New-York tribune., 1881-12-15
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
1vCppcr1yc THEATRES IN TWO CITIES.

INSpPCTIyG THEATRES IN TWO CITIES
AN px.vIyAT,oN BEGUN BY THE FIRE DEPART
,rNT-wuAr HAS BEEN DONE IN BRoohLiN'
Several Of the chiefs of battalion OF tne Ire &c %
nortnent began yesterday the exannhMa.i?? nav ?od va hv
aatres in their districts under the orders isued ~
f the Department by direction OF the fre
commissioners. The method In wnlcn the ;n f The
tion is made is by measuring the ehac. ST. The
bniiding and ascertaining its seating capacly m ho
size and number of exits from the theatre nus. "
noted The examiner must see WneSinoi tn1 P
sceninm arch extends TO the top OF the Duhuhie,
whether the not in use are storeu u III 'nU NC
theatre and whether there Is carpenter snVp p VI
painting-room under the stage The poStloh os % tho
lights used in the theatre and the locatloh Vi lho
boilers and furnaces, and of the dresslhg-rooms
must be reported with any violations OF the Jaw III
any respect The chief OF battalion VIII mar umS
recommendation that seems 10 MN proper W So'"0
the safety of the building.
he necessity of the various inquiries was eH
planned yesterday TO TRIBUNE reporter 1y
dent German of the Board of Fire Commissioners.
1.-The prOscenIum arch he said. should eXtehd 10 ~
the top of the building and should be thlcA ma,i
between the stage and auditorium in lnos th me- ton
tres there is a considerable space between uie top
of the proscenum arch and the roof, ana wheli
fire breaks out the stage il is carried over 70 te
roof of the main ha l. We inquire ahoht the posi-
tion of the dressing rooms because hres are very
apt to originate III those rooms ana they Snoulu loI
be placed under the stage or auditorium ne scenes
not in use should not be stored Ill the theatre ara
the carpenter shop and place Tor the scene painter
rs well as all the dressing rooms should De In a
building by themselves, with a wall between It and
the stage NV idea i'll fact is that theatre should
consist of only two PARASITIC stage and the au-
dience-roOm. Everything not in use on the stage
should be stored in another building" ~
President German, in company with ChleI OF
Battalion Gignell, made examination OF wal
lacks new theatre yesterday, III compliance WIN
a request from Mr.. WallaCk. They were O0th wei
pleased with the result of their examination Inc
thick wall between the stage and auditorium eX-
tends to the top OF the building, and the sldlng
skylights on the top of the stage portion will cause
a draft that will carry the flames up ana prevent
their spreading TO the front of the building. me
IN
the stage. The objection that has been maze Dy
the Fire Department to the system at preseh! III
use in all the theatres, by when those oGcupNi.Is
the first and second tiers the same exit Is partly
obyiated in Wallacks by the use OF an exit III
Thrtieth-st., by which it is expected that most OF
those IN the parquette VIII go OUT leaNlng le CHlo ~
first gallery. The second gallery has separate
exit. The scene painter OF The theatre mas place
i'm which to work, situated i'll the upper part Oh Tue
stage, but it saId that no oils OF turpenllhe
would be used IN painting the scenery whlle on the
stage. Chief Glgnell expressed the opinion that
the theatre examined came the most nearly ol any
in the city to meeting his idea OF the means heGSS
sary to prevent fire The work of inspection Will be
continued for several days. Blank forms nave Deeu
provided and detailed reports Will be required py
the Commissioners of every examination that Is
made. r,.
The Fire Commissioners yesterday fined Fireman
john Scully ten DAYS pay for neglect of duty. lie
had been sent to the Fifth Avenue Theatre on nte
duty one night last week, and returned TO the com
pany's quarters at o'clock III the evening, saying
that there was no performance This not true
ScuIly said that he was out of hls mind. surgeon
stated that he Rad neura gia. The Commissioners
accepted neither defence. Fireman Joseph j.
Smith, of Engine Co. No. IL, was fined ten days
pay tor invading the ladies' dressing room III the
London Theatre and insulting three women.
.iayng carefully inspected all the theatres IN
Brooklyn, at the direction OF tlre Commissioner
Worth Chief Engineer Nevins of the Fire Depart
mcnt has addressed TO the proprietor OF each
circular letter, calling attention to the need OF
adopting every possible pTecautlOn to prevent ire
ana of using every appliance that modern ingenuity
can DEVISE to prevent its spreading when once
started In addition TO the tirenen already stationed
III each theatre during performances, the following
suggestions are recommended by the Chlef Engl-
neer as approved 10y the Department:
Ffrsi--A telegraphc connection with this Department
IN order that alarm can be promptly conveyed
20 the proper places in case Of necessity.
SeeORd-That sufficient chemical tire eItingUshers and
hose M proportion the your theatre be kept
in position, properly charged ara ready lof use at all
times
TLird-ThaT sprinkcrs either perforated pipe auto
matte be placed over the stage, To be connected with
proper water supply, so tnat II necessary The stage
could be flooded
FouTl-That diagram Of all exits be printed the
programmes each performance with proper
planaiOn thereof that each per on may be iuy III
structed as to the various avenues OF escape.
FfGh-That iron screen be placed to separate
the from the auditorium, to be operated auOmat
cally mechanically III OF hre, and to be Kept
lowered except during the acts
SiLth-That the theatre should he supplied with gas
from separate service pipes, introduced at different
points the building, that In service pipe
should become defective there would still be sufi-
cent gas frOm the other afford necessary light III
any emergency and that the gas be lighted by electr
city nom separate electrical lighting machines also
placed at different points OF the building.