The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-01
An Expert Explains the Use of Gas Tanks About
 a Theatre THEY ARE DANGEROUS AND ND LONGER NEEDED Manager Douglas and Manager VII. Hams Tell of Exits From the Jeff ferson and Bijou Should
 Fire Break Out.

Both the Jefferson theatre and the BiJou theatre are we'll arranged for making quick exits in case of fire. The catas- trophe in Chicago on Wednesday after noon has caused many people to inquire | about the arrangements for escaping from the local play houses in case of | fire.
 Unless there is some unforeseen reason patrons could easily escape from the theaters here in case of fire. Either house can be emptied of a capacity crowd in ten minutes, and with ease. The man. agers of the two theaters were seen yes l terday, and they both gave list of the means of escape in case of fire. The Jefferson.
 l ManaEer Douglas of the Jefferson said
 Every floor of the Jefferson is provid- ed with ample means of escape. Besides the exits at the front of the theater, or what are known as the regular exits, through which the crowds leave the house every night, there are two doors on each floor. One of these doors is on each side of the house, and they can be opened in second. They lead to stair ways which will allow hundreds of peo- pie to leave the theaters in a few min utes.
 with these side exits and the regular exits, the Jefferson can be emptied in much less than ten minutes, unless there is some unusual excitement
 People familiar with the theater could l alc etoe ~1;,, through the doors used by the orchestra They could reach the street by several doors. It is also possible to go on the stage by passing behind the various boxes. The stage has, at least, half a dozen means of exit, all of them opening on the street or alley. From the gall 1 lery there are two flights of stairs on the outside of the theater, and two on the inside. From the balcony, there are the same means of escape, and on the ground floor there are the doors on each side, opening into the alley ways
 The Bijou.
 E. F. Williams, manager of the Bijou, said:
 'In case of fire at the Bijou I do not |. exits on every side of the house, and they are in abundance, and with any sort cf coolness on the part of the people there would be no trouble in every one getting cut. have had 5000 people to pass out of the house in ten minutes.
 Just for instance. Take a man on the fifth or sixth row in the orchestra. He | pOIld eO If 10 ct ha door used by the orchestra. He could go either to the right or left, slit the can vass walls we have in the house and reach the stage, and go through any one of five exits back there. The entire rear of the theatre is almost made of doors and they are very wide so as to allow scenery to be taken in and out
 First Floor Exits.
 There are seven exits on the first floor sll leading to the street. There are two stairways down to the pavement and both are reached by large doors. A man could step to the canvass walks we have just back of the loges and could push through them, where he would find a door leading to the pavement on Seventeenth | which are from, six to eight feet above the pavement. They are large enough to allow two people at a time to get out On the other side of the house there is a big double door opening into the adjoin- ing yard.
 "On the second floor or the balcony there are six exits. Four of these are out | ba nf ba other two are over the stage. A man could | go back of the upstairs boxes and go down through the rigging loft of the stage | and make his escape in that manner He could also go through the front doors, which are amply large.
 'In the gallery there are two exits by the front and two over the stage, going through the loft just as one would do in escaping from the balcony. Our theatre has large isles and plenty of space, so that people could easily get ont if they retained their presence of mind" Scenic Painters Observation. | George Talbot. the scenic painter who is making new settings for the Bijou and one who is recognized as exceptionally | well 1n1Ormeu on Ill iHdtlciS CoHCerHiuS | theatre equipment, said last night, in dis | cussing the fire in Chicago:
 Tt seems to me that some fatal mis- | takes were made, and that they were re- | sponsible for the immense loss of life. | In a modern theatre, in this day when electricity makes the best lights for the stage. do not think that a theatre should use calcipm lights. They are dangerous and are not as good for illumination.
 Calcium Lights Exploding.
 "It seems from what the papers say | that the real loss of life was a result of i the tanks of the calcium lights exploding. 1 This spread the flames like wild fire and prevented hundreds from escaping. To 1 each calcium light there are two immense tanks of pure oxygen and Ndrogen under 1 immense pressure. Each tank is filled with | one of these gases. ] When they unite and e forced against lime they form wha( known as perfect combustiap/ In 0a there is no smoke and the rfectly