The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-17
JEROME STIRS HAMMERSTEIN
70 LIDEIS tND 4 DESIRE TO DE
81 IN THEREFOR.
District Attorney Called "a Trn,es'y"
and other Things and Dared by The
Theatrical Manager TO sue Talks
More About the Risks TO flaygOers


information every day about the theatTos.
He said yesterday that he had been in
formed that one Of the theatres built re-
comfy had bcen wired for lighting purposes
in way that was criminal. Mr. jerome
thinks that the cstcstcs curtain is not the
best safety appliance in case Of fire.
Tho efficacy OF the asbestos curtain
now mus Is a deuson. he sud. Asbestos
is Of such character that 4 the curtain
was made entirely Of it the first gust OF
wind would blow 1t apart. On the other
hand. II there is enough cotton in the cur
sain to make It stand wear and tear there
is 80 little asbestos that ii Is not fire
prof"
sir. Jerome THINKS that steel shutter
much as Is used in store fronts, should be
used as curtain In that case. he said
-the auditorium would be shut on from
the stage. where most fires occur.
Mr.. Jerome also thinks that the theatres
should be inspected before every perform
ance. Each theatre he said, has a sky
light which Is held in place by tarred ropes.
In a fire tho ropes are burned at once, tho
skyiight slides back and the heat Is let out
Of the theatre.
That IS u good step in making theatre
safe-if the sSy.ight slides back, MIR. de-
rome said But as a matter OF fact 1t does
not york tnat way III cold weather. Then
the skyight freezes and it cannot move.
think 1t ought to be compulsory for an
inspector to work the skylight back and
.orward at least half an hour before each
performance.
Oscar Hanmerstein poured out his wrath
over MIR. Jcrome's remarks about the Lew
Fields Theatre by sending the District At
torney yesterday vitrlolic letter, OF which
this is the substance
NlLdn 7Jdtors JtrOmc. Esq, District At
toraey City Of Neto York:
DEAR BOY. nen | criticised yours and
MI Cookers allegations IN reference to
the safety of the 4 eltres Of this city,
knew fully well tina. TINS would max o me
n marked man; and so you now rise
aga INST me in mighty wrath 10 smite me
and throw my flesh 10 the dogs Be cain,
Willie be calm, for m going to be your
benefactor. | Will show you that you
have been mistaken in the selection Of your
career. and that the part of bajazzo on
the stage is what Nature has really ohiselled
you for.
So you visited the Fields Theatre Of which
you know | am the owner, to detect viola
tons OF the law. You carrc IN the COM
pany OF Sheriff Hanson OF Texas. a 81 out.
heavy man, as you describe him, and as
your witness, / presume. Willie. YOU are
"A bad lawyer Never take fat man or
a Fat woman to Theatre. They are Away
dissatisfied. as sea Is and aisles are designed
for persons Of natural Dimensions only
You should have taken your friend the
Texas sheriff TO a Jall, to illustrate the de-
at.tt u Of
bow ing alleys and billiard rooms TO I'M
! fortunate prisoners.
SO you took your friend the Sheriff
to my theatre, and you and he got a good
look at the staircases leading TO and from
the galleries There you made a horrible
discovery. These stairs had no less than
nine turns and nine landings, and you
Immediately concluded that these stairs
were dangerous TO life and limb Travers.
you arc dangerous to life and limb, and
appeal 10 you, as District Attorney, not
to allow yourself to be at large Why,
you are not even lucid enough to know
hat such stairs, especially in theatre.
are the safest imaginable in the, world,
Don't you know that the longer and
straighter a stairc Sc is the more danger
there is Of an accident? The fall of one
person on such stairs leads to fell of every
one behind. Our Building Department,
composed of men most OF whom have
grown gray IN their calling OF architects.
inquiry Of this subject that these stairs
are lawful ard correct. -You"-you, never
theless. publicly declared them to be to
the contrary.
And you also found that some Of the cleo
tric brackets in the wall were 20 low as TO
Craze the head Of passerby. and especially
your tall. stout Texan friend. This you
consider another menace 10 life and limb.
Now. listen, little Willie An electric
bracket in a theatre has also a gas con-
4 1t
dent to the electric facilities. II has TO be
placed sufficiently low TO be in reach OF
small persona wise and efficient precau-
ton. which even such as you Will have to
admit.
You must have examined the structure
still further. hut YOU didn't speak Of II. You
must have seen the enormous exit openings
in the side walls, four on each balcony and
four in the auditorium. You must have
seen them ipainly lettered) leading TO
.arge open alley on each side. You must
have noticed the ponderous iron doors,
landings and stairs in these alleys leading
directly TO the street. You must have no.
ticed Il at iron, steel, granite. brick ard
cement are the components of this building
You must have been mace aware OF the TACT
by Mr.. Croker, who examined the structure
before il was open TO the public that the
floor Of the loft above the stage consists OF
hundreds OF lengths Of perforated pipe
connected with two water tanks on the
have seen that by one turn OF a crank down
on the stage 10 coo gallons OF water would
descend. quenching tiny fame or incipient
confagration.
These things you didn't mention. You
only referred TO the two discoveries
spoken Of before. And with these two
discoveries" untrue in description and
false in purpose, you mean to alarm the
public az u the safety Of the theatres in
general and my theatre in particular.
am theatrical manager; am repre-
sentative Of a noble calling. My theatre
is my wing; my reputation is my pride.
You have injured both malicously and
premedi tatedly. What redress has a citizen
who is UNANIMOUSLY vilihed by man in
high office? | wall try and solve the prob
lem.
/ accompany this letter with another.
In this last one | express my opinion Of
you, your character and your antecedents,
and all in plain English at that. A copy
II this letter will expose 10 any one wish
ing TO see it. This gives you ground Tor
a libel suit. want you TO sue me tor bel
want TO force you 10 sue me for libel.
you, William Travers Jerome, you travesty
Of a d strict Attorney.
Sue me and 90 with me before Judge
and Jury. OSCAR HAMMEBsTEIS.
symphony Orchestra Plays Princeton Mans
Composition.
PRINCETON. y. j., Feb. le.-The New