Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-10

The subcommittee Of the Senate District
committee, consisting Of Senators Mcmillan,
Faulkner and Gallinger, appointed to investi-
gate the condition Of Metzerott Hall as a safe
place for public amusen,ents met ct the build
ing this morning, and, accompanied by Com
missioners Ross and Rossel and Building In
spector Entwisle, went through it from top to
bottom. Every nook. Granny and corner was
examined from the gallery to the endorsement.
The investigation was thorough one.
STRONGLY CONSTRUCTED.
As to the construction of the building there
was no dissenting opinion as regards its
strength. The walls were found to be APP
psrently thick and we'll built. and the whole
structure has been erected in a manner as
nearly fire proof is possible. There
is no more woodwork in it than most
SO considered fre-proof buildings contain.
The ceilings over the engine room, which is dis
connected from the basement of the hall
proper. Is Of terra Gotta, and the cellar arrange
ments are very good excep. under the main
in case Of fire there the flames,
it was thought, would eat up and
destroy that method Of escape The chances
of fire, though, have apparently been reduced
to minimum. There is no scenery or other
infammable material of any description in the
DANGER IN PANIC.
What danger exists would probably come
should panic be precipitated during a per-
Torrance from the many sources that can
throw q crowd of people into an uncomfortable
state Of excitement. The investigation dis
closed that in such case injury would be GER
tain to follow with the hall in it's
present condition. The greatest fault
that was found with the management
of Metzerott Hall was that they allowed it to be
used before 1t is completed. There Is a means
OF exit on F street, which could not be util-
lied until now, that the public is unaware of.
Fire escapes lead from both stories to the
ground, which were not formerly discernibie,
and had these exits been in condition for use
at recent entertainments it was thought that
the complaints would perhaps not have been SO
vigorous.
But then the whole question OF safety, as one
member OF tho committee stated, depends on
what a crowd would do that had lost its head
through fright. The exits to + street are
reached by going up fight of seven stairs to
large rooms into which both the main floor and
two rooms are each one and two stories above
the pavement and the only method of getting
to the street from them is q single stairway, the
width OF which Is not over four feet. The fire
escapes are reached by sliding up heavy wooden
doors. against which the objection was raised
tnhI III cro"u they could not De opened.
This practically left the main entrance for
consideration, as the member of the committee
referred TO said that crowd would hardly 60
upstairs in order to set out of building.
THE STAIR CONDEMNED.
The entire committee freely condemned the
stairs which lead from the main body of the
hall to the iron stairs leading to
the street. They are steep and narrow
and person with difficulty can descend
them now without the aid of the hand
rail. The opinion was unanimous that
this stairway must be broadened and length
ened. They are the worst have even seen,"
said Senator Mcmillan. Objection was also
made to the stairs from the gallery. which
empty into the lobby, on the ground of the
turn.
After the examination of the building had
been completed the members of the committee
were unwilling to formulate an opinion az to
what was necessary to be done before they had
held meeting. 1t was generally understood,
however, that the committee found the
hall in much better condition than
they had expected after the complaints
which had reached them. They believed the
greatest misjudgment had been made in OPEN
ing the hall before the other exits. which were
today shown to the committee, had been so
completed that the public could utilize them.
They suggested that at least the main stairway
from the hall should be Heightened and broad
ened and handrails run down the center.