Arizona republican., 1904-01-06
THE DORRIS THEATER
Not a kenace to Life, But Some Im-
 provements Hay be Made.

The IroquOis theater tragedy that cc- cured in Chicago a few days ago has set people to thinking the world over and rightly, the authorities of every live municipality are stirring them selves to look more closely after neg lected details for the protection Of life in places where people are wont to congregate. Los Angeles and San Fran cisco are moving and other western ci- ties are doing the same. At Monday nights meeting Of the council the Phoenix building inspector was in- structed to examine the Doris theater as well as other buildings in the city
 used for the purpose of public gath
 erings.
 Inspector Norton had previously made some movement along these lines and is now engaged in a more careful inspection of the city. Asked yesterday respecting the Doris he said there is nothing about the struc7
 ture that is a present menace to life, though some improvements ought to 1 be made to comply with the building ordinances, and he understands that they will be made at once. There is nothing about the Doris theater that should startle the most nervous, for it | it is favorably situated in many ways.
 The only way in which possible loss of | life can be conceived would be through pane and that always depends on the people themselves in the event of an excitement. But if an audience keeps 1 it's head there is little danger of death i by fire or strangulation even were the | building to be wrapped in flames at
 either end. In the first place it is sei- dom that anything in the nature of
 the gas tanks employed at the Tro- | quois. and Syith such fatal results, are
 used at the Dorris and when they are
 they are small in comparison. The saf-
 ety of the Doris. however, is assured
 by the fact that it is not surrounded
 by any other large buildings There
 are windows on all sides of it that can
 be quickly opened in the event the
 house did fill with smoke or gas, and | through which people might climb if
 necessary. The main auditorium is but
 a few feet from the ground and the balcony extends clear around to the stage, making available all the win dows on the second floor. There is al- so on either side of the building a stairway outside from the balcony to 1 the ground, and if people keep their | heads, all who could be seated on that | floor could get down those stairways In very short time and would have ample air from the windows while waiting for thsr turns. The stairways. or platforms at their head should per- h1ps have stronger railings and no doubt will have soon, to prevent the excited ones from pushing the others over. These platforms might be made 1 longer to accommodate people outside the building, till the stairways could be cleared.
 The entrance to the theater complies with the law in respect to the size of the doors. On ordinary occasions there is little crush, owing to the fact that all from beth floors try to get out at once through this doorway but Tn the event of a fire large number would go through the windows. most of those above would take the balcony exits. and those who did go through the dcor would be inclined to hurry in stead of stopping in the crowd 10 dis cuss the performance. A serious crush. therefore. could hardly be imagined.
 Concerning the stage equipment it is likely that a fire proof curtain will be provided as soon as possible and the doors from the auditorium to the stage will be metal covered. There is already an air shaft over the stage though 1t may be enlarged, and there is an air shaft or skylight in the au- ditorium roof. Altogether the building is now a safer enc than other ga thering places Tn the city but the pro- posed improvements will at least be