The Iroquois Theatre opened on November 23, 1903 in Chicago, Illinois. The capacity of the theatre was 1,602 people, sitting at three different viewing levels. There were 700 seats on the floor, over 400 seats on the first balcony, and 500 seats on the second balcony. The theatre was widely applauded as being one of the most beautiful and sophisticated theatres in the country, though it had some major design flaws that would become glaringly obvious in the wake of the disaster. One major issue was the one entrance, with doors that opened to the inside. Flammable construction materials and decor were also a great concern, even before the disaster. There were also no sprinklers, telephones, or fire alarms, all of which we take for granted now. On December 30, 1903, a fire broke out in the theatre. It is widely accepted that a light malfunction caught the muslin curtains, which then spread rapidly due to the construction and materials used for the set and other decor. Panic ensued, causing a stampede toward the exit, and many people were trampled or injured in their attempt to escape. Ultimately, 602 people died and 250 more were injured. 

This book is currently available on Audible Plus, which is where I got my copy. I have a massive backlog of books on Audible that I am trying to get through for this year's reading challenge, and I am so grateful that I can listen while I am at work. This book was around six hours long, which I was able to complete in one shift at work. If you are interested in the physical book, it is less than 300 pages. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. The author did a great job of researching all of the facts, and providing detailed descriptions of the theatre. One thing that struck me in particular was the fact that this expensive, beautiful building did not even survive a full month before catastrophe struck. The investigation in the aftermath of the fire was absolutely infuriating to me, and I caught myself making faces in my computer screen multiple times. Whenever I read books like this, it really makes me realize how far fire safety has come and how much we take for granted in that regard. This was a really good book if you are into this type of topic.