Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-01-09

vent a Repetition of the Horror.
Chicago, Jan. 3.-Saturday night ev-
cry theatre in the city of Chicago was
dark and it's doors locked. Not n
of them will be open to the public I'M
til their nag have complied in
the fullest manner with every section
of the ordinances regulating play
houses.
The order compelling the theaters
to close was issued by Mayor Harri-
son after a conference with City At
torney Tolman, who assured the may
or that ample legal ground existed for
his action.
Seventeen theaters and museums
closed the night before, and the sweep
ing order of the mayor shut the doors
| of seven more. These last are the
leading theaters in the business Sec
ton, and are the S~tudebaker, Grand
| Opera house, McVickers. La Sale,
| Garrick, Illinois and Powers. The last
two are owned and controlled by the
Messrs. Powers and Davis, the man
ayers of the i'll fated Iroquois.
The seventeen places of amusement
were closed for the n reason that
they were not provided with an as
bestos curtain. The furthel action is
in consequence of violations of other
sections of the ordinances regulating
theaters.
There was a hasty rush of theatre
cal managers to the Office of Mayor
Harrison in the effort to secure the
withdrawal or at least a ~postponment
of the order, but their reception was
of an exceedingly frosty nature. They
we're informed by the mayor that the
/, inspectors had reported that every
one of the theater companies had vio-
lated the law, and he was determined
that it should not be said hereafter
that the city had neglected anything
which could prevent a repetition OF the
horror of last Wednesday afternoon.
The fact that the asbestos curtain in
the ~Irouuois was so badly wrecked
by the fire that charred portions of it
have been carried away by the inves-
tigation committee caused the com
mittee to decide that asbestos cur
tains could not be relied upon to af-
ford the most complete protection. 1t
was announced that every theater in
the city must hereafter comply with
the following provisions before they
will be allowed to open:
Steel roll curtains, wide exits, nc
combustibles of any kind in the house
furnishings, freproof scenery, no cal
cium of spot" lights to be used Oh
the stage, skylights above the stage
provided with automatic lids to per
\ NIT the egress of smoke, fire and gas;
separate stairways, each exit having
it's W stairs leading to the street
After issuing his sweeping order
Mayor Harrison said: Il do not wisf
- to assume responsibility for these the
in aters. The order was issued to MAKE
a it certain tina no precaution to in
he sure the safety of audiences has beel
,e, neglected.
as ut is quite probable that the own
is ers of the theaters may sustain seri
he Gus financial losses, but in view of tn
.ul condition of the playhouses we can no
take any risk, and if the law had beef
fully complied with in the first plac'
there would have been no question o
'lu closing them now. The Auditorium
which is the only theater left open i
PSI Chicago, has a steel roll curtain, an
H. as this seems to be the only curtai
a that affords certain protection agains
III fire, in view of the fact that the Ire
quois curtain was destroyed, l al
determined to see that as far as po'
re- sible the other playhouses are SINH
arly provided"
os The name of the Auditorium is nc
included in the theaters closed. Thi
SEQ hall is open occasionally and not rel
re- ularly as are the other theaters. Their
IRE, is no engagement there at present an
uld none in the immediate future. Will
Die technically a theater, it is general
considered a hall for great and specii
me- gatherings.