Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-14
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS-
senator McMillan's Bill for tho Better Pre-
lection of Life and Property.

Mention was made in yesterdays STAR Of the
bill for the better protection Of life and prop
er.y introduced by Senator Mcmillan. II is a
measure of great importance and deals mi
nutely with everything pertaining to the con-
struction Of theaters and public halls.
Section 8 provides that every public build
ing hereafter erected, and every building here
after altered to be used as public building, in
addition to all other provisions applicable to
such buildings. shall have at least ono frontage
| for its entire height of at least one ontire
side Of the auditorium and Hobbies, passages
and stairways of exit on that side, on street.
court or open passage way fifteen feet or more
! wide, and at least two-thirds OF the entire
width of exits and entrances shall open on to
suca street. court or passage way; shall have
| the doors, halls, corridors, lobbies, stair ways
| passages and aisles wide. direct and so con-
| structed aud arranged as to afford easy egress
| for the occupants under all circumstances; and
exits and entrances shall, as far as practicable,
be identical, shall have all doors open outward
and Of tho full width of the
passages from which they open; shall have tho
passages of exit and stairways at least fvo fee.
wide and OF an aggregate capacity IN width Of
not less than twenty inches for each 100 per-
sons that said building may at any time con-
| tain. This provision to apply to the exits
from each division, gallery or compartment Of
| such building, as well as to the exterior opoa-
| ings; shall have the corridors, Hobbies, stair
ways. passages and aisles of equal or increasing
width toward the exits and without any projec
| tion into thcm within six feet of the floor;
snail have tine halls corridors doort, stairways.
seats and aisle5 arranged "a to facilitate
egress, and as the building inspector may ap-
prove; and shall have all pipes and apparatus
| used in heating or lighting and all lights pro-
tected to the satisfaction of the building in
| spector; and shall have such fire service and
| apparatus for the extinguishment Of fire as the
building inspector and chief engineer OF the
fire department may deem necessary. All exits
from any public building shall be opened Tor
| the use of every departing audience.
The bill then goes on to provide that no tenn
porary seats or other distractions shall DO
allowed in any aisle, passaseway of exit or en-
trance or stairway Of public building. and no
person shall DO allowed to stand or remain
therein whilo the building is in use.
All partitions Of public buildings inclosing
the stairways. Hobbies and corridors or separate
ing them from auditorium or ante rooms shall
be OF brick masonry or Of heavy studding.
brick-noSged throughout or otherwise made
non-combus.iblo.
The rise Of stairs of public buildings shall not
exceed seven and one-haIf inches nor the going
be less than ten and one-half inches. No wind
ers less than seven inches vice at the narrow
est end or flights Of less than three steps shall
be introduced, anu there shall be q full landing
TO at least every fifteen steps.
Every approach Or exit ola public building,
under or through any other building, shall have
solid brick walls and the floors shall be of an
proved incombustible and Gre-resisting ma
terials. and there shall be no openings through
said walls. floors or ceilings.
No ooile-, furnace, engine or heating appa-
ratus, except steam pipes and radiators shall
be located under the auditorium nor under
any passage or stairway Of ext. of q public
building.
Tie lights for the rear of the auditorium and
Tor all passages and stairways of exit of every
public building shall be independent of the
lights OF the rest of the auditorium and plat
form, and shall be SO arranged that they cam
not be turned down or off from the platform.
Every building hereafter built or altered. to
be used as a theater, for dramatic, operate or
other similar performances, involving the use
OF fixed stage, with movable or shifting scon-
cry. curtains and machinery, shall be . brick
building, and be of fre-resisting construction
throughout, SO far the nature of its uses will
permit, and, in addition to all other provisions
applicable to public building. shall have the
highest par. of main floor of auditorium not
more than seven feet above the sidewalk Of the
open street, court or passageway on which the
main door OF exit shall be located: shall have at
least two independent exits for each division,
compartment or gallery of the auditorium, and
for each gallery or division above the first
floor shall have independent Btairways and
such stairways and exits shall be located as far
apart practicable. The lobbies shall be sep
arated from the auditorium by brick or other
fre-resisting walls, and all walls, floors and
landings of stairways and all stairs shall be Of
lncombustible materials, and all doors from
auditorium to Hobbies and stairways shall be of
metal-covered wood and self-closing. There
shall be lobbies adjoining each division of the
auditorium sufficiently large to furnish stand
ing room for all persons that such division may
at any time contain.
In addition to the exits hezeinbefore re-
quired for all public buildings there shall be
provided If practicable, for every theater direct
exits from the main floor Of auditorium to a
street, court or open passageway; and these
exits shall be provided with such light doors or
sashes, opening outward and secured only ON
the inside, may readily be forced open in
case Of fire or panic.
The stage of every theater shall be separated
from the auditorium by. brick wall sixteen
inches thick or its equivalent, which wall shall
extend the entire width of the building and
from ground to roof and from ground to stage
floor and be topped out as party wall There
shall be no openings through this wall except
the curtain opening and not more than two
others, to be located at the level of or below
the stage; these latter openings shall not ex-
coed twenty-one superficial feet each and shall
have timed wood, self-closing doors. securely
hung to rabbets in the brick work.
The wall over the curtain opening Of every
theater shall be carried by brick arch, or by
an iron truss girder; and if truss or girder is
used it shall be covered by materials non con-
ductive of heat and a girder shall be spanned
by sufficient relieving arch of brick in cement.
The roof trusses of every theater shall be
covered with incombustible material; the finish
or decorative features around the curtain OPEN
ing, all scenery, curtains and exposed wood
work OF the stage shall be thoroughly covered
or saturated, If practicable, with fre-resisting
material approved by inspector.
All scene docks, carpenter or property shops
and wardrobes of every theater shall be sepa-
rated from stage, auditorium and dressing
room divisions by solid brick walls not less
than twelve inches thick, with no openings to
the auditorium or dressing room divisions; and
all openings to the stage shall have timed
wood, self-closing doors, securely hung on
rabbets in the brick work.
Rooms for the use Of employees shall be To-
catod in secure positions and shall have at least
two independent exits, as remote from tho
stage as practicable.
There shall be at least two two-inch-high
service standpipes on the stage of every tho
alter, with ample provision of hose and nozzles
at each level of the stage on each side. and the
water shall be kept turned on during the occu-
pancy of the building. The proscenium OPEN
ing shall be provided with u two-and-one-half-
inch perforated onpipe, go constructed that in
case OF an emergency it will form o complete
water curtain for the entire proscenium OPEN
ing, and there shall be such additional fire ap-
paratrs and perforated iron pipes or automatic
sprink.ers as tho building inspector and chief
engineer OF the fire department shall direct.
Said pipes shall DO supplied witt, water by
high-prcssure service, and be at all times ready