been sold to everyone including himself. It's not like he was lying or just trying to save himself.

[@Annie_Annie__]

And even if the theatre hadn’t been advertised as “fireproof” it was sound advice that would have saved lives if the building hadn’t been a death trap. But in general when there’s a fire, evacuating in a calm, orderly fashion will save more lives than all out panic, running, and trampling will.

[@Annie_Annie__]

When I was a kid (about 7 or 8 years old), my dad, brother, and I were staying in a hotel. We were on the top floor. I believe it was 7 floors up. It was just about bed time and we were watching tv when a deafening fire alarm sounds. My first instinct was to just run out the door in my pajamas and bare feet. I was absolutely *terrified*. Near to tears. My dad grabbed me, got me to sit in a chair and my brother to sit too. Calmed us down a bit and told us that’s how people get more hurt. So, we’re going to calmly put on socks and shoes. Put on our jackets. Grab teddy bears if we must, then calmly walk downstairs together. I remember seeing several people taking the elevator, and my dad explaining why you always take the stairs in a fire if you’re physically able to. The hardest part of taking the stairs is there were a few people freaking out that would shove past us. So dad would just have us stop, stand aside, and let them pass, then we’d keep going down. One guy went running past us, trying to take the steps 2 and 3 at a time. A little ways past us, he missed his footing and fell. Banged up his knees and hands pretty badly, but I don’t think he broke anything. He was lucky he fell near a landing, so he didn’t fall far. If he’d fallen at the top of a flight, he probably would have broken a bone. So, we get outside to where the staff had guests gather. It was a wooded area past the parking lot. Most of the other guests were barefoot, a couple people were just in robes or skimpy nightgowns. I remember them complaining about the cold. We were out there for quite a while before the fire department confirmed that it was some kind of glitch in the alarm system and there was no fire. My dad was sure to point out that the FD were treating cuts on some people’s feet because they’d run out bare foot and stepped on broken glass. So, even in something as minor as a false alarm at a small-ish hotel, evacuating calmly and safely prevented injuries.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@Annie_Annie__ Not to be mean sounding, but I can pretty much guarantee you, if you've ever been in this building now, it's extremely tall and narrow. If you were there, crammed well over capacity and you saw a huge fireball coming at you, I'm pretty sure you'd be very scared very fast. The building which was the Oriental and is now Niedermayer in Chicago, is right across from.what was Marshall Field's at that time and is now a very stunning Macy's. You can see photos online. It's a weird building. It's claustrophobic. The footprint hasn't changed, tho. Still a theatre. Crowds are a whole psychological dynamic by themselves. Please see how the Who killed 12 people via stampede by doing a souncheck and stupidly using general admission... Same principle. People freak out and that's that. It's contagious. But if you were there or watch the Station fire video, you can see exactly how and when it happens.

[@andrewlucia865]

@@4hoost He was trying to keep everyone calm, when that is probably the best thing to do. Panic does not help anyone, and he also believed that the fire would not spread past the stage due to how the theatre had been marketed. Of course, that only lasted for a few moments before the stage set collapsed into burning wreckage, but he was trying to help.

[@casbyness]

He might also have been thinking that if he encouraged everyone else to take things slowly, his son and the stage hand would have a better chance of sprinting out of the building ASAP. Who knows. He could have been acting heroically, or just from sneaky self-interest. Either way, he probably did more good than harm, calming people down just a little to reduce the crash and allow more people to escape.

[@MrCameronsterling]

This is my history class every week, I learn so much watching these tragedies that happened before I was born

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

You might have been alive for the Station fire. There was live video. It's unnerving. The quality isn't so great, but it's very scary.

[@gaillewis6553]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 I believe the Colectiv fire in Romania happened many years after the Station fire and was like history repeating.

[@willemvandeursen3105]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 I found that footage quite traumatizing, regretted I had watched it. It was filmed right from the beginning, when flames crawled from the stage over the ceiling. The cam guy got out, but filmed the people that were literally clogged in an exit door opening, and right behind them, flames roaring. Helpers managed to pull a few free, the guy with the cam went to the side of the building, and when he returned to that front spot at the parking lot there were no more trapped people, only flames-- and a last guy stumbling out of that hell right that moment! I wonder if they all got out of that exit, but I'm not sure. One of the guys from the band went back in to save his guitar, and never made it out. These images really increased my fear of fire, and particularly of being trapped.

[@sasukes.6370]

Why do they never tell us about these things in school? At least this channel helps the people's legacies to be remembered.

[@stormbornapostle5188]

Because that would be interesting. We can't have that.

[@merrychristler]

I actually do remember learning this in middle school, my teacher was really passionate about her teaching

[@Walamonga1313]

They probably do in civil engineering and architecture. At least in regards to norms/code and what not to do when designing something

[@sifridbassoon]

when I was in the seventh grade (I'm 65 now so you do the math), there was a book in the school library about disasters in the US (I don't remember the name). It talked about the Iroquois, Coconut Grove, Galveston hurricane ... I blame it for stoking my addiction for learning about disasters.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@sifridbassoon I have two of three of those. One had the Pinto...

[@bw000m]

ppl in the early 1900s just woke up and were like “i am going to create a building that is so flammable”

[@bestopinion9257]

fireproof too

[@MitchJohnson0110]

You should cover the Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan. It's the reason it's illegal to yell "Fire" inside of a crowed building now.

[@janedunlap6879]

Yes!!! And all those poor children that had already been struggling due to the strike! I don't think they ever proved in court that it was one of the strikebreakers that were brought in, but I think it was. There were a lot of politics at play behind that one that usually are overlooked. But seeing all those little caskets lined up in the snow is heartbreaking. And then it took how many decades for them to get a decent memorial. Last I recall, it wasn't finished yet and there was some pushback.

[@MitchJohnson0110]

@@janedunlap6879 absolutely. I'm from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the story is well known around here as Calumet is a very small town. Would make an interesting video I think

[@janedunlap6879]

I agree!!! There was a documentary a few years ago on PBS that was pretty good. I haven't done a ton of research, so can't verify it's completely accurate, but really makes you realize it was supposed to be an event to brighten everyone's spirits during an immensely difficult time and turned out so horribly. I miss the UP so much! Sending love to y'all in Michigan!

[@janedunlap6879]

My mom was from Munising and dad went to Tech. They moved for his work before I was born, but I spent so much time up there that I'm a Yooper at heart.

[@MitchJohnson0110]

@@janedunlap6879 i see! im a 6th generation Yooper

[@BlooferLady86]

We joke in our building that the fire marshal is a really grumpy person because whenever he visits, he never even says hello if you greet him. But you know? After watching these videos, I'm okay with that. Perhaps a truculent fire marshal would have saved these folks.

[@janicesullivan8942]

The guy takes his job very seriously because he knows what can happen if he didn’t.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

There isn't any large building with stairs wide enough to accommodate everyone leaving at once. I've hauled a** out of buildings after hearing the fire alarm 3 beeps while people stood around waiting b/c I'm well aware of this.

[@equarg]

Yea. Look up the uncensored footage from “The Station House Fire” or “Great White Shark Band” fire. In the early 2000’s a over packed (small) venue caught in fire when the band ignited outdoor pyrotechnics inside....and caught the soundproofing on fire. This was caught by a news camera man. He saw this and with a few other people headed out. His camera on the whole time. He just got out when a “Crush” happened at the exit, and people could it get out. Black toxic smoke was pouring out at the point, and the screaming....the screaming was horrible. Several brave people dried to dislodge the crush by yanking on the stuck people, but to no avail. Being slightly autistic (female) I can see horrible things and look at them pretty coldly, like a scientist. But the screams, male and female were horrible. At one point you see one person leaping from a window(?) with their hair all on fire. The camera man (trained to be a silent observer) runs to a burning side exit to call anyone out that way. Even The screaming stops suddenly, the toxic fumes either knocking out, or mercifully killing those still trapped as the fire inside just engulfed the entire building. 100 died that day. There were so many injured it overwhelmed the local hospitals. They called St Jude and asked them if they could take some adult burn victims. For the first time in St. Judes history they took in adult patients. So, after seeing the history of fires on KZbin, I can see why the Fire Martial has no sense of humor, and is very cold. He has probably seen ALL the horrible fire images in school. What 4th degree burns look like. What Crushes and 12 feet deep piles of charred human flesh looks like, The fire code is not written in ink, but in blood.

[@daffers2345]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 I got so accustomed to fire drills in high school, I automatically and immediately stand and walk calmly out the moment the alarm goes off. It happened once at an office where I worked. The guy to whom I was talking just stood there while I calmly walked past ... good thing it was a false alarm.

[@surfdocer103]

My maternal grandmother was a very cold person. She always referred to my brother, and I as boy she didn’t bother to learn our names I held a grudge against her and until I learned what happened. Her entire family excepting her, attended the theater that day. She was in bed with strep. Her entire family died that day. She was nine.

[@wasuptime]

i would love to see you cover the Bazar de la Charité fire from 1897, Paris. So much of that event is dramatized and it would be nice to see just the facts. your channel is one of my all-time favorites!

[@Frostdraga]

Very grateful that all your videos have closed captioning for those of us who are deaf or hard of hearing!

[@user-ew2iw7hu1i]

They're also extremely helpful for those of us whose first language isn't English,

[@Distorteddesignshop]

Agreed. It's really nice not to have the terrible, autogenerated ones KZbin spits out.

[@precosiiasxl5329]

genuinely one of the most fascinating channels on youtube

[@Mochrie99]

It's horror, and it's fascinating. What more could one ask for?

[@thankyouverymuch]

YES! One of the BEST KZbin channels! And so professional -- rarely a pronunciation mistake or grammar mistake. The music isn't blaring so much we can't hear his voice. His reading speed is perfect. Every video is near-perfect. He needs to name his sources, but other than that, [insert chef's kiss here].

[@MyCatInABox]

I can't help but to hear the similarities between THIS fire, and the absolutely horrific fire at "The Station" club/venue in Rhode Island. God, I can't even imagine witnessing one of these tragedies from the street. I'd be absolutely mentally scarred for the rest of my life... 😔😪

[@jacksonvanmatre]

So, my college dorms were basically attached right onto this theatre, and the alley behind was reportedly very haunted. It was where the bodies were piled after the fire. Allegedly, they were stacked so high you couldn't even see through the alley itself. We'd regularly cut through it and it was always very charming during the day, but definitely unsettling alone at night.

[@TheTonialadd]

I remember as a child sitting in the theater in my home town and looking at the long dusty velvet curtains and wondering how there wasn’t a fire. Especially when people still smoked in the movie theaters. That was in the 70’s. What a terribly expensive way to learn about fire codes.

[@hebneh]

On the other hand - my earliest memories of going to the movies in the late 1950s and early '60s is how the very beginning of each program was a slide shown on the screen that read "Smoking Is Prohibited In This Theater By Order Of The Fire Marshal." I was shocked to experience people smoking in a movie in Washington DC in 1981.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Many of those would go up immediately. Nobody checks them irl

[@UnicornCentaur]

Off topic but 7:52 watching the fire horses getting hitched up and working is so amazing. It takes me at least 5 minutes to hitch a horse to a carriage and these dudes are like a pit crew and can do a whole team in 15 seconds

[@juliebraden6911]

They probably did it a few times a day. What is it you do that requires you to do this, and how often do you do it? Five minutes still sounds pretty quick to me.

[@photone]

They were regularly out of the station in well under a minute during the day, a minute to a minute and a half at night.

[@Mrhalligan39]

The horse harness was suspended from the ceiling, the horses were trained to run to their places when the stall doors were tripped by a button at the joker stand, and two men for each horse would drop the harness into place and snap it on. Horse drawn era life hacks.

[@UnicornCentaur]

@@juliebraden6911 I'm a tour guide and I used to drive horse drawn carriages for tourists. Hitching the horse to the carriage takes about 5 minutes, but there was about 20 minutes of prep time before that (bathing, grooming, checking the harness and putting it on, etc).

[@dpetty3461]

Yes, that was fascinating footage. I wonder if there is more to be found. I'd love to see the layout of the area for the horses.

[@zwan1886]

Imagine seeing the marketing for this theatre like "Beautiful interior and you definitely won't die in a fire during the production. Absolutely fire proof ;) "

[@tinachandler3091]

Another channel did a special on one of the victims. Her name was Ethel Blackman and she was 13 years old when she died in the fire.

[@dschinghiskhan5752]

Name of the channel

[@tinachandler3091]

@@dschinghiskhan5752 Faces of The Forgotten

[@Debbica]

Faces of the forgotten ​@@dschinghiskhan5752

[@Starshelle]

It's so aggravating that more often than not the people responsible for these sort of disasters are so rarely held accountable. At least some good laws came out of it, but boy do I wish it didn't take so much awful loss for laws to be passed or more strictly enforced.

[@amyreed-osborne5219]

May 28, 1977 165 people perished in the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire for many of the same reason as people died here. There were no sprinklers, no fire alarms, no clearly marked exits, over crowding etc etc.

[@just-a-waffle]

"Luxuries" like "Fire alarms", that's some foreshadowing if I've ever heard it

[@lilblinchik2500]

I remember learning about this in my theatre history class. Being in this field, there are so many fire precautions added to theatres not only for the audience evacuation but a lot of theatres have several emergency exits backstage. I remember how serious it was taken when a moving light ( they are the automated ones that generate A LOT of heat) caught one of the curtains on fire and we had to stop our rehearsal for an hour or two. It's saddening that what it took for the industry to stop cutting corners on safety was at the cost of so many lives.

[@elizabethwilliams5377]

Did you go to the Art Institute? I have a relative who goes there, and it's still talked about today 😮

[@triplixity]

I think the "crush" that forms around exit doors is the most terrifying part of these disasters. Imagine being at the bottom of a pile of screaming people? Horrifying

[@xaraxania]

How sad these awful tragedies so often happen when so many little children are present. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I am grateful that the legacy of these terrible events lead to such safety measures in public spaces now, but still people break the rules don't they.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Yes, you'll notice after the Station fire in 2003, there were SEVERAL others identical worldwide...

[@xaraxania]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 very sad eh

[@syrenxcove]

My mind can’t grasp that 500+ ppl died inside that theater..500 bodies..it makes me nauseous

[@synapse7274]

Why? You dont know any of them. This was in 1903 so theyd all be dead by now anyways.

[@leeriches8841]

@@synapse7274 so? Why does that matter? Some people have empathy, you know.

[@martinverner7390]

@@synapse7274 Gfys edge lord with your lonely self

[@synapse7274]

@@martinverner7390 I'm not lonely but thanks for trying. It's absolutely fascinating the assumptions people try to play out in their heads to try to make sense of things and if I want to play that game too then I'm guessing you jumped to that because you're projecting. That's funny. Sad for you, funny for me.

[@synapse7274]

@@leeriches8841 Yes and I lack that empathy so it's fascinating for me to watch people "feel so nauseous" about this despite not knowing any of these people personally. And even if this event had never occurred all the people that lost their lives would be dead by now anyways. That's the progression of mortality is it not? Do you get nauseous about every single death that occurs and has occurred throughout all of history, each and every single one? No, you don't. So what makes this different? Please, define your "empathy" here and what makes these deaths special enough to feel nauseous over compared to every other single death that has occurred since cavemen roamed this planet.

[@Eunos]

Its a shame that in some cases a great tragedy has to take place before safety is taken seriously.. Another great video.

[@DaleDix]

@Birros Polanski you beat me to Mr John Nance's catch phrase!

[@tinkertailor7385]

Actually the safety measures don't really lower the death toll that much. In the Iroquois fire there were about 2000 people and 500 deaths. About a quarter with zero safety measures and deliberate blockages. In the 2003 Station Nightclub fire there were 460 patrons and a 100 deaths. Still about a quarter, despite the most modern safety measures and fire codes.... When a fierce fire breaks out in a crowded venue..... you are going to get about a 25 percent mortality rate no matter what. Safety is up to the individual. Unless you take the time to take note of the exits, you will just be part of the 25 percent crap shoot once the fire starts.

[@rickyrickardo8347]

When I'm on a plane and the flight attendant goes over the safety protocol it never amazes me to see how many people don't pay attention. If there is an emergency these are the morons that panic and cause chaos.

[@od3910]

That's unfortunately where most of our safety comes from. Humans aren't very good at preventing tragedies before they happen at least once

[@od3910]

@@rickyrickardo8347 I've been on planes so many times that I think I could get up and do the safety demonstration with the staff.

[@robertshonk518]

Chicago has had its share of tragedies. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the SS Eastland disaster of 1915, and the AA Flight 191 crash in 1979. Each of these involved massive loss of life and are worthy of FH episodes.

[@jasonbernard9012]

The Iroquois Theatre: our theatre is fireproof because we haven’t had a fire in it yet! Smh...this was horrific - I cannot believe that I hadn’t heard of this before. Thank you for this amazing report yet again!

[@edwardjohnson6744]

That creepy music never loses its effect.

[@pghchaos]

Right on time I look forward to this every Tuesday at 5:30 a.m..

[@lucaspaxson8304]

Me too!

[@OleJanssen]

For me, it was at 11:30 am.

[@Just_Javier]

7:30pm for me

[@johnxina2465]

Haha yes Avery chewsday

[@abbyjellybean95]

I am replying because I completely agree but also love your picture

[@felipecardoza9967]

When the movie The Hinderburg came out in the 70s, in the theater lobby you could buy a "newspaper" that had reproductions of actual front page newspaper articles of many disasters, including this one. The article actually was quite graphic in its depictions of what happened, mentioning that one man was found trampled to death and missing his head, whole another was completely doubled over backwards over his seat. It also mentioned that some fire escapes actually had NOTHING beyond the door to outside, and the crush of people caused those who reached these first to plummet to their deaths.

[@remejas]

Fire inspector: Is this building safe? Manager: Here are some free tickets to prove it is.

[@emmaandrews8390]

Imagine calling the theatre “absolutely fire proof” while simultaneously unadopting fire safety features in favour of aesthetics

[@daffers2345]

A live theatre near where I live wasn't called "fireproof," but they did get a WAIVER FOR SPRINKLERS because they claimed it would cost too much to replace stuff damaged by water. Needless to say, an errant spark started a fire and the whole place burned down. Thankfully it was off-season and not during a performance. I've been a BIG advocate for sprinklers ever since I learned that it was a contributing factor!

[@lkmorgan1959]

Insane

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@daffers2345 Sprinklers only go off where the fire IS, not just anywhere.

[@daffers2345]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 I know that. I don't think the theatre company did.

[@scooby45247]

...another reason why government regulations are not only needed but more important that people realize..

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

Indeed

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Wut? No, let's be clear. ALL the regulations were 90% there, even then. One of the books on this spells it all out, verbatim. We need to hold anyone who signs off on these dangerous places as jailable for a few decades. Because they were trained and they KNEW. They just clearly took bribes. That city workers can't go to jail is the whole impetus for corruption! Lol.

[@aprilhaney4969]

The government shouldn't have to tell you do the right thing.

[@healinggrounds19]

@@aprilhaney4969 but alas, government does. People are greedy and will take shortcuts, use shoddy materials, lock doors, and do anything to make more money. This has been proven historically over and over.

[@slimecorn]

@@aprilhaney4969 unfortunately profit is more important than decency.

[@nicolettemargaret1933]

When I was in high school we did a horror play and it had a section talking about theatre disasters. I always wondered how many of them were true and how many were just made up for the show. This one was one of the ones that got mentioned, so now I know I guess

[@thankyouverymuch]

A play about theatre disasters... iiiiinterestiiiiing... 🤔

[@sifridbassoon]

Good God! where did you go to high school?

[@Pipkiablo]

I think the most fascinating part of these stories is hearing how much of an impact they still have on the present day in regards to modern safety features and whatnot.

[@GoldenDragonLord.]

Babe wake up, new Fascinating Horror video

[@THATLittleMissPyro]

I deliver papers during the wee hours of the morning, and this is by far one of my favorite notifications to come home to. Really helps me wind down while the sun rises outside my window.

[@ElvenSailor_Main]

These videos just make me fear more. Trying to imagine their last moments thinking that this disaster could never happen to them. Finding windows that you swear will save you and your child only to see its fake. The horror they felt and I'm sure many bodies were found covering young kids in attempt to save them. Not to mention the pain of smoke/fire. Terrifying

[@thoughtful_criticiser]

Having worked as a theatre fireman and first aider in a 2500 seat theatre, I was astonished by this story. Gates on stairs, staff should prevent movement not barriers and the safety curtain was always tested before a performance, at the interval and closed after the performance. I personally removed chains and security devices off fire exits before the doors were allowed to open to the public. There were doors that were never secured whilst staff were in. Last to leave, my duty included securing them and before staff arrived the stage door man removed them. Safety was more important than anything else, to the point of delaying performances and telling rock bands that their fireworks were not allowed. Only one performer had real flames on stage and that was coordinated with the local fire service, with a pump in attendance and a charged hose on stage, Cozy Powell you know how much trouble you caused. It was a fantastic show but a very busy one for me.

[@WaterborneCamper]

As horrific as many of these old disasters you cover are, they often also show the best of humanity.

[@topqualitysoundsarcia7063]

True, unfortunately, they also show the worst too

[@LuckyLu602]

The newspaper that had all of the victims names also listed the person that identified the body. I wonder if that was common to do? Just a curious tidbit of info.

[@HobbyOrganist]

It was, and in fact most of the newspapers back then printed the most graphic descriptions of such events and even speculate on whether the victims would die, and detail their injuries! Read a lot of them where they would describe it! I don't know when that changed, I would guess by the 1930s as these kinds of descriptions seemed to be common back in the 1800s, 1890s etc the NY Times archive has a clipping from Dec 7, 1893; Oxygen cylinder explodes, four men hurt at Albany, two of whom probably will die, and it goes on to describe the explosion followed by; Eagan, Edward, one leg blown off and body badly cut, will probably die Russell, Frederick, one leg blown off and severe wound in abdomen; will probably die. It concludes with; "Russell and Eagan were soon in the hospital. Becker was removed to his home, Eagan and Russell are injured internally, and both are likely to die. Becker will live"

[@Kitty-mb4hy]

@@HobbyOrganist What's crazy is that these poor guys would probably survive nowadays. Medical science of today is so advanced!

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@chlorhex6785 Agree there, way too much nannyfiltering today, its to the point where the news WARNS you about "graphic images and language" multiple times and then they show the video and if it's not some crappy 1970s quality parking lot camera that barely shows blobs they say are people, then they BLUR everything out and BEEEEEEP the words we all know ANYWAY that a bunch of **** doesn't disguise it either!!!! You have to go to a site like liveleak and foreign or UK etc sites to get the WHOLE thing.

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@Kitty-mb4hy True, they didnt even have antibiotics or anything other than ether or booze during surgery, you died of infections usually. Imagine getting your leg amputated back then or teeth pulled/root canal without novocane!

[@Kitty-mb4hy]

@@HobbyOrganist I'm from Russia and recently I've had a need to fix a tooth. And guess what? Our Novocane is so crappy it does not block much pain. (It was good four years ago, what the hell happened?). So yeah, it's XXI century but people still have to get teeth fixed through a lot of pain.

[@PhantomStella]

"we'll just add this later" usually always turns into "it was never installed"

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Or nailed shut like the roof vent

[@ekc_sc.722]

I've been in that theater many times. I had no idea it had such a tragic past.

[@holdencross5904]

Every time someone says it’s unsinkable or inflammable you know that shit is going to go down.

[@easyadventurer]

How much of a problem was fire when your marketing involves saying “completely fireproof”, whilst also being contradicted by an entire magazine called “fireproof”??

[@CharlotteWeb100]

Excellent video. I used to run care homes (elderly nursing and dementia) and ran in house training sessions with staff for general health and safety and used cases such as this to make what I was teaching more likely to stick and make sense of what is often just shrugged off as unnecessary health and safety laws. Trying to manage and oversee everyone's safety in a care environment is no easy task but the hardest thing is getting staff to understand and appreciate that when they think “That'd never happen - as if??” it's already happened. Usually several times as well. When you consider the Victoria Hall disaster happened 20yrs before this and then over 100yrs later the Colectiv nightclub fire happened too, it's never something you can take for granted and blindly assume won't ever happen again. I still can't get over how rapidly the fire took hold in the Colectiv. The whole roof went up in seconds like paper.

[@NinaEye]

People often ignore fire alarms. Even today, huge death tolls are still possible because people figure it's just another false alarm.

[@CharlotteWeb100]

@@NinaEye Yeah they do it's something I think most people tend to brush off as another false alarm. Worst still is when fire alarm systems or any automated safety system have a tendency to sound as a false alarm more often than not. The old fashioned fire safety system at the last place I ran was one that had a deafening bell ring and released the magnetic latches on the doors which were terrifying even when you were sounding them and knew it was coming. Just the loud old fashioned bells, loud click of the magnets turning off and slamming of all the internal doors was so much more terrifying.

[@CharlotteWeb100]

My daughter accidentally pulled the cord on her personal panic alarm she takes with her when walking the dogs and it sounds so similar to a car or burglar alarm nobody batted an eyelid which really bothered me. I replaced it with a small air horn you can fit inside a coat pocket or bag and she blasted it once at some bulls bounding and running towards her. Bulls turned and legged it instantly and within the space of a few minutes several people had appeared cos the sound was so distinctive and unusual it got their attention. Best deterrent from aggressive animals or dog thieves for sure!

[@Mr.Bob_Dobalina]

I heard about the bridge failure in Mexico City and instantly thought of your videos. We only learn by devistating mistakes.