The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-07-30
MOVING PICTURE
FIRE,IRAP PROBE
REVEALS DANGER
Officials Investigate Blaze at
Atlantic Garden When Doors
Were BOlted.

A full investigation was today made
by the fire officials into the fire which
occurred at the Atlantic Open Air Pic
ture Garden. at rs and III Montgomery
street. last night, which resulted in
something Of a panic because, it is al
! legged, the exits were bolted and there
were not the proper requirements for a
hasty exit. Other picture show places
will be watched closely. for the author
tiles do not wish to be held responsible
for a possible holocaust.
. Captain C. Albert Gasser, head of the
Bureau of combustibles and Fire
Risks. today condemned he moving
picture machine owned by Samuel
Ross, proprietor of the place. He di-
rected hat the machine should not be
used again in this city because of its
poor condition.
The captain said the trouble was
caused by the fact that the rolls were
too loose, allowing the film to continue
unwinding when it broke and came in
contact with the light. He commended
the action of the operator. William
spearrer of, 35s Eighteenth avenue.
He did perfectly right" said Cap
tain Gasser. when the upper mag
azine caught fire he put it out with
his hands and .then soaked the other
roll with water"
Crowd Grew Excited.
The place was crowded last night
with men, women and children, when
| aHaan.A tn tn a,.5too-r 49,
flare of light from the box in which
the operator works. A cry of fire
was raised, and Immediately there was
a rush for the doors. These were bolt
ed and there are but three on the
Charlton street side. The women
screamed for the doors to be opened,
but the management thought that
there was no danger and did not order
the doors unbolted. In the meantime
the fire department had been sum-
moned and Acting Battalion Chief
George F. Lynch, of Truck No. 5. not
ing the state of the audience, ordered
the piano player to continue. while he
jumped on the platform and tried TO
quiet the audience. While he did this
someone closed the front doors which
are used as an entrance, and thus there
was no exit open.
The garden has in all five exits; only
two of these are kept open, being used
as a means of entrance. The box from
which the operator works is a very
small affair in which there Is hardly
room for one man. The operator, Will
lam Spearrer, of 35S Eighteenth ave-
nue., could not explain how the film
caught fire, and said that 1t was the
first time that such a thing has hap
pened to him.
THE place is too dangerous for me
and 1 intend to quit work tonight" he
stated.
hi place is owned by Samuel Ross
and Samuel Isenberg.
BIames the Operator.
1.-THE only explanation l can give for
the film taking fire. said Ross today.
lis that the man we had employed is
not a skilled operator. There should
never be an accident of this sort. The
doors were not locked, but merely
boited. and any child could have opened
the door. There is no use to per the
doors for the place is safe and. in fact,
the safest place in the city. Hereafter
1 VIII see that all the doors are un-
bolted. We opened last Monday"
Fire Commissioner Weber was on the
scene this morning and was not en-
tirely satisfied with the way the place
was conducted. He Said:
Some of these moving picture places
are a nuisance, and / would have them
wiped out. I can hardly understand
how the panic was averted here last
night. Something will have to be DONE"
Fire Chief Ashley. in talking of the
matter, said:
Il don't see how the film caught fire.
The fellow might have been smoking.
The moving picture places in the city
are all safe, and all are willing to do
anything we ask"
AS far as other moving picture places
are concerned, it was said that most
of them were doing everything possible
to guard against fire.