The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-27
CURTAINS OF
ASBESI0sHERE
Safety Devices Are Received for
Two Of the Leading Mime
apolis Playhouses. -
Managers Say These Practically
Complete Equipment New
Ordinance Requires.
New Measure Doesn't Scare Or.
New Measure. Doesn It Scare Or
pheum Company Criterion
May Be Dropped.

That portion of the ordinance which
applies to the four theatersr now open
specifies but two changes in the pres
ent equipment or management Of the
houses which the managers have not
anticipated. One of these involves
j, the installing Of a sprinkler system
at the top of the stage and the other
J the printing of diagrams, showing
exits from the house, in the house
program for each performance. The
managers will oppose the sprinkler
idea. -. = =,
Among those sections of the ordi-
nance which do apply to theaters now
in operation is that requiring an as
bestos curtain weighing ~ pounds to
the square yard The .Bijou and the
! Dewey theater are already supplied
with asbestos curtains. The new cur
tains for the Metropolitan and Ly-
ceum weigh over four pounds to- the
square yard. - 's%.3,5 ~
Another section demands the use ?of
metal and glass skylights over the
stage, prepared for automatic open
| ing. and the four houses are provided
| with these. Some improvement has
been made in the manner OF their
operation since the present agitation
for improved conditions IN ltheaters
| began. ss<tlg &. - > = i.
| The demand. in another section, for
L
and for hose and mechanical fire eX-
tinguishers on the stage, has also been
anticipated several years, &but none Of
| the houses is equipped with a sprin-
| kler system for the stage, and in all
probability none will be. 'c.',3 -. !
! In the matter Of exits, it is demand
ed by the ordinance that the main exit
shall be opposite the stage, that none
| shall be less than five feet wide, and
that "there shall be separate and dis
| tinct exits for the. main floor, balco-
MES and galleries, opening into COM
| mon lobby or into the street." Upon
| the Interpretation of Separate. and
distinct" depends the remodeling of at
least two buildings, but in the opinion
Of theater managers every house In
town is now so constructed as to COM
ply with the provisions Of the ordi-
nance. -, ... ,.... 49,
The other provisions intended to ap-.
ply to playhouses now open refer, to
keeping the aisles clear, installing fire
alarm systems In each theater, burn,
| ing red lights over exit doors, and
printing diagrams Of the auditorium
on house programs. and: gives the.
building inspector authority to enforce
any of it's provisions after the city
| council has, by a two-thirds vote,
turned down" formal protest on the
part Of the theater management.
...s.- New Exit at Bijou.
! BIASED on plans drawn some weeks
| ago, we are preparing to build a broad
iron stairway on the south side of the
building, leading directly from the
gallery to the ground, and will use this
| stairway as a regular exit in order to
! accustom our patrons to it," said Man
! ager Theodore Hays Of the Bijou this
morning. - -
| s'We are also preparing to use three
| different currents from the General
| Electric company for the three differ
| ent parts Of the house. These will be
| connected with a, switch board on the
i stage and in the box office, so that no
matter what happens there will be
] plenty Of light, The Iroqueis theater
lights We're all on one switch. The, red
lights over the exits and the asbestos
curtain we, have already.
D." II have no objection to printing
| house diagrams with exits marked on
| body looks at them. The sprinkler
system I will object sto,a because I
doubt it's value. 1t has been tried and
| found wanting" #
! Speers Says Sprinklers Won't Do.
We have the red lights over the
! plainly marked exits, the standpipes
and hose on the stage and in the fly
galleries, we have four exits from the
balcony leading into the lobby and one
| balcony exit leading directly into the
street, two gallery exits leading to the
| street and one to a fire escape on the
side Of the building. A fourth exit
from the gallery will be built on the
| opposite side soon,'' said Manager
Isaac speers Of the Lyceum theater.
There is no sprinkling system in
! the house and doubt if any such
ie.r >y1f lit
at the top of the stage is 80 feet from
| the floor and before water from it got
| very far it would be turned into steam.
lit was tried in st. Louis and thrown
out"
+ The Metropolitan and Lyceum are
I equipped with both alternating and d.
rect currents in such manner that
| it. would be almost impossible to
throw the house into total darkness,
as+was done in the Iroquois theater..
| Orpheum Not@Affected. ~.
| Walter L. Badger, agent for the Or
pheum Circuit company, which will
build the Orpheum theater On Seventh
street this year, said: while 7 have
not read the ordinance carefully, I
company would rather build too we'll
than not good enough. There should
be no objection to our using portion
/ of our front for stores. because we
have gallery. stairs leading directly. to
the street, and the lot is too deep to
utilize for theater purposes only, hit
the construction will be as thoro q D
d the ordinance demands
! - Mr. Hays offered the same objection
to rem owing from tfaesaBijou building
the business places between the audi
i forum and the street .dltho such
places are prohibited by the: ordi-
A nance. .
Criterion May Be Dropped.
/ The Criterion Theater company will
have to drop. its. plan for building a
new theaters and office building il the
proposed. building ordinance goes
thru. An officer said to-day that
4 without the possibility of any revenue,
except from the theater business, and
i with this cut down by the aisle ar
i raIgement suggested there would be
d no USE in going into the business. The
8 company had planned, put in much
1 more money than originally intended
4 and had selected an expensive SITE
+ The president has appointed delegates to the
Universal Congress of Lawyers and Jurists, to
" meet in st. Louis next September.
The house committee on postoffices and post
roads has authorized favorable report on the
resolution of Mr.. Tawney of Minnesota asking for
/. information as to the number and ~condf ton Of
ro{ IN, 1,rS1 &