Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-29
rARKE OPERA HOUSE, Joaxsrowy, PA

PARKE OPERA HOUSE, JoHNSrowS, PA.
In fact, IL Is safe % assert that In most Of
the great theatre disasters Of the past, loss Of
life could have been averted if the audiences
had kept cool. Several terribly fatal panics
have occurred when there was no fire nor no
danger. Some fool cried "Fire!' and in an
instant there wa a nal scramble for the ex-
its. Not long ago some scpers in the Lyceum
theatre IN New York raised a great dust by
sweeping up fallen plastsring. The audience
thought it WIS smoke, aud went wild imme-
distely. Hal it not bcon for the admirable
provisions for exit and the cool headcdness
OF one OF two, there would have betn another
''fatal panic 10 record IN the newspapers.
Quite the opposite Of this event was one
which occurred nearly a year ago in Harlem.
In this case there really was a fire, and in
plain view Of the audience, too; but nobody
seemed 10 be frightened, nobody screamed,
no women tainted. and the irenen went In
and trained their hose OF the flaming scenery
and put the fire out, while the audience sat
still and looked on ms If il were a part Of the
play. Afterwards the play went IN. This
is probably the only case Of its KIND on rec
ord. That audience must have been made
up Of unusually sensible people.
The question, "How can theatres be made
safer after one reads Of the horrors Of the
past and imagiDes those that the future may
have in store, is naturally Of absorbing in
terest. To accomplish this the audience must
not only be protected from FIRE but must be
protected from itself. In a great assemblage
the first thought Of nine hundred aud ninety
nine people Ia n thousand, when the slightest
cause for anxiety occurs, Is Of him or herself.
Ordinary courage seems 10 be Of 40 avail In
snch circumstances; judgment dies 70 the
winds aud common sense Is instantly forgot
ten.
For these reasons, Che only way Ia which
absolute safety could be attained would he b
hnyp theatre w built that doors 10 the street
o. court yards could open directly IRON the
auditorium on az least two sldes-to have
matters 30 arranged, In fact, thnt two whole
sides Of the auditorium could be practically
removed az a moments notice. Tho is not
al oil lmprshle, for IL has bNan dou1. One
or two tbcatr0s in New York are 20 arranged,
and it l. sald that n small theatre u buffalo
is provided With a co%ntriyanco 10y which
wide doors along ~ side and the front Of
the auditorium can be thrown open simulta-
neously by pulling a lever on the stage or IN
the lobby. Provisions Of this kind would
take care q the people on tho main floor, you
say, but whit would become Of thoae in the
galleries. That "a n question that remains 10
be answered
Fire escapes ave not yet been invented
which provide perfect safety In theatre gal
leries. therefore, In the ideal theatre, there
should be no galleries To build n theatre
without galleries at the present time would
bs an innovation, and would probably not be
a success, from a financial standpoint, in or
binary circumstances For that reason IL Is
mot probable that such theatres will become
common very soon. One Will be built before
long on Fifth avenue, New York, hut excln-
siysnes, and not safety Is the end sought Tor
IN this case.
Notwithstanding the fact that perfection
has not yet been reached In safety appliances
for theatre, many things In that line have
become common which would have been de-
cidod novelties ten years ago. Dozens OF
theatres have asbestos or iron curtains, which
can 10 lowered at q moments notice, and