Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-02
MAYOR HARRISON
CLOSES THEATERS.
Ais Action Based on Violation Of
An Ordinance Intended to
Protect Public,
THEIR NUMBER IS nineteen.
W. Is Determined to See That Every
Preeaution for the Preservation Of
Human Life is Taken.

chicago. Jan. 1,--Mayor Carter Har-
,,son today took steps to provide as
,ar as possible against a repetition OF
Wednesdays horror at the Iroquois
,hsater. As a result of an investiga-
,,on made by his orders, and lasting
but n few hours. nineteen theaters and
r,useums were ordered closed, some Of
them being among the leading and most
ropular playhouses Of the city. The
aacilon of the mayor was based on one
s,rgie violation of the ordinances which
orn intended 20 protect the patrons
~ theaters from just such an occur
,orce "a that which cost so many lives
an wednesday. This was that every
ono Of these places had omitted to sup
ply an asbestos curtain.
THEATERs CLOSED.
Tho theaters ordered closed are.
uovard's Sam T. Jacks, Marlowe,
Nav American. Olympic. Academy Of
Music. Alhambra, Avenue, Biiou, Chi
Sago opera house, Columbus Stock,
ThIrty.a rst street, Criterion, Fiegen-
baum's. Milwaukee Avenue. Garrick,
and Gllckman. In addition to these,
Tho London Globe museum and the
clark street museum were also COM
pelled TO close their doors.
The Chicago opera house and the
o,ymplc theater are vaudeville houses
~ The highest class and probably do
as much business In point OF numbers
as any OF the theaters In the city at
sIr0le performances. They give, how
aySr. n matinee every day In the week.
and II is seldom that seats can be OBJ
,alned for any performance at the time
n openIng. In addition to this they
have been accustomed to selling large
Numbers OF tickets for standing room,
and as a general thing more people are
uI,hin these places OF amusement at
o, average performance than can be
found at any other playhouse In the
city.
The Garrick theater, which was or
as,ed ct sed, Is a small playhouse on
mo northwest side Of the city, and
should not be COMPOUNDED with the
larger theater Of the same name, sit
mated ON Randolph street. one block
west OF tne lTOuuois'
INSPECTION CARRIED OUT.
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
yestlgation included no other feature
han asbestos curtains. The mayor IN
structcd Commissioner Williams to re-
BORT TO him promptly at the conclusion
Of his investigation, declaring that It
was HE Intention that no theateI
should be allowed 10 open It's doors In
chicago hereafter unless II is provided
with an asbestos curtain Of STANDARD
quality that would work at all times
and under all conditions.
MAYOR TALKS,
III may not be possible" said Mayor
Harrison. ito prevent loss OF life wher
audiences rush for the doorway, but
have determined to see that every pre-
caution II taken to prevent such oc'
ourrences as Will alarm the people ant
start them on a rush for the exits. II
IL all very well to say that the greaI
loss Of lie In the ~Iroquois theater wa'
due to the fact that the people lost theil
heads and crowded into the doorway'
and aisle like maniacs, but the fact re.
mains, and II cannot be denied, tina
there would have been no panic II thu
apparatus in this theater, which, judged
by all ordinary standards, was the hes
equipped playhouse In the city,had beer
IN proper working condition. There Il
no getting beyond the fact. From al
the evidence now In hand. 1t Is cleaI
that II the asbestos curtain in this thea
Ter had been In the condition II should
have been there would have been M
loss Of life, comparatively speaking"
SEATING CAPACITY.
The report Of Building Commissions
Williams showed that the Academy o
Music, with a seating capacity OF 1000
had a curtain Of burlap, The Alham
bra, with a capacity Of 1900; the Ave
tue, 600, the Bljou, 1900 Clark Stree
Museum, go; Criterion, l,i00; Figen