Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-01-27
sLow nc cHIcAeo THEATERs.
City Council Adopts Rigorous Ru;e on
Cond itionaI Reopening.

Conditional Reopening.
The Chicago City Council Tuesday
night adopted a resolution permitting the
reopening Of tbeaters under certain con-
ditions, but so rigorous are the specified
prerequisites that in the opinion Of the
alter managers they cannot be complied
with In less than from three TO six
months. This means the playhouses will
remain closed for an indefinite period.
over $5O0,000 expenditure for repairs
will be required, under the new ordi-
nance. This is the estimate Of theater
managers and il does not include the
amount which will be expended for the
entire rebuilding of at least one theater
Three theaters are closed certainly and
!ye others have almost admitted that
the- would be forced to suspend. The
numper which will not be able to open
has been estimated at from one-haf to
six-sey enths.
The resolution demands first of all the
installation of steel fire curtain instead
of an asbestos drop, an automatic
sprinkler system, the fling of a $4,000
bond to insure observance of the ordi-
nance, Encouragement Of seats and aisies
necessitating the outlay OF thousands of
dollars and the cutting down OF the seat
ing capacity Of practically every theater
in the city.
The resolution applies to such theaters
as agree to comply with the provisions
Of the new ordinance not later than Aug.
|, 1904, date which the managers say
viii find Jew il any theaters in readiness
TO invite inspection. The Mayor, the
Commissioner of Buildings and a sub
committee of six Aldermen will pass on
the condition of theaters.
That the new ordinance win cause ex-
pense is not all. 1t cuts down revenue.
There are few theaters which will be
able to use more than two floors for
many months. and many, even Of the
best, may abandon the gallery perman-
emily. One result of this will reach the
theater patron directly. The price of
theater tickets is almost certain to be
increased, 1t is said that 81 and $3.50
as rtandard price for seats is likely
to be advocated by the managers and
that the low priced houses will make
corresponding increases.
The small cities surrounding Chicago
will be better paying theatrical towns
thar Chicago, it is said by some Of the
managers.
Lack Of Inspection.
Investigation of the coroner's jury in
ire Iroquois inquest was directed We'd
nesday chiefly TO fixing the number of
people who were in attendance at the
fatal matinee and to establish the rela-
tive responsibility of the Bluebeard COM
pany and the theater management for
the conditions existing in the playhouse
at the time of the fire. The coroner has
called upon city officials of the proper
department to explain why the electrical
equipment of the dangerous production
on the stage had not been inspected.
The two witnesses heard during the
morning session were Business Manager
Edward Price, of the Bluebeard com
pany, representing Klaw q Erlanger,
and Fred NJ. Brackebush, assistant
treasurer of the Inflated theater. The
former placed the responsibility for the
house conditions upon the theater COM
pany. None of the electrical equipment
of the company, he swore, had passed in
spection in Chicago.
Thomas j. Noonan. business manager
of the theater, who was in direct charge
of the management of the house, admit
ted to the co"oner that he never had read
the city ordinances pertaining to thea
tiers. and expressed surprise that many
customary acts were in violation of the
city regulations In effect, he said that
no attention to municipal laws was given
by theater owners or managers unless a
complaint was made by department au-
thorities.
The work of ghouls, w.o) shielded evi-
dence Of their lust by pretenses of as
sistance and stripped valuables from the
victims Of the Iroquois disaster, has been
exposed by the arrest of three men who
have given written confessions that they
took 500 and a watch from woman
who had died but a moment before they
found the money. Many complaints u
similar robberies have been made