The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-10
zuEArREs AND CONCERT HALLS.
safe and Unsafe Public BuiIdines-A Talk
with the superintendent.

pubic halls Of New NOfk, ten years ago. were
little, If any, better than so many man traps,
but our department-thanks in great measure to
the law which ny predecessor was enabled to
procure on the subject-has succeeded In very
greatly improving that condition Of affairs and
now, although ! cannot conscieDtiously say that
any one Of them is absolutely safe, can say that
the number Of those that are nspcuously dan
getous has become very small. Understand me
when l say absolutely snfe. There are four
establishments from which any audience they
are capable Of holding might readily escape in
OF fire without any danger OF anybody
being burned-two. at all events. from which
they certainly could. But do not say that
there might not. In case OF a panic, he a terrible
loss Of life in any one Of them. Let a panic
seize n large multitude. even In an open neld
aud the chances are that somebody will be
thrown down and tramped upon, possibly kill
cd in tho mad, unthinkng rush Of those about
him. That, Of course, can never he wholly
guarded against. But what we can d O. and seek
to do as far as possible. Is to diminish the posi-
bllties Of fatal results from such causes To
that end we have forced improvements in al
mo I every theatre IN the city, compelling the
creation OF new means Of egress, tho enlarge
ment Of doorways, the increase Of stairs, the
erection OF IRE escapes, the adoption Of pre-
venttve precautions In the use Of gas. &c, and
enforcing. As fr az are able. the law prohibit
ins cimp stools and other distractions In the
alslcs. We have enforced the covering u an gas
Jet on the stages with wire baskets. to shield
them from hlvring scenery. and have taken
especial care to compel the outward opening Of
all theatre doors. That outward opening Of
doors is one very important thing about all
places ~ public resort. The churches have neg
Iorfrd 10, or hnve rather boon nllowcd to mliu-
tain inward opening aud Siding great doors.
should he krlt fastened back NOT only lott
% cn, but holtcd open q each service, ana that
tile weather doors should opOn ortwafuly. OF
late iedru That ~ a humber OF instluccs that
Iru mise hns not been kept. Next SUNDAY viii
hive the infr cfions ~ the regulation not all
over the CITY. and reform comuelied.
"All last winter and spriug had IN en- detailed
nlguiN tp all the III aces Of public ann uspfupni to
note fnfracfipt, of our own repul ma na and t,.
port them to me. that might coWrcl CON pile
once. Now, owing To the expenditure Of the
money at the dispe sal uf MY dcpar' ment have
We ret money again shall h Nc the same care
tll " ten maintained s. urfure. At some OF tho
theatres the camp stool nuisance has given IA
our backs are turned. The Union square
most often uuis camp stools an its side aisie.,
great dinculty with which We have rad to com
tend has been the absolute mpo-.ihliity often
OF procuring Permission u cut througL buiid-
iug- adj cent 10 oldest ai listed theatres to
M he new pa spge wa'-. where such new WAYS
were absolutely necessary to f-tv. At the
Park Theatre. Tor instance, they tried 20 lease an
adl oltng hlil4ine. Simply for such a purpose.
hui without success NM, f,rfun~tetv SEQ i,."c
10y another device gaint q there sufficient modes
Oi cHre~-, think. for all that house can hold.
me mon Nlume VIII have 70 have improved
means Of sgr"--. -hnll have drawn tom Orrow,
10y Mr.. Foley, our attorney. ana served upon tho
Proprietor, of this establishment the necessary
papers requiring them to open another large
passage way ron the pnrquet to Fourteenth
street. through where the private ONCE now H.,
east Il TIE pfs-cnt gallery entrsn e, and another
through tn IriNn Square Hotel frow the b l.
cow of the the ire. to dchouch OF Bro dway.
Inat Is the hesi We can do there aud that must
lie done iight away. The hotel property belong.
To- the Cnurtlardt Palmer estate. aud do not
think they VIII have any di0culty IN getting the
right vi WAY through II. There - another thing
about the Union square That o. Dad, hut dOt't
soc how 80 remedy IL, and hat is the extreme
pitch Of the balcony. Their spac r. so shallow
that Ni.nuut suCn an cAtrcmriN steep pitch they
would have scarcely any seating capacity up
there. bu, the new passage way % Broadway
ere'seu lseilil ioitsiess tiat tulnk 40 uheasi-
mes need TO felt II the balcony Itself stands IA
" lhereis one theatre In which will not allow
any more performances uutil ~ l. nut IN proper
Mll re - icif o. nl out ana rccOh-Iruct 10. That
l- Toe ~tIuf Theatre. Il d. in tnr band. uf ir-
l'Hri ing 90 90 % trftunn operate or turnfr 100
COMPANY. II thnt is Il ne. aud an attcmuf ls
mace ~ open d, VIII Apply Tor an inlanC zion
"Olrrnsiiuu with reference 20 these buildings
b. q rai ner del ratc one. We have q great &c
iell 60 GA, dit erection. OWING to iewtralng Of
tnel law: ANA while We muse DO ,n that D.. uns-
siNl' Gao protect the ruult' we ma. hlvc core
not 60 DO So rir US ~ t. require
ol maua-trs. Here D. tue Jaw. .nl YOU can SEQ
i'f Yourself the Latitude oi DISSECTION Do leaves
I'm hun1'n.. Of runNc character already erected
co., u,r. ller 10 De- 14u. Ia -.ua ems. .irA a.i,' -.
a. po,. puo a,. .,, ,e, b ..a ma.
-,ru.iiln c fal's. ,,r. s,lrw.ys .,sj.. ina "a Z,
saa oc., ins,d q. le, ia, iae ~ 3. ~ e..c. ol
sr,oi,ia i.non Tor ,he p4o,c rr4.ierti.', T., ,5e
Gaze ana u. Mses ana plfsASe Nn'. iu 'lil
. .. me- ttt Ire, ,r,n ,l
s.. o.-, sir' sol. enl On op tluct 'u- hu'iu- any
o. ,nv ruNic assel.hae'i aus iac snptr1,,ad,n q
Nv .". r' ' az, i a. " ,i..,a ~ p- ~
-H'd bpilins- dir chs an, act or t.s 90 rc dlne 90
several snli nee, m, rcriui canntlie'i. .,-i 'h,i
eoos .lr~ aireow- s,a-. ai'es ana oscapes, 20 DIS
tne u-r- to when tn'y MAY toe .c,cray ,pp.i,d.
-" Inc present condition Of the PRINCIPAL New
YORK theatres aud puuuc halls, vain reference
to me .us OF ineioss aud ortcss and probable
safety from dai gtr D, Tire l. rs follows:
" Ine Academy II AlN-ic b. the fulst slhdlv
constructed theatre in the cltv IL /. III IN
front, Il. leet rear, 2H fect deep. ~ feet high.
and is walls are feet inches and . feet thick,
bic-, four doors, each nine feet wide. opening
t. thr stree four TX feet WIDE from the us
o. the SECOND lobby, whence one rnttI- direct
- thc phtIuet' oh ehc. s!le are Two WIDE
stairWnys, leading TO the inst balcony. Those
from the outer LOBBY ar OF stone, nud 20 up
between SOLID buCk walls. The inside ones are
OF Wa d. Around tie pAiquet runs "a LOBBY ten
feet wide al the uatroWest u. rt. from which i've
di-lea run down t. the paTquct aud orchc-tia
cuair-. the centre nnd outside ones seven fptt
vice, the Others narrowing irom siA fOtt 10 tour
f.Dt as they appru .ch the orchestra. Along the
fourteenth street -ida of the NcademN five great
doors can TO opened direct from the auditorium
aud three from the stage. Tue stone staIs IRON
the outer lobby extend up to the gallery, open
inc on every tier. There are also two SPIRAL
staircase. each feet wide, nreprOOi, aud en-
closed IN trick walls, one on each side of the
Stage, to which mon doors 1--WE access from
every tier. These stan WnYs stood intact when
the rest OF the OLD Academy WIS burned IN lsb
The stage, Indeed tio eutllo builuln1, is well
provided Tor ueluging with water AZ "A minutes
notice. me seating cdpnMY of the house IS;
ptruuet ~; inst tier, iti; second ter 5t'
Buldtng Department IL - deemed she safest
theatre iu New Ioih.
booths Theatre ranks next in point at safety.
lis walls, OF stone aud bucN, are amply struuc.
Inc main entrance In Twenty thlfl street b.
twelve feet wide, ana there are IN addition two
doors each eight fecet wide, winch open direct
from TIE parQuet on tao street, Ihere ls mother
entrance from sixth avenue clsut feet wide,
the scene room, green room, dressing rooms,
ana carpenters rooms are all separated hy brick
wall, and non doors fIum the Theatre binding
platforms loads up from The parquet lonny 10
the balcony, and two thence 60 the second iier
there u.s. M addttiOn, nre-ploot stairway FIX
lrtl wide, from the sixth avenue entrance, with
doors opening ON each tier. Tho Stage. which H.
10 feet WIDE by "a feet deep, has one great door
opening on iMeuty -thlrd street and a SuNttIra-
mean passage to sixth nNeuus. on the stage
every turder Is htttd with perforated ~ inch
spllnhlers There re ten hre puGs through the