The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-02

ntltAtrO, Jan l.-AlaNOf carter
Harrison today took steps to pro-
vide as far as possible against a
repetition of Wednesdays horror at the
lroquois theatre As @ result Of an i'm
5estigation made at his orders, and
lasting bat a few hours. nineteen the
aires and museums we're ordered
closed, some Of them bsias among the
leading and most popular piayhouses of
the city. The action Of the mayor WAS
based on one single violation Of the
ordinances which are intended to pro-
tect the patrons OF theatres from just
such an occurrence as that which cost
so many lives on wednesday This
vas that every one ~ these places had
omitted to supply az asbestos curtain.
The theatres ordered closed are
New American. Olympic Academy Of
Music. Alhambra. Avenue. Bijou Chi
cegO opera house. Columbus Stock,
Thirty-frst street. Criterion. Fiegen-
haums Milwaukee Avenue. GaTiCk
ard Giickman. In addition TO these.
the London Globc museum. and the
Clark street museum were als5 COM
PEELED TO close their doors.
High Class Theatres.
The Chicago opera house and the
Olympic theatre are vaudeville houses
of the highest class and probably do
as much business in point Of Plumbers
as any of the theatres in the city at
single performances. They give, how
ever. a matinee every day in ,he week
and it is seldom that seats can be OBJ
tanned fOv any performance at the time
Of opening. In addition to this they
have been accustomed II selling large
numbers Of tickets for standing room.
aud as 4 general thing more people are
within these places of amusement at
an average performance than can be
found at any other playhouse in the
city.
The Garrick theatre. which was Or
Gered closed. is q small playhouse on
the northwest side of the city, and
should not be confOunded with the
larger theatre Of The same name, sit
uated on Randolph street, one block
vest of the Iroquols.
Result Of Inspection.
The inspection ordered by the mayor
today was carried out by Building
Commissioner Williams and Chief OF
Police O'Neill The scope of the IN
vestigati0n included no other feature
than asbestos curtains. The mayor IN
str,scted Commissioner. Williams to re-
port to him promptly at the cOnclusio7
of his inyestiga ton, declaring that u
was his intention that no theatre
should be allowed to open its doors in
Chicago hereafter unless it is provided
with an asbestos curtain Of standard
quality that would work at all times
and under all conditions.
Curtain Is Important.
1T may not be possible" said Mayor
Harrison, Ito prevent loss of life when
audiences rush for the doorway. but /
have determined TO see that every pre-
caution is taken to prevent such oc-
currences q viii 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 theatre 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 theatre. which.
judged by all ordinary standards. was.
the best equipped playhouse in the city.
had been in proper working condition.
There is no getting beyond the fact
From all the evidence now in hand, it
is clear that if the asbestos curtain in
this theatre had been IN the condition
il should have been there would have
been no loss of life. comparatively
speaking"
Linen and BuTlap Used.
The report of Building Commissioner
Williams showed that the Academy of
Music. with a seating capacity of ZC0O,
had curtain Of burlap The Alham-
bra. with capacity Of 200; the Ave
nue. 500: the BijOu. LEGO; Clark street
museum, go; Criterion, 1.400; Figen-
baums. 900. Howards, 500: MarlOwe.
1900: New American .4C0 all had cur
tains Of linen. The curtain in the Chi
CagO opera house was Of burlaD. COW
cred with fre-proof paint In the Co
lumbus Stock theatre and IN sam r.
Jacks it was of cans as The Olympia
theatre. which holds at least $500 pec-
pie ct two performances every DAY IL is
open. had curtain Of canvas
There were other glaring defects
said Building Commissioner Williams,
(which were noticcE IN some of the
houses. but We were not paying partic-
ular attention TO them TODAY, although
I noted them. and the theatrical man
ayers viii be compelled TO remedy thcm
as soon as possible.
Day Of Mourning.
Such day Of mourning CT icago