Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-14
DAILY
POST MTELIGENCER


POSI. MI6LLIuhNOhh.
gAFETY AGAINST FIRE.
Some people, in the innocence OF their
sonla. believe brick buildings are neces-
sariIy fire proof, and that as long as
the outer walls are of masonry the house
cannot be destroyed. The burning OF
Nevhall House in Milwaukee. and a
hundred Of its occupants, is tho most
forcible reminder We have had for a
long time Of the dangers that may be
found in Q brick or stone house. With
wooden window and door frames, wood
en- corniess, wooden awnings and side
walks, wooden partitions, and with OIL
coal, paper. furniture, dry goods etc.
inside. most brick and stone buildings
ara little les inflammable than those OF
vood. and NO lees 90 when the IRE has
IN oriQin inside the building itself. To
be sure the brick and stone are not con-
sumed, bat the house and its contents
are destroyed all the Same. The Mil
vaukee biilding was six-story brick,
that cost 8275,0O, and yet in half an
hour its whole interior was q mass OF
flames, and walls falling on every side.
Such lessons - the one 30 lately fur
nished teach as that in building houses
too much care cannot be taken TO ex-
clude material OF an inf1ammable char
acter. nor that too much can be done In
the way Of provision for the escape OF
the inmates. Public halls, theatsrs and
factories are the PLACES Of greatest per-
soual danger, and these are the ones
which should be surrounded by every
Observation-Disclosures, legal and
otherwise. They are taking up this
matter in other places, a. witness late
movement In New York. There the In
speotor of Buildings has prepared q
draft Of new Law to regulate the con-
ssrustion of buildings. which Will he
very binding II adopted. 1t has been
framed in accordance with the most ad-
vanosd architectural theories. and
would do good in preventing the con-
struotion Of unsafe buildings in the me
tSopolis, though, of course, there Ii al
wsys an objection on general grounds
against trying 10 dictate by law too
much in matters of detail.
In regard to buildings intended for
places of amusement, tho proposed act
Il very specific. They are required to
have ono front on highway or public
street., and on all sides Of the building
mot bordering ON the street there shall
b an open space ten fest wide. No
portion Of any theater shall BE- occupied
OF used a. 0 hotel, boarding or lodging
house, or for any manufacturing pur-
pose. No work shop or storage room
shall be allowed either above tho audi
forum or the stage. No work shops
for earpentering, scenery making, scen-
err painting or decorating shall be al
lowed in any theater; neither shall any
thsatsr contain any depOts or storage
room for any scenery or decorations not
actually In use. These must be provided
for In . separate building apart from
the theater. Property rooms shall be
built Of fire-proof materials and sepa-
rated from the thsatsr proper by brick
wall. No lodging accommodations, ex-
cspt for the janitor, shall be allowed in
any theater. The exterior walls of all
theatsrs shall be Of stone or brick, and
interior walls Of masonry shall separate
the auditorium from tho stage. SINH
lar walls shall inclose all stairs or land
ings communicating with any entrance
or exit, and fro wall, to be built Of
Stone or brick, shall separate the audi
forum from tho stage, and extend at
least four feet above the roof, this wall
10 contain openings from each floor or
gallery, which are TO b provided with
vrought-iron doors, which can be opened
from either sids at all times. On the
staes aide wrought-iron ladders shalt be
70 Axsd - TO give easy access to these
doors. All the wallis separating the au-
ditosium from the vsstibules and those
inolosing the staircases shall be Of brick
or stone, and Ill the walls, floors and
partitions OF the auditorium and vesti-
bulss shall b. constructed of firs-proof
materials. The roof must be equal in
ara 10 ons-quartsr Of the area Of the
rod, which shall b % constructed AZ
70 open instantly ON the cutting or burn
Ing of hsmpsn cord. All stage seem
~ md decorations and al wood work
shout The stage shall be saturated with
soms uncomfortable material. All seats
n ths auditorium shall b securely fixed
70 ~ door. and no ssat shall have more
than DIX ssats intervening between IL
ord IN aisls. and no oamp-stool shall be
placed In any aials. All aisles shall
NV - s~aDs y WYNN VI - tuCuo1 IOt
every 100 persons to be provided for.
and no'aials shall b len than feet 6
inches wide 1t IL narrowest part, and ID
shall incrsass In width toward the exit
BY q least I inch for every running
let q part thereof. Every thsater 40.
eommodaAing 800 persons shall have at
least two sxits, and whom aooommodat-
Inc 800, at least three exits must be pro-
vidsd. Al doors shall open outward,
and must b kept open during the per-
formanes. Separate exits must Be pro-
vidsd for each gallery above the first.
Al stairvays ahAll b constructed Of
Are-proof material throughout Any
steam boiler which may Be required for
heating Of o4hsr purposes shall b
placed outside the building. and the en-
gine and boiler room enclosed in walla
q solid masonry, and The ceiling shall
b constructed Of Ars-proof materials.
6tand-plpss with hose attachment are
70 b psovidsd on each floor or gallery,
ons On each sids Of the auditorium, one
% each hide at The stage. and atlsast
ons in ths property room, IL the same
b contiguous 10 The theater, the stand