The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-21
JOURNAL rsoAY sIrTEmsxa a. 1905

OSSOti0 04tSSstys
The seating Arrangement of the
second balcony, whereas not OF the
best, is, with the occupants men
only, under normal conditions, APP
proximately safe. But we are In
formed that at times the number adj
nitted to this gallery is two-thirds
more than it's 1arnial seating capac-
ity. Such being the case. the aisles
must necessarily be more or less
blocked. We suggest that the Board
determine what they consider the
safe capacity Of the entire house, and
require the management to limit the
admissions to that number.
First Balcony.
The south aisle of the first balcony
as We mentioned before, Is too mar
row, and should be increased from its
present sizs of foot 10 inches and 2
feet inch, to at least feet through
ont its entire length
On this floor, as many as sixteen
seats are found in run. Since this
| occurs on raised platform, we con-
slider the number too large. We ed
wise that it be reduced at least to
fourteen.
Parquette.
The right and left aisles of the par
uuette, which have seats on both
sides, should be widened one foot
each. II this is done, the long run OF
seats between aisles will be properly
diminished.
| Fire Protection-Stage.
To the present fire equipment OF
the stage, we advise the addition of
one 40 gallon cask, filled with water,
together with six fire pals, centrally
located on each side of the stage. A
similar supply of pals to be placed
in the dressing room hall. These
casks and buckets should be painted
red and labelled For fire protection
only" We. advise that another fire
extinguisher be placed in the fly gal.
lery, and that at least four axes, two
on the stage and two in the fly gal
lery, together with similar number
of fifteen foot hooks, be provided
These appliances should be kept in
the most convenient place. At least
two axes should be provided on each
tier Of the auditorium.
Fire Escape from Fly Gallery.
There should be provided a steel
CT iron ladder leading from each
window Of the fly. gallery to within
eight feet of the ground. At pres
ent no provisions for escapes have
been made for those working this
gallery, but the employees them
selves, realizing their danger, nave
provided rope, made fast and In
readiness to be thrown out the win
dow. sis
i Furnace and Surroundings.
i In the furnace pit was found about
six inches Of stagnant water AS q
result of the moisture, the asbestos
covering of the furnace itself, and Ct
the steam pipe, is falling. off. Blu,
worse than the condition of the plant
is the eminent, danger. of fire, on &C
count of its location. 1t is placed in g
pit just below the stage, and its
smoke flue and steam pipes run i'm
diately under the floor joists. Ir
! places, the asbestos covering has
fallen of OF, the latter pipes, so thai
\ the wood is directly exposed to the
: heat action Of these pipes. This may
4 have occurred since the furnace
was placed out Of use last winter We
advise that something be done here
: before another fire is allowed to .bt
lighted in the furnace. To render the
house free from this source of danger
q the furnace should be moved entfrel!
from under the stage, but if this i!
not to be done, as a precautionary
measure, after the furnace has agair
been placed in proper condition, the
/. entire wood work above 1t should bt
, Wi frnnr0nf mo for OF
as zinc or best grade of asbesto:
, felt
}, Not far from the furnace is a pill
I of old tickets and paper, and alsc
! trash and scraps of lumber. These
| should be removed.
. Smoke FIue.
The smoke f1ue from the furnace, a.
far as we were able to ascertain, en-
, tiers brick flue, originally for fire
place or stove, which is built of bu
four inches of outside brick work I
this Is the case, we deem the condi
tons unsafe, and we have been abb
to find no building laws that ALLOW
such construction
We have thus given the specific re
suits of our observations and on
recommendations on these severa
points. But we find that there ar
lacking in the equipment Of thi
house, precautionary devices for tn
lessening of danger to the occupant
and the controlling of fire, should sucl
. occur. We realize, however, that tn
expenditures that the management
could be rightly expected to make ar
limited by the size of the city and tn
returns that they would receive from
the capital so invested. Neverthe
: less, the protection Of human life
: far above financial limitations. TIL
principal object of fire precaution in
theater, as elsewhere, is to confin
: the fire as far as practicable, to tina
part of the house where 1t originates
: Therefore, there should be sufiicien
, means for cutting the stage off fror
the auditorium and dressing rooms
, To accomplish this, we recommen
that the procenium arch be equippe
with metal fire proof curtain, or
curtain of asbestos, or of such othe
freproof material as the Board Nigh
accept. This curtain should overla
the brick procenium wall at each side
not less than IL inches, and sEEul
slide vertically at each side within
iron grooves or channels, sue
| grooves or channels to be secured