Evening star., 1909-08-28
floor Plan OFNRM hEATRE
JAowlnq Numerous EXIT,
FIRE HAZARD REDUCED TO A
MINIMUM IN WASHINGTON
New Business Houses, "Bu1warks' Against Con
f1agration, Add Stability to Investments
in Down Town Realty.

school children were crushed in panic and
burned to death
Washington has no public schools in
which the doors open inward, and, even
though a fire should occur In one OF the
local institutions of learning, there would
be no difficulty in marching the children
to safety through ample and we'll ar
ranged exits. Similarly i'm the theaters
the elements OF safety have received
close attention. and in this respect the
observations made by a. G. Mayer Of
this city, a tour through most of the
large towns i'm the middle Atlantic states.
arc OF interest Mr.. Mayer Is manager OF
the new Casino Theater which Is in
course of construction a 7th and y
streets. and his trip was for the specific
purpose Of gathering information re-
garding the methods of protecting thea
ter audiences from danger of fire.
Compliment to District 0fhcials.
Speaking of the various phases of his
tour, Mr. Mayer said: II cannot refrain
from voicing a compliment to the officials
of the government Of the District of CO.
lumbia because OF the wise regulations
hey have prepared with regard to the
ater construction and arrangement and
because of the close inspection service
maintained to secure observance of the
laws by the builders. In a dozen cities.
and In twice that many playhouses. l
failed to find a single instance where the
-
those In the National Capital.
1T is not only I'm guarding against pos
siblity of fire that those charged with
the construction of theaters and with the
handling OF theater crowds must exercise
the greatest care. The mere utterance
of the word Fire is more TO be dreaded
than an actual outbreak of flames be-
cause The records of all theater disasters
show that panics have cost more lives
than fires. This so at the Iroquo!s
Tnpater III was So at BOyerStOWn. Pa
II was in theater in a neighboring
city the other evening. Our party had
box seats, and naturally were the last in
leaving the house when the performance
ended. l have been in every theater in
Washington, and no matter how great
the crowd i do not think a single one OF
the orchestras played the usual osing
march for more than a minute or two
before the last OF the audience was out
Of the doors. This. too, without use of q
of-town thea er l know We were five
minutes, II not longer, IN reaching the
street. There were few emergency. exits,
and the aisles were of the same width
from end to end.
Requirements of Local Regulations.
I'm Washington we are required to
have the aisles in the shape of a slender
letter W wi h the wide end at the rear,
and the regulations compel the allowance
of ample 'standing-room' space. SO that
an audience In rush to escape any real
or imagined danger could spread out
upon nearing the exits
The new Casino Theater will be a
model of its kind, as the plans show a
total of TWEEN y-eight exits nineteen OF
them serving the main auditorium and
nine the balconies. All of the doors
which, do not open upon the street will
lead to f1reproof alleys at each side %
the house and thence into b. street.