Show ESCAPED relate terrible experience in the sea of fire chicago dec are the I 1 experiences ot beveral persons who escaped from iroquois theater alre james II 11 strong went to the theater with his wife hla mother and his niece miss tina strong when the panic began mr strong led tho two women and the garl toward an exit in the center of the balcony toward which he saw a few people hastening on arriving at the door be found it locked 1 I jumped up be said caught the edge of gnp transom in my fingers drew myself up and smashed the window in the bransome tr ansome I 1 had found it impossible to open the door and though possibly I 1 might open it from the outside I 1 dropped to the floor on the outside and to my horror found hat the door was locked with a padlock and hasp just then a carpenter with some tools in his hand came running up and I 1 told him to help me open tha door we worked and pulled and tugged at the padlock like crazy men I 1 but we could make no impression ort 1 it I 1 then told the other man to alva me a boost so that I 1 could reach the bransome tr ansome arid pass people out he helped me up and I 1 got the upper portion of my body through the transom and looked for my enciu just beneath pic but just at that moment the flames swept through he balcony and I 1 dont abe lieve that any of those who were in there then escaped I 1 inhaled flames lost my grip and fell bach into the halaway outside I 1 think that a great many more could have been saved if that door had not been padlocked sirs strong jr the wife of mr strong Is among the identified dead ills mother and niece are among the missing he himself Is in a critical condition and may die miss wilma hansey of the auditorium hotel with miss rose moody of hildago Hil cago and miss margaret ot raton to 6 piece were tin ip 0 her oB absi si the OB ix cpr ewt al ofed to th sri b 11 |