Exhibitors Herald (1927)

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16 BETTER THEATRES SECTION OF October 29, 1927 ajorEquipmcnt Company 4603 Fullerton Ave. Chicago Atlanta, Ga. DISTRICT OFFICES Denver, Colo. HibbardWeedon Electric Co. New Orleans, La. L. A. Crow W. J. Keller 64 Cone St.. 1940 Blake St. 509 Conti St. Baltimore, Md. Detroit, Mich. H. H. Norton Omaha, Nebr. B. J. Fleming Wolfe-Mann Mfg. Co. 320 S. Hanover St. 2683 Wabash Ave. 213 S. 12th St. Boston, Mass. Indianapolis, Ind. Philadelphia, Pa. Wm. A. MacAvoy, Jr. J. J. Cassidy The Scott-Jaqua Co., Inc. 222 Devonshire St. 230 S. Penn St. 244 N. 10th St. Brooklyn, N. Y. Kansas City, Mo. Pittsburgh, Pa. Fred G. Kraut Robert Baker Coffin-Perry Co. 182 N. 11th St. 106 E. 14th St. 501 Ferguson Bldg . Buffalo, N. Y. Los Angeles, Calif. Salt Lake City, Utah Ralph E. Jones C. W. Cole Co., E. Zinsmeyer 1155 S. Los Angeles St. Raymond Ackerman 184 Main St. 318 Dooly Block Cincinnati, O. E. F. Schurig Memphis, Tenn. San Francisco, Calif. BakerJoslyn Co. C. B. Rutledge 44 E. Third St. 417 Prescott St. 490 Second St. Cleveland, O. Miami, Fla. F. C. Arnold Seattle, Wash. D. C. Griffiths Metropolitan Elec. Sup. Co. Rockefeller Bldg. 2184 N. W. Fifth St. 2914 First Ave., S. Dallas, Tex. Minneapolis, Minn. St. Louis, Mo. R. S. Wakefield L. H. Cooper O. H. Rottmann 2425 Commerce St. 443 Builders Exch. 3649 Bell Ave. Vancouver, B. c. Winnipeg, Man. Langley Mfg. Co., Ltd. Langley Electric Mfg. Co. Granville Island 677 Notre Dame Ave. “EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL FOR THE THEATRE” handling of emergencies, and the theatre first aid cabinet was properly stocked. Fire Fire is one of the hazards that must be closely guarded against, and the motion picture theatre has an enviable record in this respect. The seriousness of this hazard is best illustrated by the following statistics, which apply to fires of every description and in all types of buildings, including theatres : Last year fire killed 15,000 persons. During the same period fire destroyed property valued at $550,000,000. Although fire regulations are more rigidly enforced in theatres than in any other class of buildings, it is inevitable that a blaze may start, and the greatest danger in this connection may be caused by false alarms and panics which may result from almost anything. In the basement of a large, modern, fireproof theatre during the evening performance, while the lobby contained 500 waiting patrons, some paint rags, canvas, oils, etc., under the lobby, which was then still under construction, had been ignited by a carelessly thrown cigarette. Two hundred broke through the panic ropes in the lobby and were making a hasty exit when they were assured the fire had been quickly smothered by a hand extinguisher. This experience indicates that before a newly constructed theatre is opened to the public it should be thoroughly inspected and cleaned. You Never Can Tell But with the latest equipment and the most painstaking precaution against accidents an excited employe during an emergency can quickly spoil everything. An example of this happened recently in an Indiana town when a projectionist while working in a fireproof booth had a film catch fire. He tossed the ignited film into the lobby and the resulting fire caused $10,000 in damage. Poor Exits A fire started some years ago in a Southern theatre during a crowded matinee at which Clara Kimball Young was appearing, and although no one was killed or seriously injured, the patrons in the balcony had a difficult time locating and getting out the exits, which were hidden and poorly illuminated. Due in part to the terrible panic which resulted, 580 were killed and 250 injured in the great Iroquois fire at Chicago in 1903. What Happens When Fire Breaks Out Although there were exits upon each side of the building everyone ran to the rear and in the stampede which followed seven were killed and many injured when a theatre in New England was destroyed in two hours by fire which broke out backstage. An actor came out and told everyone to be seated, when a theatre in the Northwest, which was jammed to capacity, caught on fire. The lights went out and an orderly exit in the dark was made in a few minutes. When the actors made their exit, they left their stage door opened, causing additional draft, which helped to fan the flames. Two little girls in the balcony and a student, who returned to look for his brother, were slightly burned. A blaze started in an inaccesible part of the front basement in an Eastern theatre and because of the dense smoke which made it impossible to find the fire 15 engine companies, 4 truck companies, a hose company and a water tower were used to unsuccessfully battle the flames. The theatre, which was poorly constructed, but well equipped for fire, was unoccupied at the time. ( Continued on page 47)