, 1873-01-04
Chances Of Escape in tic Event Of
aFire or Panic,
satisfactory Condition Of tho Four Now
Suntll Sido Theatres,
Detects Discovered at the Academy,
Globe, and Nixon's.,
Suggestions Worthy tho Attention Of
Manager Gardner and Others.

Chicago Is gonoraily regarded by show pooplo
as tho best " show town In Amorica for mori-
torioua exhibitions to visit; TINT III to Bay, q
Arat-class entertainment eau bo certain Of call
ing out Il larger proportion OF tho population
horo than In any otllor city, Now York not boinB
excepted. Tho roauon for this is found III the
faot that wo have tho finest places of anuae1neut
on tho continent, aud Tint nothing short Of tho
worry best attractona arc supported here. 4
thoroughly good performance, no matter how
insuiliciently Advertised in advance, or how big
or little reputation It may hayo secured olso-
wliero, is always Buro to bo wcll patronized
weather and circumstances permitting. The
practice Of regularly visiting ono or moro Of tho
theatres zach week prevails very largely among
Chicago poop1e; while tho transient visitors hop
toswcll tho attendance. Granted that we patton-
zoanusements lberaly, and that our thcatresare
maryols Of elegance and attractona--but thon
comes tho vital question, 10 riyilly brought to
oyory mind by tho rocont burning Of
THE FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE
in Now York: Arc they safo7 Are they plen-
tifnlly Eupplied with means Of exit in caao of
fire or panic, and do thoy furnish protection to
the lives aud limbs Of their audiences Chicago
managers havo had n bitter experience with fire,
and it would bo strange indeed Il III rebuilding
they Ind not pnid especial attention to precau-
tions AgainBt tho recurrence Of tho calamity
Their own interest would prompt them to do
thia. and TINT they have dono 1t In nearly every
caBo there Is no doubt. Tho chief source of ac-
cidental frcs in n thoatre is found in
the heating apparatus, md q visit to
tho various places OF amusement hos
developed tho fact TINT In this direction noftlor
oxpopso, pains. nor cuution havo heon arorcd IN
prevent tho broaking. ont of 1re. In Tho ord,,
nary course OF Legitimate perfornanrns n IL neIt
tn .i1nposs;b]o tint n fra ahon,5 occrr m tta
stage threatening ths f1cstrnntion ~ +ha tho.
afro. for tho stace synrma with tin onon1orca ~
the establishment, and no troublo ,yonid Ic AZ,
pericncod in preventing the epread of thu flan,oa.
Occurrences of this Kind aro yerv raro. thourh
they sometimes happen when tho curtain is
down, and the audience little susnoots whnt |.
transpiring behind the sconeu, Outside of tho
great confagration OF Oct, and 0. 1871. thera
has been no destruction of n ohioaro theatra hv
fire. for ncar1v nu,rtor 80 . oo,,.,,rs, -
n1oE's OLD ORIGINAL, THEATRE
boing tho last and only one. Occasionally, hnw-
ovor, littlo iucipient blazoa do occur. Int wa
hayo leen siueular)y fortunate in cacayino loaa
Of life, either by panic or by burning. Promnt
action and presence Of mind haye proyonted II
in many cases. It was not long aeo that vonno
lady's dress caught fire from cas lot bnhind
tho curtain during tho performance of a ancc,ao-
ular pioco md ahe ,yaa bad]v h,rncd A ,fow
years since. while tho NAV wna in nrocrosa o+
Moviohcr's Theatre, careless bov. IN letting
down ono of tho uppor 1y curtains, al1owo1 II to
fall upon tho top lights, and it ippitof1 in conHo.
quence 4 silly follow In tho parouot rose in
lis scat and shouted HTireln Tn an inatont
tho audience roso TO their feet md in anothor
moment a terrible panic would fayo enauod bnt
for the promptnogs of
Mr. MYERS TIE STAGE MANAGER,
who in o. loud clear tone shnntcd IN tha n.ro-
less author OF tho mischiof Ct Cut tbo rona ),
Tho bow yhipped ont his ioctx,xntso IN = iinrr
severed tie ropo which held thu cnrfnn ,nd
down it camo to the stage where tho fra VIVA mt
out forthwith. This vns f1one il, fu1, 1;o,v -, Ia
teror-strickon aulienco WIN rnon aoo;r,c +,at
the danger was passed reaumcd thc;r so.ts ,,d
the performance procacdad yitl,ont Further In.
terruption.
But the moat ample aud comnloto rrccout;on,
agninst fire aro not cnouoh. Ero ,ms , 5;0,aron-
abo hnbit of breaking o,,t ,v,,oro md ,v1,on - =;
1east expected, It ia truo tnat tha c,,.1oos n.a
ten to ono ut least TINT It will not hroa- t d,,r
ing tho performance. Which occur;ca h,,t t1.rao
avery nart ~ +1,o tI,a.t.. =: "1'on
etapt notice of n 1,roo ,r,,,,,or -, an.,s
md it is il a]so tr,o thot IN r,n,
cases out Of ten tho occ,rronoo -, n-s
Is not fraueht with ner;1 nroyi,ad tho o,,i1;oaaa
will remain calm md co11octad 1,,t 49, .,a,-
once will mol remain calm mi ~ a. tr,r, ~
mining co1lcc,c1 thov jnv,r;al,,r aoa;.a ~ ~
porae. Therefore. since Il ;s n wol1.,at n,I,shaa
fact that panfcs aro 1iablo IN occrr md ,h.t 49,
ror-crszod peoplo will ru1h nol1.mol1 ~ t1.o
doors, strong men trampling down woa1x women
aud childrou, tho question rcsolyea iteolf ;nto
MEANS OF EXIT
Realizing tho iutonpo orIfotv - ,,,o ,,,oo.xo
co;n, ,,,1'I1, ,r;t,, sosasa ~ wv 1'easfo-
eo'Ae pu'i4o WIN fcleFenco 20 Inc means OF o.
cape from our theatres III caso Of paulc or fire,
u TRIBUNE reporter yesterday visited tho various
places Of amusement. with view tn n thoronob
ina,,iry nto tha 7nottor tn @o1oasa
onaa ~ 49, -4oA' 4A' 4ouno 'n"s u every
caso t1lo managers Woro deeply interested in |