Posted in Illinois
March 17, 2018
The History Behind Illinois’ Alley Of Death Is Absolutely Heartbreaking
There’s a creepy alley in Chicago that has one of the most heartbreaking background stories in all of Illinois. The Alley of Death in the downtown area’s theatre district was the sight of a horrific event that happened more than 100 years ago.
Learn all about what caused a six-foot-high pile up of bodies in a narrow alley. Scroll on for the whole story.
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Constructed in haste the summer before, it seems the threatre was not constructed well. A stage light sparked midway through the show and caught the entire backdrop on fire. Stagehands attempted to douse the flames with Kylfire, an extinguisher powder, but the flames rose too high for them to reach. As a backup, an asbestos curtain was lowered but snagged on the way down and was rendered useless.

There were several issues with the Iroquois that caused the devastation of this disaster to be so grand, and they are the reasons theatres today are equipped with better safety precautions. First of all, people could not locate emergency exits because they were not labeled. Once one was located, the door had to be opened inward, making it impossible to get through with so many people pushing behind. There was a skylight above the stage meant to be opened to let out smoke, but it would not budge and seemed to be nailed shut. Additionally, when performers and stage hands opened the backstage doors, it caused a blast of fire to burst into the house.



While you’re visiting this eerie attraction, check out the 10 haunted places in Chicago that will chill your spine.
Have you ever been down this creepy alley? Share your photos and experiences with us in the comments below.