Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-04
"FIREPROOF" THEATERS
NOT SOLELY A MATTER OF FLOORS
AND WALLS.
All Accessories Must Be Fire Resistant
and Discipline Must Be
Perfect.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
At the risk of being again severely
reprimanded by some of our high and iR-
fallible civic and military authorities upon
the construction of buildings, wish to say
a word in co1mendation of your editorial
in Thursdays Star anent the Chicago dis
aster. You called attention to what seemed
to be lacking in the management of the
Iroquo!s Theater and suggested some pre-
cautions that ought to be taken by 1t and
other theaters. 1t was an eminently SEN
sible editorial, and struck one as partic-
ularly so after he had read the more or less
wild comments of many of your contempo-
raries. notably the eastern papers, most of
whom descanted at great length upon the
awfulness of calling such a building fire.
proof and ripped architects and engineers
up the back for applying such misnomer
to any structure in which such catas-
trophe could happen.
Those wise men forget that however fire
proof a structure may be it is no guarantee
ture within will not burn and be totally de-
stroyed. Some think that the term fire
proof building implies absolute immunity
from fire within that structure. Not until
you make your clothing, carpets, etc, of
asbestos and your furniture Of glass and
steel will the contents of your buildings,
however fireproof the latter may be, be i'm
mune from the dread destroyer. I visited
the Iroauois during it's construction. but
really forget if 1t was of concrete or of tile;
and that matter is immaterial just now; but
that it was reasonably fireproof, spite of
the appalling sacrifice of life within it, is
evident to any sane man by the fact that
SO very little damage was done to the build
ing. l understand that no part of the
structure is in the slightest impaired.
merely the stage settings, decoration and
aaf hoy yir,cy tn hn rnNlno
The error. as you pointed out, was not in
the construction of the building, but in the
accessories, the management, the ventila-
ton and such a1l-important but usually
overlooked or slurred details. The architect
of the theater himself, if reported inter
view with him quotes him accurately. ad-
mits that some things. particularly about
the stage, were not quite what they ought
to have been.
There will now be great scurrying here
in Washington and the country over, to in
spect theaters. to enforce laws, to order
this and that done, exits unlocked, curtains
tested. for little while; then interest will
lag. People forget even such horrors. and.
SO to speak. the stable door will again
stand ajar. inviting like disaster.
Intelligent and careful planning and de-
vlsing and intelligent ard eternal vigilance
are the only safeguards there are about
places of public gathering, and it is heart
breaking to note low little intelligence or
vigilance is brought to hear in the daily
der is that more such awful catastrophes
do not happen.
have had a good deal to do with thea
tiers, but l remember one case particularly
where really worked under ideal condi-
tons and absolutely unhampered 1 built
theater for very wealthy old fellow in
one of the big cities of the northwest. and
gave it personal attention for the five years
l lived thereafter in that city An expen-
sive house and built regardless of cost
true. but virtually the same precautions can
be taken and sdfety assured at very little
cost in any first-class theater; and none
others should be allowed in any frst-class
city.
In the first place, the structure was a5-
solutely fireproof. The proscenium boxes
were decorated with plastic and metal or
naments. and there were no curtains or
draperies or anything combustible any,
where near the front of the stage The
curtain was framed in steel and with steel
crossbars. and heavy wired latticing COW
cred with the heaviest canvas and that in
turn covered inside and outside with as
bestos. cemented and wired through and
through. 1t slid up and down in a pocket
some two feet deep in the brick walls 1t
was not an emergency curtain, but was
used for every act-I don't go much on at,-
tomato affairs or emergency expedients.
they seldom work at the right time This
curtain was raised and lowered by an cleo