Iroquois Theatre fire
The Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago, Illinois claimed 602 lives on December 30, 1903.
The Iroquois Theater at 24-28 W. Randolph St. was advertised as "absolutely fireproof". That day, over 1900 people were in attendance at a matinee showing of the popular musical Mr. Blue Beard, Jr. At about 3:15, a light ignited a curtain. The firefighting equipment on hand was ineffective and the protective asbestos curtain failed to drop completely. Actors and dancers fled through a backstage door and the influx of air fueled a huge fireball. Locked exits, doors that opened inward, and unfinished fire escapes prevented many people from escaping. However, of the 500 or so actors, dancers, stagehands, etc, only one died, a tightrope walker. Comedian Eddie Foy was hailed as a hero for attempting to calm the crowd.
As a result of public outrage, many were charged with crimes, even Mayor Carter Harrison, Jr., but most charges were dismissed. The only person convicted was a tavern keeper charged with robbing the dead.
The exterior of the Iroquois was largely intact and reopened as the Colonial Theater, which was torn down in 1926 to make room for the Oriental Theater.