The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-15
UNPARDONABLE NEGLECT.
The New York Times says:

The New York Times says:
Curious reasoning is displayed by the
Augusta (Ga) Chronicle" when it
says: The size of the audiences that
We're permitted to gather in st. Johns
Church few weeks ago was reckIesslE
hazardous. a fire in the church or its
immediate vicinity during one Of those
meetings would have resulted in ter
rible loss Of life and bodily injury to
many. Not only every seat in the
church was occupied, but every aisle
was filled With chairs, and in case Of a
panic there would have been a complete
blockade and a serious tragedy. We
did not oppose this during the meet
ings. because we did not want to be
open to the criticism of doing any
thing to initiate against their sue
cess, but we did intend to call atten-
ton to the matter as soon as they
ended 1t is difficult to see why the
exercise of common sense and regard
for local regulations for the protec-
ton of the public should not be en-
forced upon those who are conducting
revival meetings the same as upon
other people. a crowd is a crowd, no
matter for what purpose those COM
llbSAnS IL nave dSSeIlDitQ. anu II 10 al
ways subject to the temporary madness
known as panic. Recognition of this
fact should not. and probably would
not, expose any paper to the charge of
initiating" against church work or
workers.
We have quoted this editorial COM
ment from the Times" in full, be-
cause it applies with peculiar force to
a situation in Sacramento that ought
to engage the attention of the author
tiles, if it is possible for them to with
draw their thought sufficiently long
from pumps and purchase of munich
pal machinery to consider the exposure
of the lives Of the people to unusual
risks through insufficient exits from
or non reinforcement of the law against
chairs in aisles.
The structure used most generally
for concert and lecture purposes in this
city is the Congregational Church. 1t
has a very large auditorium with
fixed VS. and one broad and two or
binary aisles. The normal seating ca
pacity is about 200, but as is very fire.
quently done over 900 people are
crowded into the room by placing
chairs in the aises and inner lobby,
and filing the hooks and corners of the
gallery with loose seats. The exits from
the gallery with it's narrow aisles are
but two, and are steep. narrow, wind
ing stairways. scarcely wide enough for
a broad-shouldered person. These ex-
its discharge on either side directly in
front OF doors opening from the side
aisles of the auditorium and into a
narrow. confined lobby. The central
and broader aisle opens into the lobby,
of a short fight Of steps leading to a
lover landing in the tower entrance;
from that there are steps TO the side
walk. There are doors from the side
exits Of the lobby direct to steps lead
ing to the walk each side of the tower.
None of the interior or auditorium ex-
its are broad enough There is no
other exit than at the front. save a
very narrow one broken by steps lead
ing TO the pastors study. Yet with a
thousand people packed into that
church, with some 300 loose chairs in
TIE aisies. and lobby. with go Of the
people in the rear gallery, with loose
seats in the corners and winding belfry
steps for exit ways, what would fol-
low in that church in case Of anything
happening to start panic? The ex-
pected does happen The panic will
come. There win be a conjunction OF
events that win give US a horror" one
OF these days that viii make somebody
morally guilty Of murder.
The Record Union" has repeatedly
for years called attention to the facts
we have here set forth. but has not
before treated them editorially. We
cannot longer neglect the duty to dc
so. however, and warn all interested
that they are playing with fire. For
two or three years this journal called
attention to a similar condition at the