The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-03
PROTECTION IN
LOCAL THEATRES
@-
Only Thing Lacking Is the As
bestos Curtain.
&
OTHER PRECAUTIONS TAKEN
MANAGERS OF PLAYHoUsEs
TELL WHAT 7HEY DO.
OTHER PRECAUTIONS TAKEN


Asbestos curtains are lacking in the
theaters of Salt Lake. 0therwise. &C
cording to the managers. all the mod
ern precautions against IRE are taken.
The Iroquois theater fire in Chicago
has caused a careful scrutiny of the
fiTe-fighting facilities of the local play
houses. Mayer Thompson has given
the matter some attention, but the
managers of the theaters themselves
have hitherto been studying the situa
ton. The question of exits is con-
ceded to be Of some Importance.
You may not be able TO avert
panic in a Crowc that scents or sees
danger" remarked Mayor Thompson.
'but if you have enough exits TO let
them out as rapidly as they can go.
you can sit back and laugh at the
panic"
Manager George d. Piper. Of the
salt Lake theater, said yesterday that
$4,000 had been spent within a year
TO secure greater protection against
fire. The heating apparatus had been
taken from under the foyer and isO
lated.
at the Salt Lake Theatre.
ours is one of the oldest theaters in
the country" said Mr.. Piper. but we
have taken good precautions against
trouble. Doors are opened Outwardly
and there are nineteen exits, seven in
the parquet, five in each of the first and
second balconies and two in the third.
Some time ago we sold extra chairs for
aisIes in the first circle, but this Gus
tom. was abandoned over year ago,
and in the parquet only four chairs are
sold, near the orchestra, and the aisles
are kept clear.
"As fire protection we have fire by
drants. chemical extinguishers, chemi-
cal cylinders and water barrels. The
last / consider the most valuable of
any. We also have metal casks con-
tanning six buckets. hose connections
in various parts Of the house and two
firemen are always in attendance on
every performance. In the flies 7 have
four barrels of water with buckets.
and standing rule that any man who
removes a bucket will be discharged.
Within the last two weeks we have put
in q new three-inch hydrant"
Jones & Hammer, managers Of the
Grand, declare that every precau-
ton against fire is taken at their play
house.
Exits at the Grand.
we have three exits on the east side
of the house down stairs and the main
exit" they said. There are three exits
from the gallery, one on each side OF
the rOtunda, and the one recently com
pleted on the west side of the build
ing.
The rules Of the Grand are so strict
both in front and behind the scenes,
that an outbreak of fire would seem to
us little short of a miracle. We have
a regular inspector who goes over every
inch of the electrical wiring once a
week and sees that IL is in first-class
condition. We prohibit smoking in all
| parts of the theater, no matter who is
the ViOiatOr of the rule. or what his
standing, and we have on one occasion
at least refused to ring up the curtain
| because of a short-sighted company
manager who persisted in smoking be
/ hind the scenes.
THE doors of the Grand open out
/ wardly, and during a performance we
! keep the employees of the front of the
/ house near the exits. to throw them
| open in case CT any alarm. We have
/ time and again demonstrated that we
] can empty the house Of its capacity
/ in four minutes That is to say, this
/ is the time ordinarily required. In case
/ of a hurry" barring the people be-
| coming panic stricken, it might be done
/ in half that time.
/ The Grand is we'll equipped with
| water buckets, tanks and extinguish-
/ ing apparatus. and the knives, hatch
/ cts, axes and similar implements th0t
} are essential to the successful handling