The Morris County chronicle., 1903-10-02
LYCEUM HALL
IMPROVEMENTS
Plan Proposed by Friday Even
ing Club, Adopted By
Lyceum Trustees.
PUBLIC MUST RAISE MONEY
the Friday Evening Club Has been
doing Good Work. Opposed at First
by Lyceum Authorities. Plan Pro
vides for new Exit to south street.
Additional Exit from Gallery.

Dy ISCouiu AubHOEltlSS. ran ITO
vides for new Exit to south street.
Additional Exit from Gallery.
Since the meeting in May last.
when the Friday Evening Club voted
unanimously to adopt the resolutions
prepared by the special committee
appointed to investigate the safety
of the Lyceum Hall, and were ''re-
quested and directed to urge that
report upon the trustees of the
Lyceum for consideration and action''
and "take such further measures as
may seem to them desirable or neces-
sary"-much has been accomplished
1t will be recalled that the report
made by the special committee
Messrs. Waller, Foote and Revere)
proposed two additional exits from
the main floor of the auditorium,
either from the lobby or the audito-
rum itself, to platforms and iron
staircases, one on each side of the
building also from the gallery stair
cases to connect with those below
Though it was not at all apparent
to the committee of the trustees of
the Library and Lyceum at the meet
ing which was held May % TAT which
the special committee was present J
that the objections raised by the
report were valid, or could under any
circumstances be remedied, or that
the building was unsafe, except from
membranes in the passageways by
trunks and paraphernalia connected
with sundry exhibitions, yet the
Lyceum committee later took the
matter under consideration and
appealed to experts, Mr.. Unruh and
Others, and the outcome is definite
plan. This is described by the Ly-
ceum committee in their proposition
to the special committee thus:
A wide, easy, inclosed iron stair
case opening at floor level through
the northwest window of the main
orchestra floor lin the auditorium
and leading to the sidewalk of South
street. This will be built in the wide
vacant space between the Lyceum
and the Babbitt building. The plat
forms are wide and at convenient
distances from each other and the
turns are easy. The stairway will
have convenient handrail and be
lighted at night by electricity.
Second, an additional staircase lead
ing from the gallery of the hall to the
main orchestra (auditorium) floor.
Third, Side-rail to the present gal
lery stairs and new and strong newell
posts at the head of each of the divid-
ing rails of the present stairways.
Fourth, an automatic mode of open
ing the outside doors of the two stair
ways adjoining the stage.
Then more stringent rules will be
made for keeping these stairways and
their platforms as free from incum-
brances as possible. Lighting the
stage by electricity. The
furnaces and smoke and heat pipes
thoroughly examined care
fully overhauled, renewed wherever
necessary and put in perfect order,
using asbestos wherever it is wise to
do so in order to protect the wood
work
This gives an entirely new line of
staircase from the gallery to the side
walk-four feet wide to the auditorium
floor from the gallery and at least five
feet wide from the auditorium down
to the sidewalk thereby almost doub-
ling the exit facilities in ordinary use.
The cost of these Improvements will
be So, 500.
The plans and specifications were
carefully gone over by the special
committee, which reported to the
executive committee favorably, ap-
proving the plans, though some of the
recommendations made had not been
carried out in any way. There seemed
good reasons to postpone any insist
ence upon certain of the special com
mittees requests.
However the very substantial bene-
fits proposed in these alterations and
additions, which are clearly the result
of the Friday Evening Clubs action
and efforts, are so greatly advantage
Gus and gives such greatly increased
security for everyone attending the
meetings, whether Friday Evening
Club or any other entertainment, that
the special committee recommended
the executive committee at their last
meeting to accept and approve the
proposition, whichiit did unanimously.
1t also begged the trustees of the Lii
brary and Lyceum to expedite the
above changes.
The directors of the Library and Ly-
ceum report that there is not in their
possession or control any money to
meet the expenditure. The executive
committee of the Friday Evening Club
does not feel that the club should be
responsible for this improvement. Mr..
Foote, who has served on the execu-
tive committee and the special com
mittee, has volunteered in the most
public spirited way to do what he can
to raise the necessary So 800, and with
the support of the special committee
(of which he is a member), will pre-
sent the matter to the public and ask
contributions to carry out the above
Improvements which are so clearly a
public benefit
Subscriptions for this fund can be
sent to Mr.. Robert ID. F0ote, who will
act as treasurer.
AS the Improvements cannot be car
ried out until the money is in sight,
the public should make their sub
scriptions freely and Immediately, All
this work evidently cannot be accom-
plished before the meeting in October,
but it is hoped to have the contract
let before the next meeting, October
23rd. and the.mprovements completed
before the November meeting of the
Friday Evening Club.