Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-01-22
t an III wind that blows nobody goodMnneapois Journal
ENACTS NEW THEATER LAW.
Drastic Ordinance ls Passed by the
Chicago City Council.

Chicago City Council.
After working on it nearly all night
the Chicago Council passed the new the
inter- ordinance early Tuesday morning by
n vote Of Al to 8. Numerous amendments
have rendered it so stringent that its en-
forcement should make the amusement
places of the city reasonably safe for
their audiences. The new ordinance APP
plies to existing theatcrs as well as those
which are yet to be constructed.
The provisions in reference to seats,
aisles. and exits, it is believed by many
of the Aldermen, will reduce the seating
capacity on the main floor Of every thea
ter in Chicago 20 per cent and prohibit
the use Of galleries entirely. Balconies
are made impossible Of construction, in
the opinion Of some of the theater man
ayers.
The provision that is fatal to galleries
| requires that the rise between banks or
| seats shall not exceed eighteen inches.
| In the Iroquois it was twenty-five inches,
and in other theatcrs the rise Is more
| than twenty inches. The ordinance re-
| duircs balcony seats to be provided with
an aisle leading direct to an exit behind
each five rows OF seats. 1t also provides
| InnJ no fnenIcI Snal ne Hlio"Sd w 'Ai''
whose lowest bank OF seats is more than
| twelve feet above the street level
Features OF the New Law.
Important features which are cmbod-
| led in the new ordinance and for which
| the majority OF the Aldermen were
| united throughout are:
Curtain-Steel curtains are specified
(which shall be in constant use ms the
regular curtain and act drop Ashes
| tos drop was defeated.
Floor levcls-Lowest bank of seats i'll
non-treproof building cannot he higher
| than the street level. In fireproof build
ings they must not be higher than twelve
feet above the street level.
Gallery pitch--Seats in galleries can
| not have Il rise OF more than eighteen
inches between the rows Of seats.
Open spaccs-Thenters hereafter built
shall adjoin two public thoroughfa fares,
I but the audience room and stage must
be surrounded on four sides by either
open spaces or freproof passageways at
least eight feet wide in the clear.
Cross aisles-Cross nsles must be pro-
vided for every nine rows of seats in
balconies and galleries ana must run
| directly to exits.
Automatic sprinklers automatic
sprnkle4's must be installed not only over
grid-iron, rs required by old ordinances.
but around all parts of stage. dressing
rooms and under stage.
| Fire anrms--Fire alarm boxes shall
be installed on all floors on the stage and
IN ticket Office of every theater. Fire
drills must be held twice week and two
| nr mara Erap,an IntniIaI IN no.h thaut
while one police officer shall prevent
overcrowding ut each performance. All
fire apparatus shall be under control of
the fire department Fire marshal. build
ing commissioner and chief Of police are
| to have power TO close buildings ut any
| time for violations of this ordinance.
Williams or the Rack.
| Building Commissioner Williams I'M
dertooI to make m explanation before
! the coroner's jury Mt the lrouuoiS inquest
Tuesday. and FOR an hour the city build
| ing department was under Il fire of
scathng inquiry For the first time
during the inv |Stgaton the language
| guilty knowledge" Went into the rec
| ords, and those who followed the pro
ceedings were impressed with the full ex-
tent of the responsibility for the holo-
caust which tho jurors seem to place
upon that branch of The city government.
The examination of the building com
missioner was so severe that Assistant
| Corporation Counsel Rothman interfered
in defense of Mr. Williams. \ clash with
the coroner resulted and the city's repre-
sentative was told by Deputy Coroner
| Buckley to sit down.