History of Chicago and south branches of the Chicago River, which flows through the city's downtown. The three white stripes represent the North, West and South sides of the city, Lake Michigan being the east side. The most famous and serious disaster was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. On December 30, 1903 the "absolutely fireproof", five-week-old Iroquois Theater was engulfed by fire. The fire lasted less than thirty minutes; 602 people died as a result of being burned, asphyxiated, or trampled. The S.S. "Eastland" was a cruise ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On 24 July 1915—a calm, sunny day—the
Apollo Theater Chicago a playhouse, the old Apollo Theatre was sold in 1927 to United Artists Corporation and was renamed the United Artists Theatre. It was demolished in 1989. Notable productions at the new Apollo include David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" starring James Belushi, Balm in Gilead with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, the long running play The Vagina Monologues, and A Nutcracker Christmas written by children's recording artist Ralph Covert of Ralph's World and G. Riley Mills. The Apollo Theater Chicago has no relation to the Apollo Theater in New York City. Apollo Theater Chicago The Apollo Theater Chicago was built