The Iroquois Theatre, on Randolph just a few blocks from the river, was only a month old in December 1903 and had booked a holiday matinee called "Mr. Bluebeard". Packed full of mostly women and children off of school on December 30th, it caught fire and became a furnace, or better described as a crematorium. Horrible panic erupted inside and people were crushed, burned, and many piled high at the doors which opened the wrong way inwards, and some were locked. Many tried to escape out the back fire escape, but it was unfinished and only led into a very far drop into the alley. In total 602 people died and over 100 people fell to their deaths into that alley, now called "Death Alley" and it remains there today, although the theatre is completely different called "The Ford Center for Performing Arts". That alley is considered haunted today and always a stop on any Chicago ghost tour. I have visited it many times and used footage for this video and original song tribute called "Ghosts in the Alley". I had a good friend - Rick Andrews - sing the melody.
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