Arizona republican., 1904-01-07
Safety of Theaters.

The Republican the ether day print ed an editorial asking for suspen- sion by the press Of the country of judgment upon the men who had been arrested in Chicago on account of their connection with the il-fated Iro- uuois theater. It was urged in the edl- torial that while because nearly 60o lives had been lost and there was an unreasonable Clamoring for atonement' it was not yet sure that anybody was responsible for that great disaster. In the dispatches printed in this paper yesterday the coroner who has the in vestigation in charge takes the same view. It is further reinforced by the following from the conservative Pro, viderce Journal:
 It is too soon to attempt to place the responsibility for the horrible dis aster which has plunged all Chicago into mourning and sent a thrill of pity and awe through the country and, in deed. all the civilized world. Perhaps that responsibility will never be justly placed. It would obviously be unkind to add ,to the burden which the owners of the Iroquois theatcr have to bear. The house was new and its safety ap- pliances were supposed to be Of the best. No expense was spared in its construction; the theory of petty econ oryv in details doeS net seem to be.
 s- 4AI however, that all the equipment had not been supplied, and that the fire es, capes in particular were unfinished. If this be so then the theater should not have been opened for performance. There is always aa element of danger when a thousand people. more CT less. are gathered together; and only the perfection of discipline can reduce the danger to a minimum.
 The question naturally arises how far theaters throughout the country are protected from fire and whether such a tragedy as this at Chicago is possible at any moment in ether cities Upon this point there is a wide difference of opinicn. The chief of the New York fire department admits that many of the older theaters in that city are un- safe; but he dilates upon the precau- tions observed, and concludes that the chances for a serious calamity are of the slightest. There is always a fire man on duty at each house. and Cn special occasions q squad is detailed Ito 'watch the performance. The fire commissioner is less optimistic. There are, he says, no fire proof theaters in New York. The building laws have been openly defied, and only in the newer houses has any attempt been made to comply with them. Upon taking office" MT. Sturges says, "I inspected many of the theaters ana found extinguishers that had never been tested and the hose lines on the stage and in the auditorium were found to be rotten and full of holes. Chicago's terrible accident should be Q warning to New York"
 If this be the case a remedy cannot
 
 must yield to the public safety Prob ably even the houses which are not strictly fireproof could be made more secure by feasible changes. Certainly every new house should be as free from danger as human ingenuity can make il. Every passenger steamship has frequent fire drills. A like pre- caution is demanded at the theaters. At the Iroquois the asbestos curtain would not work Was this an unavoid- able accident, or had the machinery not been properly tested? The public which supports the theaters is pro foundly interested in the answer to this question. Then there is the matter of exits. These may te sufficient in ordinary circumstances, and be totally ineffective with an audience in a state of panic. The Chicago horrcr is a les son which should not pass unheeded.