New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-10
FyREPRooF CoMMoN SENSE.

y A big, brand new theatre is burned, and hun
dreds OF lives are lost. Forthwith il is pro-
tested that nobody was at fault. unless the
paniestricken victims themselves Ii was an
''act Of God" The theatre WAS as nearly fire
proof as human ingenuity and unsparing ex
penditiIre could mako it Every known device
for insuring safety was employed. The theatre
staff did all In human power to avert the ca
tastrophe. Et cetera- Whereupon unthinking
people say that there evidently can be no such
thing as a hreproof building, since this excep-
tionaliy perfect one proved 10 be so infam-
mable.
Let Us regard the matter with common sense
That theatre was not OF freproof construction
and equipment II it had been, the fire never
could have started or got under serious head
v-ay There is no hint that any pretence was
made at having freproof scenery, yet it is easy
to make scenery hreproof. and nine out Of ten
theatre fires originate in combustible scenery
But even after the scenery caught fire the au-
dsence would have been safe had hreproof
curtain been promptly dropped. 1t was not
dropped because IL stuck fast Whyf 1t is said
because the drauGht OF hot air pressed 1t against
the proscenum frame Why was there that
draughts Because the skylights over the stage
were not open TO carry the draught of thither
Why were they not open; Some say they were
nailed shut and never had been opened, even
Fundamentally. Others say nobody had been
charged with the duty OF opening them. No
matter; they were not opened. Even then the
audience might have escaped had there been
proper exits There were exits, but at eleven
OF them the doors were closed and locked. In
cidentally. the ushers and others acted badly;
the electric arc lights were not so incloSed as
10 prevent sparks from flying; there was no au-
tomato sprinkling apparatus over the stage;
and such thing as FIRE drill Of the staff was
not even dreamed Of
Instead, then. OF being freproof. ii was a fire
trap. II was filed with combustible material
which was not protected from flying sparks
there were no appliances for exdnguishing a
fire, the employees were uninstructed as to their
duty In case OF fire; there was no efficient
means CT preventing fire on the stage from
spreading to the auditorium. and speedy exit
from the auditorium was prevented rather than
facilitated To such effect, thus far is the over
widening weight OF evidence, even Of confes-
sion. FIJI half building with combustibles
overcrowd the other half with people, lock the
doors shut, set sparks to flying amid the COM
bustibles. and then. II people are killed, say II
was-an act Of God!
We do not know what the final verdict in this
case viii be, and we have no intention OF antici-
pating IL. We have only cited the testimony
thus far reported Later evidence may contra
dict IL all and show the theatre TO have been as
perfect In construction equipment and manage
rneut as Il was once declared TO be- IL so, we
shall be glad TO record that fact, and shall re-
wise our opinion concerning ireproof buildings.
When a theatre Is built OF flreproof materials
and equipped with nreproof scenery and a fire.
proof curtain, and has the lights properly