IROQUOIS THEATRE FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 4, 6 January 1904, Page 3

IROQUOIS THEATRE FIRE

CABLE NEWS.

INQUIRY INTO THE CALAMITY. NEW YORK, Jan wary 4. At the inquest oil the victims by tin? lire at the Ircjquois Theatre, the evidence showed that a idnu(g|hft from the doors which were opunul boliir.d the stage blew down a fan screen containing a of incandescent ligjhtUr. The fan screen fell with a c.i H.sll like an explosion, and tlie heat from the flood of lights on the screen igmiU-d the flimsy borders oi wcenery. Then seventy-live thousand feet of oikd Maindla rope used in one luuandred and fifty tlrop steeiies c&ugi'.it (ire. The atfijestos "curtuin had not been arraimg«l to drop <y.rjckly ; it hung on aai endless rape and was lowered with difficulty. It wns obstructed in its descent by a steel reflector, not by the aerial wire. The reflector had toeen ifarelersly left to itself, aiiii swung out of u niche near the proscenium urch. The Chicago City authorities have "declared the use of asbestos curtains for cutting off a stage from the audi'torhim as inaKkJq.uute, a rail the thi'utivs of Chicago are now ordered to construct steel roller curtains, arid also construct wide exits, each wifli a stairway to the street! Tlie use of conibustiihles and calcium lights is prohibited. The theatre authorities have efco been ondered to construct skylights over tibe sta®e fitted with automatic lids, ;,o as to enable sniak-a to esin case of fire. Gas jets are to be protected by Mire nettings. Strteg'ant precautions against fires in theatres are being taken in other cities. PROMPT ACTION BY THE K\TSEB. Received 0, 1 a.m. BERLIN, January 6. The Kaiser has closed the Royal Opera House in Berlin, and ordered alterations in the interest of public safety. PRECAUTIONS AT GISBORNE. (JISBORNE, January 5. The Borouffh Council had a long discussion in regard to the Chicago lire and tho lesson to be derived therefrom. It was resolved that tho wliole Council be a committee to view the local theatre in the morning and decide it any irojii'Qvejnenta are necessary,

United Press Association—By Klectric 'JVIt-graph.—Copyright.