The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-07
BUILDING CODE
AMENDMENTS READY
Committee on Public Safety
Frames Rules for Theaters,
Halls and Churches.

All buildings for public gatherings
are included in the amendments to the
building code completed by the coun-
ell committee on public safety yester-
day, and the city engineer and cor
poratfon attorney We're instructed to
prepare the ordinance at once that it
may be formally introduced in the
council.
Theaters, halls and churches must
all conform to the regulations, al
though the theater managers induced
the committee to rescind the provision
requiring automatic sprinklers Aid.
Corning alone voted in the negative on
TINS proposition, those voting in the
affirmative being Assemblymen Whit
comb Rosen and Haas. Aid. Dahlquist,
Corporation Attorney Michael and CITY
Engineer Rundlett.
l.. N. Scott, for the METROPOLITAN
opera house, and T. L. Hays, for the
Grand opera house, appeared before
the committee and argued against the
proposed enforcement of the provision
requiring the installation Of automatic
hre extlngu1shers, contending that
while there would be considerable ad-
dluonal expense the automatic ar
rangements would not lessen the dan
ger from fire. In addition it was urged
the extinguisher might be set in action
by other means than heat, with the
possible result that valuable scenery
and property would be destroyed.
1t often happens" said Mr.. Scott,
that there are as many as a hundred
persons on the stage Of whom the
management of the theater knows lit
tie or nothing and some Of whom are
more or less Irresponsible It would
be possible for them to do a great
amount of unnecessary harm by turn
ing on the sprinkler"
Prefers Hose and Stand Pipes.
"And besides this" urged Mr.. Havs.
Il believe that better protection can
be secured by the use of hose and
stand pipes, as in this manner the wa
ter can be thrown Where it is most
needed. In the case Of the sprinkler
the water would be evenly distributed"
Automatic sprinklers are doubtless
a great thing for commercial houses"
urged Assemblyman Whitcomb, but
IN theater l believe that if one was
turned loose there would be a STAN
pede and possibly loss of life"
Aid. Corning thought as the engineer
and the building inspector had made a
special study of the question their rec
concentrations should be accepted, but
corporation Attorney Michael said that
1t would be better to eliminate the
provision than to run the risk of hav-
ing the amendments defeated.
Inc provisions as adopted require, in
ADDITION to the precautions heretofore
enforced, that there shall be as many
stand pipes in the theaters as are de-
manded by the engineer; that the
building inspector must make a month
ly inspection of the theaters and report
IN writing to the engineer; the engi-
neer can at any time demand a test
or the asbestos curtain; no theater can
De opened without permission from the
engineer, and with the consent of the
mayor and the chief Of police any
theater can be closed; employees must
be instructed as to what should be
done in case of fire; red lights must
be displayed in front of marked exits,
the total of which must be equal to
eighteen inches for each 100 people ac-
commodated in theater.
Fireproof Walls in Churches.
All churches seating more than 500
people, whose main audience room
shall be situated at such a height above
the street as to require stairways to
reach the main exit, shall have such
staircase separated from the auditO-
rum room by a fireproof wall. The
stairways shall be of fireproOf con-
structiOn, including those leading from
the galleries.
In the case of public halls the same
general provisions apply as to thea
ters, requiring that all exits and fire
escapes be marked and lighted. All
halls must secure a permit from the
city engineer, and this permit must be
prominently posted. A penalty of q
fine as high as 500 will be imposed if
a greater number of persons than is
named in the permit are allowed to
cOngregate in the hall.
All stairways in hotels and lodging
houses must not only conform in width
and otherwise to the provisions of the
code, but in all cases where more than
thirty guests can be accommodated, it
is required that red lights be displayed
at all stairways and exits at night.