Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster 1903
Author: Anthony P Hatch
This is the one-hundredth anniversary year of the worst single building fire and the most horrible theater disaster in US history.At a Christmas week matinee December 30, 1903, more than 600 people, mostly women and children, perished in less than 30 minutes in a five-week-old theater that was advertised as being "Absolutely Fireproof" and one of the most luxurious playhouses ever built in America—the epitome of Twentieth Century luxury, comfort and safety. Rushed to completion because of corporate greed, the Iroquois opened in Chicago's Loop without exit signs, firefighting equipment, sprinkler system, fire alarm, telephone, a completed ventillation system and exterior fire escapes because city buiding inspectors had been paid off in free tickets and fire department and other officials looked the other way. Published warnings went unheeded. When fire broke out from a short circuit in a backstage spotlight, the panicked audience found itself locked in by untrained ushers and though leading comedian Eddy Foy begged for calm, people trampled one another in a mad dash to escape and piled up at exit doors that, even when broken open, swung in rather than out. Hundreds jumped or were pushed from the incomplete fire escapes into what became known as "Death Alley." The disaster, which for 1903 had the impact that the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, stunned the world, closed theaters and ultimately resulted in fundamental changes in building and safety codes now taken for granted, such as illuminated exits signs, panic bars, doors that swing out, not in and fire retardant materials. However, questions remain as to whether today's theaters and movie houses are any safer in a panic situation, and some fire experts interviewed by the author say that another Iroquois disaster could again occur.
Author Biography: Anthony P. Hatch, a native New Yorker raised in Chicago, is a former print, wire service and broadcast newsman. He began investigating the Iroquois disaster in 1961 while he was with CBS News. He was interested in the similarities between the Iroquois and the Titanic disaster which occured nine years later. He was able to get eyewitness details from five elderly men directly involved in the Iroquois horror: a cub reporter for a Chicago newspaper who covered the theater's opening night and returned five weeks later to report on the disaster; a fireman who fought the blaze and later became Chicago fire commissioner; a wire service reporter called in from his beat at the stock yards; a Northwestern student who helped carry out the living and dead and a child who escaped from the theater by being passed, hand over hand, above the heads of fleeing adults. Hatch currently is general manager of public radio station KSFR in Santa Fe and teaches broadcast news at the University of New Mexico's School of Communications and Journalism. His written articles have appeared in The Nation, TV Guide, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and the Santa Fe New Mexican. This is his first book.
Interesting textbook: Burst of Flavor or Romance of Wine
Disaster Medicine
Author: David Hogan
Written by more than 30 emergency physicians with first-hand experience handling medical care during disasters, this volume is the only single comprehensive reference on disaster medicine. It provides the information that every emergency department needs to prepare for and handle the challenges of natural and manmade disasters. The contributors present guidelines for assessing the affected population's health care needs, establishing priorities, allocating resources, and treating individuals. Coverage encompasses a wide range of natural, industrial, technologic, transportation-related, and conflict-related disasters, with examples from around the world. This edition has more illustrations and more information on weapons of mass destruction and explosions.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Lisa N Rapoport, MD, MS(University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine)
Description:The authors begin this book with the very simple (but difficult) question, "what is a disaster?" and continue with basic explanations of types of disasters and their management, and finish with specific problems and situations that may be encountered in a disaster. This updates the 2002 edition, and includes data and experience from both the tsunami disaster and Hurricane Katrina.
Purpose:The purpose is to educate and prepare medical practitioners for a disaster by explaining concepts pertaining to disasters and the groundwork needed to comprehend and prepare. It is a huge and lofty goal but very necessary, and the book succeeds in meeting it. It is also very readable, providing many real-life examples that illustrate points and concepts, which in turn animates the book more than one would anticipate.
Audience:The book is directed at any public health or potential disaster relief practitioner and is accessible to any audience. The authors clearly have extensive knowledge of the field, and the list of contributors is impressive.
Features:The six sections cover basic concepts such as defining what a disaster is; how to plan for one; different types of disasters; and how to educate about disasters. It is clear that the authors have gathered world experts in the field because they consistently use examples of real disasters to explain concepts and theories. One of the strongest points of the book is the way it describes and makes real complex theories that may otherwise be difficult to grasp.
Assessment:This is a good quality book -- well written, well substantiated, and clearly organized. Furthermore, as an emergency medicine resident physician, I feel the subject matter is vital to my training and future practice.
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