THEATRE EXITS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 7

THEATRE EXITS

Sir/—On tha-east 6ide of the Paramount Theatre in Courtenay Place there are exhibited signs "Exit." On I'nday night these doors were opened by, someone, and I, being in the midst or a crowd, found myself forced into an alleyway, and m less than twenty seconds this alleyway was packed. iWhat would have happened had a panto arose I leave you to conjecture. In the Publio interest I ask you to send a.Teljable man to report on these epts, and on the report that they are fak«>s to so thoroughly slate the individuals that it will act I s a , oetepent to' such dangorons frauds. If German Taiders can lay mines on our coast they can also drop a few shells m Courtenay Place.—l am , J.M. ' ■ . [1^. connection with the above oom1P ™ Dominion ' reporter inspected the exits at the Paramount Theatre. Ihe emergency exits are not on the east side, but open outwards from the west, pels of the auditorium. There are four of these exits (each iron-covered double doors 4ft. wide) opening out on to an Bft. wide right-of-way (three from the ground floor and one from the gallery). The right-of-way, which is open to the sky, doe? not debouch upon Courtenay Place, but (at the southern epd) on to Forester's Lane, a 20ft. thoroughfare, and complies with the City Corporation's by-law. The exit from the right-of-way to Forester's Lane is by a big double gate, which is stated to he always kept open. It is probable that the packing-up of' the right-of-way may have been caused by people trying to find their way out direct ,into Courtenay Place, whereas the exit is at the other end, forming the terminus of the lane. It might bo desirable to have an illuminated "Way out" notice ereoted in the alleyway, in addition to the emergency exitsonly intended for use in case of a fire or an aJarm of fire—there is the main entrance, two sets of double doors each 7ft. Bin. wide, giving an exit 15ft. in wridth. Under a test, in the presence of a representative of the fire, brigade, oyer 1200 people (without any intimation of the test being conveyed tb them) are stated to have left the Paramount Theatre in four minutes.]