The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-06
MANY WILL HAVE
TO BE REBUILT
Chicago theatres Must Conform
to Legal Requirements.
INQUEST BEGINS THURSDAY
THEATRICAL BUSINESS LEFT IN
BAD SHAPE.

ndlCAGO. Jan. 5.--Ihe several COM
Ii mittees. composed OF the members
of the city council appointed last
night to investigate the condition Of
the local theatres and TO report upon
what alterations are necessary to make
them conform TO the building 0rdi-
RANGES. held their first meeting today.
According 10 the statement OF Alex
ar der Friestedt one Of the members
% the committee. il is doubtful If 90
per cent Of the theatres ever viii re-
open their doors. Strict adherence TO
the building laws would require that
every ore of the play houses in the city
be of freprOof construction, and this
would require the demolition and re-
building of the majority of the the
atres.
Alderman Jones chairman of the
committee, said tonight: I'VE VIII first
revise the building ordinances. Then
we viii visit the theatres and decide
What alterations VIII be necessary 40
make the construction of the mouse COR
form TO the law. OF course the owners
o. theatres will do nothing until they
Know just exactly what tie city alder
men VIII demand Of them. but CheE viii
be Obliged 10 reconstruct their theatres
to conform with the ordinances
Alderman Friestedt declared; Some
o. the leading theatres in Chicago can
not conform to the ordinances unless
tEey are entirely rebuilt, and they may
find il too expensive to make the
changes. I 40 not believe over 50 per
cent of them viii ever open again, any
how"
Four Arrests Made.
Late this Afternoon the attorneys of
tbc fire department caused the arrest
of four employees of the Fuller Con-
structiOn company. David Jones ma
sJnry foreman and Angus Mckay. otto
Rausch and John Kingston. iron work
eTs. Attorneys for the Fuller COM
paRy took Jones. who had been sought
oy the police for several days. 10 The
fire department. 1t had been charged
tlat Jones and his men broke the sky
lights or. the theatre after the fire I'm
order to destroy possible evidence. Tt
developed today. after the arrest of
Jones AMI his men. that the skylighJs
we're blocked b. scaBtlings AID tied
with wire To prevent their opening and
that neither of them had been opened
since the theatre was built.
jones, in making his statement To the
SIRE department said. II cox the farce
ironwoFkers with Iae up through an
adjoining building ard out upon the
tie stre roof over the stage. First (
removed the wooden scautlings which
blocked the sIJylights. Then 7 found
the lights tied with wire inside and
broke two panes Of glass go set az the
wires 10 unite them. / finally got the
wires off and opened the lights"
Jones was asked why he went TO the
roof of the theatre and replied that he
had been told that the north wall had
cracked in the fire and went TO see if
it was true. He declared he had lo0s-
ened the skylights because he feared
they might fall through and injUra
somebody or. the stage.
why did you take three iron workers
with you TO inspect a brick wali2'
asked Attorney FulkeTs0n of the fire
department.
Jones was confused but finally an
swered that the men went with him
through curiosity.
Numerous witnesses who were in ad-
joining buildings overlooking the the
atre testified that the skyIights were
not open during the fire.
Inquest Thursday.
Coroner Treager said tonight that he
" as almost ready for the inquest which
VIII commence Thursday morning.
Il wish il understood" he said. that
this IS not a trial. but simply an in
curry to determine the facts of the fire
as far as we can. The CorOner's jury
viii not attempt 10 fiX the blame Of
the fire upon anybody. nor viii it rec
the punishment Of anybody. -
will simply report on the facts as it
has been able 10 gather them, and the
rest of the work VII be left for the
states attorney if it is found that there
is anything for him tC do
according to the mana gers cS the To-
ca theatres. the closing Of the pldy-
houses in this city has disarranged the
theatrical business Of the entire C0un-
try. Companies that have been booked
for this city for the neXt fortnight are
either suspended or they are being sent
to other cities, thus forcing other com
panies 20 change their routes.
Life Insurance companies object to
the statement of the coroner that I'd
verdict VIII be rendered cfter the in
guest, claiming that large sums of
money in insurance on lives OF those
who persisted I'm the theatre fire depend
for their payment on the verdict Of the
ooroEer's jury. ard attorneys for the
relatives Of.thOse VINO died declare that
a verdict should be given I'm each par
Gcular case of death in order that col
lection Of i0efTg nee NAV he nDesi BILE.