The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-03
.N0T...A I !. SHOW
IN CHICAGO.
The Mayor Orders All Theatres
Closed Until They Comply
With Regulations.
STEEL CURTAINS NECESSARY
Every Exit Must BE Independent
Of All Others and Must
Lead to Street.
(By Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press)
CHICAGO, ILL.,, Jan. 2.-To-nIght every
theatre in the city Of Chicago is dark
and with doors locked. Not one OF them
will be opened 10 the public until their
managers have complied In the fullest
manner with every secton OF the ordi-
& nances regulating playhouses.
The order compelling the theatres to
close was issued this afternoon by Mayor
Harrison. after conference with Cor
aporatlon Counsel Tolman. who assured
the Mayor that ample legal ground ex-
R listed for his action.
Seventeen theatres and museums were
closed last night. and the sweeping or
der OF the Mayor to-day shut the doo.s
OF seven more. These last are the lead ng
theatres In the business section Of the
city, and are the Studebaker. Grand OPP
era House. McVicker's. La Sale, Garrick.
Illinois and Powers. The last two are
owned and controlled by Messrs Pow
ers and Davis. the managers OF the Ill
fated ,Iroquois. The Garrck closed to-
Il day Is not TO be COMPOUNDED with the Gar
rick Theatre closed yesterday, 1t beng
d one OF tho largest playhou In the CT u.
while the one concerning which action
was taken yesterday Is much smaller
Il affair In the northwestern porlion OF the
city.
The seventeen places OF amusement
which were shut last night were closed
for the one reason that they were not p. O.
yided with an asbestos curtain. The FUR
Their action. taken to-day Is In consequence
OF violations of other sections OF the or
4 dinances regulating theatres.
FkUSrY RECEPTION.
There was hasty rush OF theatrical
managers to the ofllce OF mayor aarri-
son in the effort TO secure the Withdraw
al, n or #at least postponement OF the
order, but their reception was OF an ex-
ceedinCly frosty nature.
They were informed ny the Mayor that
the inspectors had reported the case OF.
every one Of them for. violations OF the
law, and he was determined that II SHOULD
not be said hereafter that Inc CITY hid
neglected anything which could prevent a
repetition OF the horror OF last Nednes-
day afternoon. 81 sE,
The fact that the asbestos curtain IN
the Iroauois Theatre was SO badly
wrecked by the fire that charred por-
lions of 1t have Been carried away ny
various investigating committees causeu
the Mayor to dccloe that asbestos cur.
tains could not be relied upon to AFFORD
the most complete protection. II was an
nol,nced that every tnatre In the city
must hereafter comply with the FOLLOW,
ing provisions before they VIII be allowed
to open:
steel roll curtains, wide exits. no COM
busuDles OF any Kind in the ho.sc 1ur-
nishings, fire-prooied scenery, TO cal
cium or spot lights to be used on t.e
& stage. skylights above the stage provideo
with automatic lids to permit the eSresa
A az smohe ire and gas. separate star.
s ways, each exit having lis own stairs
leading to the street ~,
45 MA1OHto STATEMENT.
# 4 flor Issuing his sweeping order. Mayor
Harrison said
y =, "a mt WfS
bilIty Tor these theatr My order was Is
sued TO make It certain that no precAu-
ton 10 Insure the safety of auale!ccs
had been neglected. It is quite probaola
that tho owners OF the theatres may st,s-.
tain serious financial loss. but in View
of the conditions OF the playhouses. wc
cannot take any risk, and II the law
had been fully complied with In the first
place, there would have been no question
Of closing them now. The Auditorium.
which is the only theatre left open IN
Chicago, has o steel roll curtain, anu as
this seems to DO the only curtain th'tt4
afrords absolute protection against fire
in view or the fact that the IroIuois cur
tain was destroyed have determined as
a FAR as possible TO s go thatSthe other play.
houses are similarly provided, 7
VIII j. Davis and Harry Powers. pro-
\ nrietors OF the lrouuols Theatre. and
building Commissioner Williams are un'
4 der arrest, charged with ,manslaughtor.
They have been released on $4,000 bones,
and their hearing is set for January l.th'
The warrants for their arrest were sWos y
out by Arthur u, Hull, who lost his wife
J and three children In the fire. Mr.. HUI
explained that his action was not in
spired by any motive of vengeance. but
simply to make 1t certain that owners
Of the theatre should not escape any
chance OF punishment that was right
fully theirs. while stage hands md cleo
tricians and other employees were COM
PEELED to suffer- It Is noteworthy lact
that Building Commissioner Williams
who Is now charged with manslaugh er,
In connection with tho greatest horror
the country has ever experienced, owes
his appointment to tragedy OF similar
nature, but OF much less extent, which
& occurred two years ago. mr.. Williams
predecessor vacated his office after lie
burning of the st, Iuke's Sanitarum ut
Twentieth Street and Wabash Avenue.
This was the institution In which a score
OF men suffering from delirlum tremens
were burned to death while strapped 70
their beds.
Mr., Williams was selected with the
Aea that he was the proper man to
see that no such catastrophe could hap
pen again. ssa s6l
@ SECRET OF FIRE, 4
y4ro Inspector Monroe Fulkerson TO-
es:ht announced that he had finally dis
Il Ssuared the secret Of the fire, The MS
bestos curtain upon which the safety of
the audience depended was. according to
Mr., Fulkerson, blocked In Its descent by
steel reflector, carelessly left open ~
stage hand While ono end Of the
curtain got within five feet Of tho stage.
the other was suspended twerty feet.
above 1t. and beneath It swept the flood
Of flame that carried death to 50 many
hundreds. 5s9 i
The first step toward a definite con 4
clrsiop az to the cause OF the fire was