The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-01-05
Theater Managers Vainly Entreat
Permission to Open Lower
Floors of Their Houses.
IR0QU0IS USHER is ARRESTED.
Witnesses Assert That Skylight
Above Stage Was Smashed
by Construction Compa-
ny Employees the Day
After Disaster.

Chicago. Jan. 4.-After tonight It will
FOR some weeks at least. be practically i'm
possible to hold a public meeting of any
kind in Chicago outside of churches.
Building Commissioner Williams to-
night Issued an order closing all public
halls, dance halls and Turnverein halls
and all similar places of public assem-.
blage until an inspection has shown that
they are complying with all provisions OF
the building ordinance.
As there are upward of 400 halls in Chi
cago. ranging in size from those that will
accommodate fifty persons up to those
with seating capacity of 500, this order
will affect probably as many persons as
the theater closing order. Protests were
numerous. but the Building Commissioner
was inhexible. He said:
Many of these halls are worse than
any theater in Chicago. Some OF them are
put up with no restrictions. such as gov
ern theaters, and many of them are fire.
traps OF the worst kind"
Two years ago a general inspection of
halls was made before the commencement
Of Building Commissioner Wiliams's ad-
ministration
TAKES NO CHANCES.
Notwithstanding this, the Commissioner
declares that he will take no chances,
and that every hall must satisfy the re-
Quirements. The sole exemption is in ia
vor of private lodge halls. which do not
fall within the scope of the order
MANAGERS MEET REFUSAL.
Mayor Harrison and seven Aldermen
who have been appointed members of the
City Council committee to control legisla-
ton in relation to theaters. met this aft
ernoon with the theater managers, every
playhouse in Chicago. except the Great
Northern, being represented. The man.
ayers asked II they could not open their
houses and sell seats upon the lower floor
only, but the Mayor and Aldermen posi-
lively decided against 1t. It was declared
that all places must remain closed until
met.
The managers. on departing from the
Mayors office, reiterated their purpose OF
obeying the directions Of the Mayor and
the City Council, but urged haste in draw
ing up the new ordinances, as the closing
Of the houses necessitates great financial
loss by them.
sKYLIGHTS WRECKED.
This afternoon, attorneys for the Fire
Department secured from FIVE witnesses
corroboration Of the charges that a wreck
ing crew of the George A. Fuller Com
pany employees had destroyed the stage
skylights on the day after the disaster.
Fire Inspector Fulkerson said to-day:
1T was the intention that these sky
lights should open automatically to allow
the escape Of heat and smoke. and to Gre
wards instead Of allowing them to pass
out over the audience. But from the in
formation have l am positive that the
because beneath each section of the lights
had been placed pieces of scantling which
remained there until removed by the em-
ployes Of the Fuller Construction Com
pany on Thursday afternoon"
LOSES PATRONAGE.
John R. Thompson. the proprietor of the
restaurant which adjoins the Iroquois
Theater on the east. has lost the greater
portion of his business since the fire On
the day of disaster Mr. Thompson threw
open his restaurant for the bodies of the
dead and wounded as they were carried
out of the theater. He summoned nurses
and doctors. procured medical supplies and
did everything that it was possible for a
man to do in alleviating the horror of the
catastrophe. His valuable and disinter-
ested services are widely advertised In the
papers with the result of practically
driving all his patrons away.
An enormous crowd attended the OPEN
irg of the City Councils meeting tonight
it being expected that q great number of
alter fire would be acted upon. Their ex-
recitation was amply fulfilled, and the
Council did little other business than to
listen to the reading of proposed laws cal
culated to insure greater safety in places
of public assembly. The Council indorsed
the action of Mayor Harrison in closing
all theaters and adopted his recommenda
ton for the appointment of a committee
to investigate all local theaters. which are
to remain closed until the committee has
finally reported.
The Council referred to this special COM
mittee about a dozen prOposed ordinances.