The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1887. THE EXETER FIRE.
The appalling loss of life resulting from the fire at the Exeter Theatre has S9M a thrill of horrow through those who have read the harrowing details of the catastrophe, even here, remote as we are from the scene of the disaster. The first thought that occurs to the reader is one of surprise, that after the sad warnings afforded some years ago by the burning of the theatre at Nice, and still more recently by the destruction of the Opera Conuque m Pans, the Imperial Government should not have adopted measures to prevent such lamentable loss of life m the event of ffre occurring m places of public amusement. The Home Secretary, Mr Henry Matthews, has expressed an. opinion that legislation m this direction is urgently needed. Home Secretaries, before Mr Matthews, have done the same, and yet no legislative action has been taken. Unfortunately fires m theatres have, of late, been of no uncommon occurrence, and the Government should without delay legislate on the matter. A French paper, referring lo the catastrophe, offers some good suggestions. Among these the principal are— that the theatres should be lighted by electricity, and, that the scenery should be non-inflammable. But, m our opinion, the means of exit when a fire does occur, are the most iroporfant considerations. On such occasions a panic invariably ensues, and frantic men, women and children lose all self-control, escape being the one predominant idea m their mind, and a rush is made for the doors. Unfortunately these are generally double, and open inwards, and m most cases have only one leaf fully open, the other being left on the swing, the consequence is that when^he rush comes, this is closed, and only half the doorway available for egress, those trying to escape become wedged together and, if not trampled to death, are suffocated, leaving the passage blocked. Every place of amusement should have two separate entrances for each part of the building, and the doors should open outwards. In our own little way, out m the colony here, the public become indignant when loss of life occurs through neglect of providing the means of escape m such en emergency, and the authorities insist, m the case ot hotels, that they shall be provided with at least two staircases from the upper floors. We have lately had to notice a case m which these wise precautions had been overlooked, with the result that two human lives were sacrificed. If such precautions be necessary m places where so few are concerned, how much more necessary are they m places where hundreds assemble, and where, m the event of fire, hecatombs of victims fall a sacrifice to reprehensible neglect on the part of the authorities.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1659, 10 September 1887, Page 2
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471The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1887. THE EXETER FIRE. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1659, 10 September 1887, Page 2
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