Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-01-26
BLOW TO CHICAGO TAeArgRs.
City Council adopts Rigorous Rule ON
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City Council adopts Rigorous Rule ON
Conditional ReopeniuE.
The Chicago City Council Tuesday
night adopted a resolution permitting the
reoncning of theaterS under certain CON
GitionS. but so rigorous are the specified
prerequisites that in the opinion of the
alter managers they cannot he complied
with in less than from three to six
months. This means the nlayhouses viii
remain claSeu Tor M indefinite period.
Over S5W,0i0 expenditure for repairs
viii be required under the new ordi-
nance. This is the estimate of thtater
managers AMI il does not include the
amount which will lie expended for the
entire rebuilding OF at least one theater.
Three theaters are closed certainly and
five others have almost admitted that
they would be forced TO suspend. The
number which viii enot be able to open
has been estimated Mt from one-half to
six-sevenths.
The resolution demands first of all the
installation of a steel fire curtain instead
of an asbestos drop. an automatic
sprinkler system, the filing of a So, leo
bond to insure observance Of the oldi-
nance. Encouragement of seats and aisles
necessitating the outlay of thousands of
dollars and the cutting down of the seat
ing capacity of practically every theater
in the city.
The resolution applies to such theaters
as agree to comply with the provisions
of the new ordinance not later than Aug.
l. 1904. date which the managers say
will find few if any theaters in readiness
to invite inspection. The Mayor, the
Commissioner of Buildings and sub
committee of six Aldermen will pass on
the condition of theaters
That the new ordinance will cause ex-
pense is not all 1t cuts down revenue
There are few theaters which will be
able to use more than two floors for
many months, and many, even of the
best, may abandon the gallery perman-
emily. One result Of this will reach the
theater patron directly. The price of
theater tickets is almost certain TO be
increased. 1t is said that 50 and $3.50
as standard price for seats is likely
to be advocated by the managers and
that the low priced houses win make
corresponding increases.
The small cities surrounding Chicago
will be better paying theatrical towns
than Chicago, it is said by some of the
managers.
Lack Of Inspection.
Investigation of the coroner's jury in
the Iroquois inquest was directed We'd
nesday chiefly to fixing the number of
people who We're in attendance at the
fatal matinee and to establish the rela
tive responsibility of the Bluebeard COM
pany and the theater management for
the conditions existing in the playhouse
at the time of the fire. The coroner has
called upon city officials of the proper
department to explain why the electrical
equipment of the dangerous production
on the stage had not been inspected
The two witnesses heard during the
morning session were Business Manager
Edward Price of the Bluebeard com
pany, representing Klaw & Erlanger,
and Fred VI. BrackebuSh, assistant
treasurer of the Inflated theater. The
former placed the responsibility for the
house conditions upon the theater com
pany, None of the electrical equipment
of the company, he swore, had passed in
spection in Chicago.
Thomas j. Noonan, business manager
of the theater, who was in direct charge
Of the management of the house, admit
ted to the coroner that he never had read
the city ordinances pertaining to thea
tiers, and expressed surprise that many
customary acts were in violation of the
city regulations. In effect, he said that
no attention to municipal laws was given
by theater owners or managers unless a
comnlaint was made by deDartment all-
thOritieS
The work of ghouls, who shielded evil
dence of their lust by pretenses Of as
sistance and stripped yaluables from the
victims of the Iroquois disaster, has been
exposed by the arrest of three men who
have given written confessions that they
took 500 and watch from woman
who had died but a moment before they
found the money. Many complaints of
similar robberies have been made.