The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-25
OPEN The GRAND.
Small Obstacles Are Raised by
City Council.
These May Be Adjusted in Time
for Opening.
THE EASBESTOS CURTAIN
Insist Upon Signed Contract to
Install One.
Asked That Part of Gallery Be
Closed.
THE EASBESTOS CURTAIN

AcuOn to close the Grand was taken
today by Councilman F. E. Nipps of
the council committee on public build
| ings when he instructed Fire Marshal
G. O. Wilmarth to make arrange
ments with Mayor w. H Davis for
/ police enforcement of the order to
keep the Grand from opening on Mon
| day The only alternative which the
/ theater management has is to com
ply with the order to close up the east
| half of the gallery to the public, the
widening of certain aisles and exits,
the placing of fire extinguishers all
over the house and a. written agree
ment to put in an asbestos curtain
and an entire fire proof proscenium
wall by September 1, 1906.
Until they contract to do these
I things have instructed to arrange for
! the closing of the Grand" said Mr..
Nipps. The committee was given full
power to act by the mayor and coun-
Gil. Il don't know what I shall do
/ yet" said Mayor W. H. Davis. 81
want to talk with Mr.. Nipps and Mr..
4 Wilmarth before come to a decision.
I probably will decide shortly whether
stringent steps Of that character
should be taken
/ Because the local management of
I the Grand refused yesterday afternoon
I to accede to the demand of the public
buildings committee that the upper
( half of the gallery be closed to the
l public and that an agreement in writ
4 ing be made that an asbestos curtain
! would be installed and the prosceniun1
wall built to meet requirements the
/ public buildings committee of the
/ council and Roy Crawford of the
Amusement Syndicate failed to get to-
4 gether.
At the meeting held Friday after
! noon the members of the special coun-
/ Gil committee consisting of Council
/ men Nipps, Griley and Hughes, City
/ Engineer McCabe Fire Marshal viii
were present together with Chas.
/ Gault. attorney for the Amusem ent
4 Syndicate, and Roy Crawford and Ar
thur Kane of the local management of
the Syndicate.
A great deal of talk was INDUCED in
during the course of the afternoon but
no course could be clearly defined which
was acceptable to both sides. The com
rnittee appointed by Mayor Davis was
willing for the present to waive the in
stallment at once of the asbestos curtain
and the construction of the proscenium
wall on the condition that an agreement
be signed by the local management that
these improvements would be made be-
fore September 1, 1906. Chas. Gault
speaking for the local management said: I:
I'VE are willing to put in that asbestos
curtain in the course Of time but we
can't sign an agreement" 1--WE haven t
the authority to sign anything; we are
simply the local mana cement, said
II Crawford.
A number of minor features, such as
the widening of curtains, aisles and ex-
extinguishers were not agreed upon.
I These the committee Insisted must be
made before permission to open the
Grand on Monday would be extended.
A further parting Of the ways came
with the insistance that the east half
of the gallery be closed to the public.
The local MANAGEMENT stated that it
would cut down their revenue just one
half if the gallery was shut off
''I can quote a great many theaters
where the galleries are just as steep
as at the Grand said Crawford. IF
it is closed up it will cut down the seat
ing capacity in the gallery just about
one-half."
''The public is asking that the Grand
be opened said Gault. ''ThOse recon-
mendations under which you are acting
were made right after the Iroquois the
ater disaster and there was a great de-
nand for them. feel sure in saying
that the public today won't insist on
one-half of those recommendations at
this time"
aIsn't there any reason why those
recommendations should not be as good
now as they were then?' inquired
! councilman NlDDS. QOSSn 4lidaA6 ally
difference to US what the public may
think now, we are here acting under
these recommendations and have IN
structions from the mayor to act under
those recommendations. We are not
acting upon q popular clamOr. II any
disaster should occur the committee
and council would be held just as little
; for blame as the theater management
; "Sorne of these things we are unable
, to do at this time,'' said Mr.. Gault. ''e
! v,nv-foqf1u willing to agree before
, next season We don't believe that the
) council should be too arbitrary. we
: believe that we have been very liberal
in fixing I'D the Grand, considering the
| taeaters in towns of the same size
, There are but two alternatives. II you
insist upon the asbestos curtain at this
: time if the council deems 1t best &c
! have the house closed, to insist upon the
asbestos curtain and the wall the house
viii have to remain closed the rest OF
the season We have spent from $1,000
to $4,000 already in fixing up the Grand
> because the people want the Grand op-
/. asFather has told me that he expects
l to. spend close to $4,000 on the Grand .
5 said Roy Crawford. HE expects tc
s bring out that front wall later on ano
3 reduce the pitch of the floor. He told
l me. however, that If - didn't get fal
treatment that he would close the
Grand and let it remain closed There
are some people here who seem to Dc
: Counoilmen Hughes and Griley were
: inclined to accede to the requests o1
' the theater management but the re
1 naming members Of the committee
hung back and insisted that some sor'
t Of agreement in wTiting be made upor
/ the disputed points. The meeting final
e lv adjourned without setting any date
1Ipon which to meet. "As soon as vol
s have some proposition in writing t
s submit you can let us know and we vii
r meet" was the parting lnJunctloi
: which Councilman Nipps gave to Craw'
! ford and Kane.