The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-01

by accident or FOLLY one oI tnc automatic
fro alarms ON the stage Of the Providence
Opera House was sprung Tuesday night
Tho company controlling this valuable
device being thus warned of AN apparent
fire at the thcater, promptly sent in its
call 10 the fire department, its own men
going at once 10 the scene. The chief of
the fire department with some Of his men
and apparatus made all speed 10 the
theatcr but upon arrival there it was
learned that the alarm was false or If
there had been a fire it had been put out
Tho evidence, however appears TO be
posit. g that there was no fire.
Whether there had, or had not been, a
appallingly delicate one, There were
few seconds fraught with pcnding peril
and disaster The house was filed with
people, perhaps there were twelve hundred
of them The matter of saving the prop
erty OF the theater was evidently of not
tho least consequence by contrast to the
danger OF alarming the company crowded
into the house. AS matter of fact, this
particular theater is particularly well
equipped with exits. 1t is amply pre-
pared for an emergency requiring "A rapid
cmptying Of the seats We venture TO say
that no fire could get under way so rapidly
as 60 catch within its walls single
person of the largest audience tho house
can hold. Few theaters in the country
permit of so prompt a clearing rs the
there could be not tho least danger Co
life and limb from the fire, but only from
crushing possible because of needless, If
excusable, alarm and an excitement that
while IL might not be easy TO control would
yet not be justified. In this theater the
management or the fire department, would
have little need TO concern themselves
save to calm the people who for the time
being would be under their care and pro-
lection. The obligation in such case
would be imposing, and it is reasonable to
believe that the management of the house
is always alive TO this obligation when
ever its patrons place themselves in its
care.
A contemporary informs its readers that
upon the occasion of Tuesday night $50
one person in the audience and hardly any
of those on the stage itself knew of their
presence. While the play progressed with
out the slightest interruption the affair
was investigated etc. Now as
to this we understand that the chief of
the fire department is entitled
to no credit for the condition OF uncon-
scious peace and security that was main
moment. On the contrary, we are inform
cd that the chief Of the fire department
undertook To cntor the crowded audito-
rum by the main entrance despite the
evidence resulting from investigation bc
( ,rc his arrival that there was no fire ~
the evidence of his own senses that 4
there was fire at all it must have been on
the stage We are crcdibly informed thas
the chief was only restrained from entel-
ing by the most strenuous efforts and the
most earnest rcmonstrances on the part of
the employees of the house who recognized
the awful consequences that might cnsue
from the bursting into the thcater of the
fireman perhaps trailing behind them
line of hose. To our mind, the men who
stood i'm the way of the chief of our fire
department at such "A moment would have
been justified in knocking him down and
him out had less forciblc meas
ures failed To deter him from plainly
crazy headed purpose. 1t Is incredible
that "A man of the chiefs experience and
usual sound judgment should have lost
his head in way that imperilled life and
limb as, literally, the house afirc could
never have done. 1t was plainly forum
ate for the audience that the chief and
his hose cart did not get into the
house that night. Evidently had fire act
ually existed less harm would have been
done.