New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-26
JOHNSON FEARS
DANCE HALL PANIC
Few of $50 in City Provided
with Safeguards, Fire
Commissioner Says.
MOVING PICTURE
HOUSES FAIRLY SAFE
Many Churches Without Adequate
Exits. While Constant Drills
Protect Schools.

\ repetition of the Calumet (Michl dis
aster, in which eighty persons lost their
lives through suffocation or from being
trampled TO death, might occur at any
time in this city, Joseph Johnson, Jr' re
firing Commissioner of the Fire Depart
ment declared yesterday. The place IN
which such a catastrophe might 'aNe
place he added. was in any one OF the
$50 dance halls in the city.
Within the last three years the Com
missioner said. successful steps nave
been taken to license the moving picture
shows in New York. They are now toier
ably safe i'm so far as the safety OF their
patrons depends upon adequate exits Inc
problem now before the Fire Depart
ment, however. is 10 enforce similar
regulation of dance halls.
Since the craze for dancing spread
with the introduction Of the turkey trot'
tango and their multfarious variations
dance halls have sprung up with the same
rapidity that moving picture shows came
into popularity. There are few persons
in the city to-day who realize what a
business the operation OF dance halls has
become. \ few OF them. OF course, are
safe enough for practical purposes and
are run by responsible parties. but there
are great number in which the loss
of life might be even greater than in the
Calumet hall were the cry OF Fire TO be
raised
Dance halls. the Commit ssioner observed,
were often on the second or third doors
of buildings Of the most flimsy construc-
ton and without adequate means Of exit
In many liquor is sold, while smoking is
permitted freely. In the event OF hre
breaking out I'm one Of the crowded halls
the rush for the exits might result in con-
siderable loss of life, he declared
The public schools of the city are COM
paratively safe, because fire drills are
held with regularity and the children
know what to do when the alarm sounds.
IL would be impossible for any one TO
say whether such panic as that which
turned Christmas into day of mourning
in Calumet could occur in New York or
any other place, Mr.. Johnson affirmed.
panic might break out any time in any
place where few people or a great crowd
became possessed OF the illusion that their
lives were in danger. Panlcs had occurred
in open fields. he said, but II was possible
TO provide means OF exit and fireproof
construction in buildings where crowds
assemble go that the chances OF the loss
of life might be lessened.
Another source OF danger Mr.. Johnson
said. was the churches Of the city. On
Sunday many of them hold more than
the average theatre. and in many places
Of worship, particularly those built years
ago the means OF exit in case OF emer-
eency had been totally neglected. In
many churches where candles were burn
ing and cloth hangings were in evidence
the danger was enhanced, the Commits
sioner thought
THE greatest menace 10 life can think
| Of however" Mr.. Johnson said IN con-
clusion. rs the dance halls Were ! TO
continue in the office OF Fire Commission
er | should certainly institute crusade
against the majority Of places as they
exist and insist upon better conditions all
around. was fortunate during my ad-
ministration not to have a holocaust OF
the sort 7 can readily imagine could take
place in one OF the resorts where the pro-
lection Of human life is not given consd-
Grafton"