New-York tribune., 1915-03-26
WOMEN CALM
AT LYCEUM FIRE
Continued from page I

Continued from page I
ives met by sheet Of fame and thick
smoke. The heat wes intense. He sent
in men by relays and soon quelled the
blaze. The damage was $500. In the
meantime. he had taken no chances
with theatre fire and had turned in a
second alarm, which brought out Chief
Kenlon.
Actors Flee In Stage Makeup.
Fire apparatus filed Forty-sixth
Street as we'll as Forty-ffth Street. The
theatre runs through TO Forty-sixth
Street, and here is an eight story build
ing containing the dressing rooms. AS
the firemen ran lines Of hose into this
building TO reach the theatre proper
the actors hurried out. All were in
their stage clothes and still wore their
makeup as they reached the street.
This novel spectacle fascinated the
crowds.
What with the two streets choked
with fire machines, the engines belch-
ing smoke, a great throng was, Of
course, attracted. Pedestrian and
vehicular traffic was tied up, even on
Broadway, for @ time. Firemen and
patrolmen were sent to other theatres
to reassure the audiences.
The audience from the Lyceum lin
gered in the neighborhood. The wom-
en- did not seem TO be in the least
frightened. Some hoped the perform
ance would go on. The box office, how
ever, began to refund money immedi-
ately. Mr.. Frohman said it had been
proposed TO give the matinee, but Miss
Ferguson was unnerved. The night per-
formance went on as usual.
1--WE went 10 investigate. When we
found so much smoke we decided 20
take no chances" said Mr.. Frohman
later. "We advised the audience TO
wait outside until we found out what
the trouble was. The audience evil
dently saw the point and responded
splendidly. ! think it demonstrated
that New York theatre audiences are
intelligent and self-reliant."
Audience Calmly Faced Danger.
Fire Chief Kenlon rang up Fire Com
missioner Adamson after he and his
men had polished off the fire in the
Lyceum Theatre and reported that the
audience had walked out like people
going out Of church. That report Of
the placid demeanor of theatre crowd
after it had been warned of a fire was
as welcome to the Commissioner as S'as
the successful putting out of the blaze
Ly his men, for the saving Of life in
theatre fire depends upon the demeanor
Of the crowd as much as upon the work
of the fremen.
"It's a matter OF education of the
public" he said, when asked to discuss
the fire and the fire hazard in New
York theatres. at shows that New
York audiences are getting better edu-
Gated as to how TO act in case OF fire.
Those little notices at the head Of the
programme telling people TO pick their
exits have done lot of good.
"1oday's fire was the second theatre
fire within the last few months In
which the audience was seated when
the fire was discovered. The other in
stance was the Academy Of Music fire.
which was in the basement Of the
theatre. There was a good deal Of
blaze and smoke, and. as was the case
to-day. there were two alarms.
an this afternoons fire there was
likewise a great deal of smoke and
considerable heat, Chief Kenlon reports
to me. The fremen stationed in the
theatre and the manager got up and
announced there was a fire in the base
ment which necessitated the discontin-
uance of the performance and that
the audience leave the building. They
were told they could get their money
back
No Signs of Panic.
an neither of these cases was there
any signs Of panic. This could be
brought about only where the public
is educated, and remembers its lesson,
that the thing 20 do is 70 keep its head
and 20 out by the nearest exit.
"Panics are always the greatest dan
ger in a playhouse fire. 1t is a greater
danger than that Of being burned 70
death. II you can only keep people
cool this way, you won't have any loss
Of life.
"The Fire Department feels that our
theatres are pretty safe. Following
the Iroquos fire there was consider
able attention given here TO exits and
safety appliances. There is the as
bestos curtain in every theatre, and all
our stages have the sprinkler system
and automatic skylights over the stage.
"Firemen are stationed in every the
atre during a performance to see that
safety conditions are complied with,
and there is careful inspection of the
buildings TO see that the physical re-
quirements of the building code are in
force.
Zone theatre, recently built, had It's
walls covered with a very heavy and
handsome plush tapestry. The owners
asked us to suspend the regulation that
all inhammable fittings should he fire.
proofed; To do so would dull ne beau
tiful finish of that tapestry. But the
rule was enforced, as 1t is everywhere
an yesterdays fire there were two
alarms. Battalion Chief Ross had the
second turned in because OF the crowd
and the volume of smoke. But none
of the companies which answered the
second alarm was called upon to do
any work. A careful investigation will
be made to determine whether there
was any culpable carelessness."