Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-04
Construction and Manngement a
Theaters.
VIEWS OF ARCHITECT cLUss.


VIEWS OF ARCHITECT CLUss.
Another letter from Mr.. Adolf Cluss on the
Construction Of theaters appears in q morning
the destruction OF theaters by fire i'm Washington
within twelve years past, he says that the aver
age life Of five Washington theaters has been
report is .'Died of fire." This is full of lessons
for the world at large, where a capital of more
than one hundred millions, invested in theaters
has been destroyed by fires during the present
century, with cOncOmitant loss of more than q
thousand human lives, whilst many thousands
have escaped the danger merely by gOOd.luck
and have In part been manned or crippled for
life: After explaining why theaters are pecu-
iarly liable to take fire, and naming Structures
OF this kind which have been burned, he saws :
The interruptions erection of tinder-boxes
h2nored by the name OF theaters, justiies the
title saying that destruction by fire is
THE NATURAL DEATH OF THEATERs;
and 1t is clear that the authorities incur fear
full responsibility ii they do not profit from the
long list OF catastrOphes by enforcing the
strictest regulations in the construction and
management OF theaters. After giving many
statistics relative to the destruction of theaterS
to how such edifices Should be constructed and
guarded. He says the stage must be isolated
from the auditory by fire. proof constructions. A
heavy fre-wall to reach up above the roof, to
have as few doors in it as possible, and where
they are, let them be closed by wrOught-iron
doors of double thickness, constructed with an
intermediate air-space.
T. Z
which secures the view on the stage to the au-
dence requires special care, because the public
must have time to retire in case of fire, AMI
because. by the strong current of air directed
toward the chandelier, the smoke and the fire
from the stage would be directly drawn i'm the
auditory. For these reasons a wire curtain
properly constructed of network of HAT iron or
wrewOrk, is to be fitted directly against the
iirewall. Ii is lifted entire during the perform
ances, in part during rehearsals, and can be
rapidly lowered during both in urgent cases. A
~, ft.aln 80
both ways, might give an exit to actors when
caught, on access from the auditory when
necessary. The whole area OF the stage should
be commanded from numbers of small aper-
lures in the tire-wall parting the stage from the
auditory, with fre-plugs in the rear, which
ordinarily should be closed by fre-proof shut
ters. Passages and stairs should again be
separated by heavy walls from the a1ditorv
thus forming three ire-Proof compartments
ELECTRIC SIGNAL TELEGRAPHs
and speaking tubes ought TO be used for COM
munlcating a threatened point instanter and
quietly to all parts of the house, and fire
alarm box inside the tbeater should communi-
cate directly with the engine-hOuses. All the
apparatus for extinguishing fire should DE sub
Matches should be used throughout the house
which only ignite under special conditions.
THE WALLS OF THEATERs
should be built solid, with an interior thin brick
lining, separated from the main wall by an air
space, so that expansion, I'm consequence of the
intense heat of a fire, acts simply on the elastic
inner Inning and does not tend TO throw the
walls. Let fire-proOf stairs, spacious corridors.
and doors, opening outward, be amply provided,
TO facilitate the exit q the audience. All ,i.-
exits should be opened after every performance.
30 that III case of alarm the audience is well
posted and does not biindly seek the one routine
exit.
EVERY FLOOR
ought to have its separate spacious staircase or
staiTcases; and for determining the width of
these stairs the rule has been adopted in safe,
standard structures, like the Philadelphia opera
house, to calculate at least two feet in width OF
stairs for every hundred people. The corridors
should be increased in width in the direction of
exit; this principle having been reversed in pub
lie buildings. has caused hundreds of people to
be crushed to death, as in the case OF a russian
s. nagogue few weeks ago.
CHEMISTRY
should be able to provide material for impreg
mating all the light articles used the stage SO
as to make them incOmbustible. Isinglass has
been tried, but il has not proved permanent
safeguard; il also produces an Objectionable
gloss when used for scenery, which reflects the
light and destroys the effect of painting. 1t il
out of place to cite the fact that fire~prOOf ma
terials have failed in extreme cases. Ii we can
stay the devouring element for few minutes
we may save scores of human lives, and if once
i'm y hundred cases hunsn efforts fail there is
nc reason that we should stand idle iii the
ninety nine cases within our reach.
Cnsra do