Show j Theater Fires From The Salt Lake Point Of View I P t Of WALK W LER OPERA HOU Destruction of the Building Thir Thirteen teen Years cars Ago Vividly Recalled i ROW HOW CONFLAGRATION STARTED I name el Broke nr ke Out After a 11 Midsummer Ml Production of a n Held by the Enemy Performance t COMMON CAUSES OF SUCH FIRES Something of the Customary remit the Conditions of the Salt lake Loke and Grand Theaters It Ii vai IU more moro than 13 years year earll ago R O that thal salt it Lake Lako experienced Its ttA first and only i theater destruction of ot the Valker Opera House which stood s on en the file 1110 of oC the tho present Atlas AlIa block fhe here was nn 1059 10 i of or life lICe but the tho prop loss loPS was WAil hel hems The Tho play was ert Ayer And only the tho singe bands In the building wIlen n ot of h by 1 a gass border ae aeIn short time the end and In n All nn in whole hol was Tn n a mAS of or names At M Atter or of watt 1111 a tow fow file hours hourI tM ter Si vas ill all 11 that of tit the tho R one Cot tWO Y advanced OB an to 10 o the origin ot of the fro JOIS III ch Chi rage cLIO Is almost exactly tho amo e He Hethe as In Inthe n the nee lee of the life Soil Lake Uko fire Ore I It IsI Is I j lw lIy IN tho Per of ot the tho Mr Ir company that sparks from frome e a Slum calcium or am tiro set fiet the lire to n nImr border larder with the th horrible result that li b I Mill still being told It Is le conceded 1 that thit the t result would have been litter differ rat nt If the asbestos had not 10 intone I t WALKER 01 OPERA FRA I FIRE he Walker Opera Opra House owing to lo tit tM i 11 ot of that day dal dA was wu wuI I by Bs exclusively tho the rows of ot t ov oYer V r tho stage were partially par by hy a I trough shaped d Itc r of o f tin t which served end H e also as ns n Wr On the Iho hc of or July 3 1590 1890 lieU held by b th the Enemy was waR presented oho performance WM was over and the ti ac r tit rY a being bel taken out cut A stage sn t Und band a rear door Just as the tho thomen themen men mm In the Hies were lowering a light t doth border Tho draft caught the lira Ilm ly Y material amt It U Swayed against t the tin In an Instant It H w was 1111 ablaze Ablate It was nay still Mill possible to avert aver the fire by 1 cutting the ropo rope that thA t held lick the l border which would bring 1111 It II to the stage mid and dousing It nut Bu t nowhere could a II hatchet axe or blade cf lany wy description d be bo found round until final finally ly Iy somebody rushed up stairs Blair with n pocket rock knife nod began sawing th 0 rope rop lIh II it Of Ot course It was WA too late Inte Other pieces plem had caught and the fl fly Y taller gallery was waft nil 1111 In ht flames A I PRECAUTION CAUTION There hero was IM just Juet one hope left lect The Th V W J In a stroke of ot 0 enterprise had equipped lell the Iho stage wit witt with t tin Ono turn of ot o oI t i creak crank and ond the tho stage would b be c drenched As AA ARID U Is usual In such Ruch cases It l t f failed H d to work at nl this particular crisis It H hid had not nol be beef n tested since tin Ita Ors first t and was quite ns as useless ns 1111 n s the 0 sos In the tho Iroquois A d professor who Iho was IRI to give n picture o In III the opera house had Ind from 20 to t o W b tanks of oC calcium pas BUS away AWa rid 4 hh i to the tho haw vo tier the 1 I 11 lii ell l already spread who wim was manager of the Ilio theler th o I III now no ler hr f In then thoRo Omaha and nod Is 18 interested In lit list nov tOI Irr r properties He Ile him has hud till nil al 1 en disastrous fires iii In his hili career r Ara manager Im DAY CONDITIONS A r of or tho the Walker Open n tl r 1 r House fire Oro would he no next to Impossible In III Suit Salt Lake Lollo at the present ont time lime be bt because cause ause c of tit tie the excellent precautions taken by the management ot tit o each house Hoth tho the Salt Halt Lake Theater and ami the tho Grand are oro fully Cully provided with modern appliances ances Ono One of oC the first firer things each did was to place ploce broad II an is sharp as ns razors r In III the Hy lIy loft The managers had hall In mind the tho fate Call of o the Walker Opera Then Theil thero lire are nil all sorts of oC chemical hersi water venter buck buckets buckels buckets ets els are me plentiful and In III the proper places exits are arc numerous and best of ot ill all the work under coat cast Iron Iroll ri rules es that would prevent any aur catas catastrophe catastrophe except In the ewe ense e ot of 0 n II man mOil going hopelessly out of or his mind The Theold Theold Theold old practise of oC filling the tho aisles with chairs when 1111 demand for tor scats war warran ranted ran ed It h fortunately been bren been done dono Bono away with The fhe ushers water boys and program buys boys 1 are compelled to stay slay In close proximity to 10 tho the exits to 10 push Ilu h them the doors open outward In compliance with the city illy ordinances lit In case casc of alarm I CAUSES S The three common rouse causa of then theft ter lire 1 I In res ore Iro n re I lre e and electrical el ef ct effects cc on tho defective w wiring enes le n detlie a behind the scenes It Jt Is u com common mon men thing to O discover t tIn ot er an tin r f motIn R In III his room It Is II indirect In III Indirect direct violation of oC the tha rules of ot every overy theater and opera Ollern house In it the thu United dotted States Slates If It the tho actor is n a Mitt ho Ignores the t various placards announcing nm ing lug In bold totters letters that lint smoking I Is s pro A 11 In wiser cr tight light smokes Just as nn often orten but bUI draws drawn hl his hll door c close ose mud ami mikes makes more of oC a n secret of oC It II If It a n house 11 rm r I ni detects anybody muS In It the tho thenet oct net It Il Is III his duty lit to 10 Inform the house o Ise manager nt lit once ollee and frequently great gnat hubbubs hub hubn have havu been between the house manager maager Her und and the tho company compall man manager ager oger because ot or the violation of ot this rule The Tho latter cares not unit halt so no muchas much ns nil tho the manager of ot the house naturally naturally for tor he does not own tho theater He lie I is II Interested If Ir at lit nil 1111 only In III his scenery ItC pre costumes It Is II a common Ioe Iso Ilse for fOl chorus girls to hunch bunch tip liP u in III o ono one room mil Inaugurate n wholesale e cigarette bee bie They Tho It safer than to smoke In ill all of ot tho the rooms y assigned to them thefts for Cor detection means a etcher cither n the lino or ul discharge SOME NARROW ESCAPES S SA A few or narrow escapes e capel hero here in III Salt hake without reference to toan t tany any an house hill Indicate how haw easily trouble ran cnn ca ti spring from trivial causes how holl n vise wise are oro ct t allow no Intimation of or danger to rend reach t the tho audience A opera was IM being presented nt ot H II certain house The rite tenor was In III Ii 1 his dressing loom cleaning some seine whit while I Ions gloves with tlC When ho h isa hac I he throw what what was S left leCt In bl the tho Into Inlo n m water pull poll be beside side Hilio his mod went on all for 01 hl his hili e next scene When Teti h ho returned t to 10 tho Iho I room roam ho lie casually lighted n a cigarette e Mil and throw the burning match Into Inlo tho o water poll path Instantly tho the gasoline ga o flared u up In lit his hll fright the tho method of or extinguishing It II that oc oe currell to 10 him hlll wan WAR lo to lick kick tho Ihl bucke bucket t over Whon he lie dPI did so o the tho carpet tools took lire the spread to tho the curtain curtail nod tin the 1 OIl was POOH Oiled filled with smoke About that limn lino u it stage hand detecting tho the fumes rushed on tho the leeno with a extinguisher am anti was In successful In putting out nut the tho blaze Tho Thu tenor wan WAil wn fined nned 28 when tullen the tho clr ch were known to 10 his The his root roof of oC ono one of the caught caugh 11 f t JJ LAA J N NOro Ore Oro ro from the chimney hiring during a u 1 J P and although the fire firc do elo was waH called culled out cut and i tens 1114 tensa n a great clang and clatter outside not nut 1 n person Inside In hlo the theater was aware ot of f anything unusual for the very vary lOr good reason cuson that fluff the tho doorkeepers would al nl alow low loI ow nobody to 6 enter cuter until anal the thing was vcr over over WAS IVAH COOL Manager Iner of the Suit Salt I Luko Iulo 10 tenter adopted u a caul headed course on the night of lit tutu thu university fire over oer a n year ago Lp Up on the hill hili ill the holocaust was raging Ins do the he the theater the tine University Dramatic Ora tic club mis Willi giving n II play Illar The fhe house was vas packed to the floors doors h by students of oC the Institution Fearing that Una If It weal wod of oC the tho fire tire should reach the the Ihu would create a n panic Mr h Py Iy 1 Per Iler closed the Chic doors and allowed atso lute nobody to 10 o enter liter Nor did audience hear of or the fire Ore until It n ne Uncovered dl by b themselves after reach reacting Ing ng the sidewalk MANAGER PS TALKS i IA L A man elan said laid no Id to 10 me time the tho other oIlier day ilay chi remarked cat Manager 1 I e There Tile l e I should be a n law lacy forbidding people eople to t tr o cry cr lire at ht 14 nonsense r en e you oU cant rn n ot t legislate fools tools out ut of existence exl lene lieN Hera Is III nn In ot or R might t haVo haa caused a It panic Ht tit our house hou e al Il it t tt the time of the blaze When the lire broke out a I matt man rushed fran Into Inlo t the tho Ito lobby hubby lob an and d said I f want wanto so n t to o announce to the he audience that the University ll Is 18 on lire fire Mr Gibson tile lie th e doorkeeper per and I hud had to 10 forcibly eject him bini to pros prevent ent n panic FAST MAIL A called The Fait Past Mall Malt has hall a II railroad scene In III which nn no en cn engine engino gine gino lushes by 13 b at nt terrific speed sup cup worked by a man who carlies car carlies lies It II In front of or him and runs tuns across the tho stage It sputters and silts fl fland Ore rued and for tor further urther orders order A tool fool Alago hand on of Clue tho occasion In III question after safely satel landing tile the trains passengers on the tho opposite side aide of ot the tho stage plage IAH carefully laid the tho live with Its ItH fiery lIel a u wood wing wIllI cotton duck No 2 In n another Instant tho the scenery would have been be In lames but hut tho the car carpenter pouter penter was wan standing nearby and dashed h 11 tho tie contents of or a water bucket over the Clue threatened spot And nd then Ihen tin thu danger over the stage RIngo manager actual actually took tonic the local man to task for tho the scenery Managers and architects havo been boen bee II struggling for tor a n rood good many a II years with the tho th question and while they tire the have les leu Polled the danger to 10 a n wonderful ex tent Improvements may any IOn be bo noted a 1 rapidly as qs now nol houses hou arc mu erected K I lino haR Now York tough fought I for tor tho tl safety of oC patrons Perhaps the best thins thing thin yet et Is to b ht be seen at tho the Savoy theater there The Tho scats BOt are RO sa o con that tile Iho hoy may mill be ho folded Hat flat thin tho sent seat against the back Oren hen turned half bolt way around upon n 1 pivot nt ot tho Cho base boso of ot ho tho shah making It possible foj COI COImI or oras n mI as many ahoy aisles MB as there are aro rows ot or in ht 11 tho Cho house hruse ON 01 HACKS 01 OI SEATS SI William H 8 McCarthy traffic man manager ager oger for tho the Snit Salt Inko lre com COlli puny In course of Atlon title this ho made mado ado some same suggestions Clint tha might bo followed locally pub lUb Ile Is a II creature fat C habit ho declared Once ns fix n A iii its mind and I It will do It unwittingly For J Instance If It It a neat card wore were and attached to of or every sea sent seat something Uko ilko this Ihie CAli bo III emptied in three th eo minutes 1 the tho watch Your nearest exit Is a haul Indicating tile the direction After this notice night otter 1 tie I night tho the le to gond gnat would heroine used In the mind and people would Instinctively do n ns as requested Then Thon too Iou every exit ot or the tho theaters should be he nightly and ansI tho the theater goers would Instinct Ively Iv I mako for lOl the tho nearest t without nil nit crowding for the main mahl exit I would world also suggest SIl that nn Oil Iron grill lie Ill run lUn down tho II ho canter of each se la i tho parquet tile This would teach tench the tho Iho ublia to 10 o take tako the tho aisle nearest and sal not all crowd to tho Iho center aisle Two hundred persons so 10 educated a would Could t hold any I theater crowd steady sten SU CURTAINS If It them Is III ono one Important feature of protection Oyo that tho the Halt Lake J ko ploy play houses are lucking lacking It Is tho Iho It H Is Cs too early curly now to speculate with any an degree of or ac sue Gurney curacy ns liS to 10 tho the effect of the tho Iroquois disaster dl on tho the local loan I III houses but It seems reasonably certain that It will result In ht asbestos curtains Icing In it stalled Hailed hero no us well ell ns os In every city In ht the country In the tho case of the the nn oa bc bests belli s curtains really a n stead of or a n l protecting feature forming as nil It Il did a n perfect blower for the tho lire Hut But there thoro Is h no doubt of ot Its ilK value Mayor Moor Harrison has hlll ordered about 20 0 O theaters 1 closed cloned In III Chicago they tile the lack tills thin method of ot protection anit It Is II believed that In hl other large lanra 1 m mn omo similar In h likely to t result r re petted alt i recognizes tin Ihn curtain by laws In WI and nil the theaters titers aters tire are compelled to brace rase and lower latter It twice dulling ellch performance at as a 11 test teat ot or Its liB condition t r |