The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-01-02
THEATRES
CLOSED
Mayor Harrison Shuts Up
Chicago PlayhOusCs.
MUST TAKE PRECAUTION
Every Theatre Must Be Provided
With an Asbestos Curtain
That Will Work Freely.
MUST TAKE PRECAUTION

CHICAGO, Jan. 2.-Mayor Carter II.
Harrison ordered Building Commits
sioner Williams and Chief of Police
O'Neill to inspect all city theaters and
ascertain whether they were protected
By an asbestuS curtain or not, and on
their report he has closed nineteen the
aters, some Of them being among the
leading and most popular playhOusss Of
the city.
The act Of the mayor was based on
one single violation Of the ordinances
which are intended 10 protect the pa
troRs Of the theaters from just such an
occurrence a. that which cost so many
lives. This was that every one Of these
places had omitted to supply an ashes
tus curtain. The theaters ordered closed
/ aroi
! Rewards, Sam 7. Jacks, MaFlowe,
New American, Olympic, Academy Of
Music. Alhambra, Avenue, Bijou, Chi
eaEo Opera House, Columbus Stock.
Thirty-nrst Street, Criterion. Fiegen-
baum'S, Milwaukee Avenue, Garrick
and Glickman's.
In addition to these the London
Gl0be museum and the Clark Street
museum were also compelled to close
their doors.
The inspection ordered by the mayor
was carried out by Building Commits
BiOner Williams and Chief Of Police
O'Neill The scope Of the investigation
included no other feature than ashes
tus curtains. The mayor instructed
Commissioner williams TO report to
him promptly at the conclusion Of his
investigation. declaring that II was his
1 intention that no theater S:>>Ild be al
lowed to open its doors in CESS9go
hereafter unless 1t was provided with
an asbestus curtain Of standard quail
ty that would work at all times and
under all conditions.
at may not be possible" said Mayor
| Harrison. ''to prevent loss of life when
audiences rush for the doorways, but
have determined to see that every
precaution is take 70 prevent such &C.
currences as will alarm the people and
start them on a rush for the exits. 1t
is all very well to say that the great
loss of life in the IrOquois theater was
due to the fact that the people lost
their heads and crowded into the door
ways and aisles like maniacs, but the
! fact remains, and it cannot be denied,
that there would have been no panic
If the apparatus in this theater, which,
Judged by all ordinary standards, was
the best equipped playhouse in the
city, had been in proper working CON
dition. There is no getting beyond
that fact. From all the evidence now
in hand It is clear that If the asbestus
curtain in this theater had been in the
condition it should have been there
would have been no loss Of life, com
paratively speaking"
The report Of Building Commissioner
Williams showed that the Academy Of
Music. with seating capacity of 1000,
had a curtain of burlap. The Alham-
bra, with seating capacity of 1900;
the Avenue, 600; the Bijou 1900; Clark
Street museum. go; Criterion, HOO;
Fiegenbaum's, 400; Towards, 900;
Marlowe. 1900, and New American,
400, all had curtains of linen. The
curtain in the Chicago Opera House
was of burlap. covered with freproof
paint. In the Columbus Stock theater
and in Sam r. jacks it was of can
vas. The Olympic theater, with Il
seating capacity of about LOGO people,
has curtain of canvas
There We're other glaring defects
said Building Commissioner Williams,
(which were noticed in some of the
houses. but we were not paying partic-
ular attention to them, although | noted
them and the theatrical managers Will
be compelled to remedy them as soon
as possible"
Such day of mourning Chicago
never before witnessed. In every pOr-
ton of the city almost it seemed as
though there We're funerals going or
undertaken wagons arriving with dead
who were being brought to their homes
for the last time.
Warrants charging Harry j. Powers,
viii. ]. Davis and Building Commits
| 10 rerlNf ar