The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-09
MAYOR OUTLINES
SAFETY PLANS
MAKES NUMEROUS SUGGESTIONS
ON PUBLIC AUDITORIUMS.
The Council Will Get Busy ut Once,
Alderman Holmes Having Already
Served Notice of the Introduction
of New Ordinance.

Minneapolis is on the way to obtain
an effective and modern ordinance
safety of public auditoriums. At the
council meeting last evening the re-
port of Mayor j. G. Haynes on the
,theater and public hall inspection was
followed by notice from Alderman c.
B. Holmes that, at the next regular
meeting Of the council, he would in
troduce an ordinance covering the
whole subject Of the construction and
protection Of places Of amusement and
public buildings. Building Inspector
j. G. Houghton also sent in the fol-
lowing communication which sug-
gests a broad field of action for him
self and the city council:
l respectfully request that committee
be appointed from your honorable body to
assist and advise me in the preparation
Of an ordinance, to be presented to the
council for its consideration, governing
the erection, construction, alteration,
maintenance and remodeling of buildings
used or intended to be used for theaters,
opera houses, auditoriums halls and all
buildings used for public assemblages of
any kind and for whatever purpose, and
to provide for the proper equipments with
exits and stationary fire apparatus of all
buildings now and hereafter built for such
purposes; also to. provide for proper exits
and fire protection in department stores,
factories, etc., now and hereafter erected.
The Mayors Report.
I The report from Mayor Haynes
went into the general subject of thea
ter protection quite exhaustively and
contained some exceedingly valuable
suggestions, The mayor explained
also why he had not complied with the
| request OF the Commercial club to
close certain amusement houses in the
city until they had compiled with GER
tain regulations for safety. The ex-
PLANTATION appeared to be satisfactory
for the council did nothing beyond re-
| ceiVing the communication from the
| mayor. 80.
The mayors communication is as
! follows: -.rs. =:
To the Honorable City Council: Gentle
| men-It is unnecessary to remind you
of the grave responsibility which rests
upon all representatives of the people to
| insure the public safety as perfectly as
possible. This is especially true in view
Of the recent holocaust in the Iroquois
theater at Chicago wherein nearly 600
lives were sacrificed in a few brief mo-
ments.
In the presence of this awful event and
it's impressive lesson the public conscience
has been stirred to the utmost and public
opinion suddenly formed demanding that
no means shall be spared to prevent SINH
lar catastrophes elsewhere. Protection to
human life is of the first Importance and
all commercial considerations must yield
in behalf Of this great principle.
! feel that the members Of your honor
able body will fuIYg agree with me in the
sentiments above expressed and that you
+ are fully sensible Of the, vital Importance
of taking immediate steps to prevent the
possibility of any like disaster in our own
midst. s.
4 The purpose of this communication is tc
formally advise you, Of the steps which
have already taken preparatory to your
4 own consideration Of the subject at hand
On the 9TH inst ereeeiYed a formal re-
quest from the Public affairs committee Of
the Commercial club to issue instructions
that every place Of entertainment in the
city should be closed until such time a:
it should have been proved to my salts
faction by a special commission appointed
for the purpose that such places of, enter
:. tainment had complied with all existing
laws governing the same,,f -. - -
No Criminal Neglect Found. :
I had previously satisfied myself tina
: while the safety of all our places Of publ,
, entertainment might be improved and il
some instances greatly SO, still none 0
them had been guilty Of a semblanc
of the gross and criminal neglect revealed
in the case Of the Chicago theater. I ais,
knew that the managers Of the variou
theaters had increased the vigilance AM
: improved their appliances for extinguish
lS IIcS pIOIlptlv, anu llSIC0 UeoIH0u j
very safe to allow them to run pending
the preliminary investigation / therefor
considered that it would be an arbitrar
exercise of power and an undue hardshi
, upon both owners and employees to compe
= a general closing.
S request above referred to formed a com
It mission consisting Of the building in
i spector, chief of the fire department, fir
) marshal, superintendent of police, a com
: mittee from the Commercial club an
myself and said commission proceeded a
& once to make thoro and personal in
- Ispection of the following buildings: TIL
g Metropolitan, Bijou,, Lyceum, Dewey, Co
= lumbia and Park theaters, the Dime MI
:, scum and the Penny Arcade. The com
=, mttee also inspected the Information;
Il auditorium, the Swedish Tabernacle
-, Dana hall, Simonson's hall and Unto
> temple. These were all that the commit
; tee was able to cover prior to your regr
) lar meeting tonight, but the com1nissio
agreed that it's investigations should k
IS continued to extend to other classes
buildings notably department store
5 lodging houses, hotels, churches, schoo
IS houses, public halls and all other place
;. which demand attention. Wherever "
y called we were received with unifor
RI courtesy and afforded all information d.
[. sired.
- Measures Agreed Upon.
y. The commission met at the mayors O.
=, flee this morning and. spent the entil
= forenoon canvassing the situation an
+ agreed to the following regulations to al
ply to all theaters in the city:
First-Fire wall between stage and aug
itorium with all openings fireproof.
l. Second-Non- combustible drop curta
of asbestos or, Steel to be worked bot
4 above and below.
N Third-Large skylight over stage a
If ranged to open automatically or by M
J. chanical devise from the stage.
w Fourth-System Of so-called dry spri1
- klers directly under the roof and over II
= flies, with outside connections for fire d
g partment
va Fifth-Increased number Of fremt
!. present at every entertainment, especial
, at matinees and when performances r
h quiring large amount of scenery and fiji
- occupy the boards.
Shakespeare system of lights to ]
used If regular system fails to operate.
Seventh-Provide fire standpipes in eat
Of the theaters. having both balcony al
gallery, to be located under direction
- chief of fire department.
Eighth-Compel fire tests Of all hose
20 least annually, and require same to be III
lie reeled and used every two weeks.
at Ninth-So far as practicable require {
is emergency exits onto alleys and the fir
s. floor to be thrown open regularly at tt