Projection engineering (Sept 1929-Nov 1930)

Projection Engineering, May, 1930 Page 25 Pathe Studio Fire Loss of Ten Lives by Fire Which Started in Velvet Drop Curtain WIDE publicity has been given in the daily press to the court proceedings in New York, dealing with the responsibility for the Pathe Sound Studio Are. The fire occurred on December 10, 1929, ten persons losing their lives due to suffocation. The fire occurred in a building of fire-resistive construction with an ample number of exists. A quantity of motion picture film was stored in the building, but this did not contribute in any way to the loss of life. The primary cause of the casualties was the extremely rapid spread of fire in inflammable scenery used in connection with the production. This building presented all the fire hazards typical of a theatre stage. On a theatre stage the law would have required the tireproofing of scenery, automatic vents above to carry the smoke and flame upward, thus retarding the lateral spread of fire, and, most important of all, automatic sprinkler protection. If this building had been equipped with a standard system of automatic sprinklers it is believed that these ten lives would not have been lost. The Building The Pathe Sound Studio is located on the southwest corner of Park Avenue at 134th Street, New York City. The building was known as The Manhattan Studios and sub-leased by that concern to Pathe Sound Studios, Inc., SOUND RECORDING Escape ' ~-zx\T ROOM Escape J*-(Down) "ToAlleyfbowrV ALLEY 134™ ST Escape ,EXIT EXIT Bodies . Bodies found, here : i ,Black Velvet Curtain (Jwhere Fire Originated. STUDIO stage: PROPERTY ROOM , EXIT, U£_ ') ALL.E.Y Above: Mezzanine floor, Pathe1 Sound Studio. Below: Ground floor, Pathe" Sound Studio. for use in making sound motion picture productions. The studio was equipped with the usual paraphernalia for such work. The building has a 20-ft. wide mezzanine floor on three sides. The building covers 11,250 square feet and has brick walls and concrete floors with wood surface in part ; partitions consist principally of wood and composition board on wood framing, except offices on the balcony and rewinding room, which were enclosed in fire resistive partitions. The contents of the ground .floor included film cutting room, projection booth, screening room, stage, props, flood lights, scenery, sound recording equipment, spot lights, stage settings, curtains and draperies, and sound deadening materials as used in modern sound studios. The dressing rooms were on the mezzanine floor, which extended along the north wall of the building. There were two rows of such rooms, with a corridor between. The corridor was about 5 feet wide, one end leading to a stairway exit from the mezzanine to the main floor. The other end of the corridor led to a fire escape from the west wall of the building. There were several business offices on the mezzanine floor, also a projection booth and screening room on the mezzanine on the south side of the building. From the stage floor to the ceiling was approximately 33 feet. The ceiling was covered with sound deadening material with no air chamber between this and the roof. The film storage vault was located in the basement. Exits An ample number of exits is shown by the accompanying diagram. Every exit was equipped with an illuminated exit sign. It seems quite evident that these exits were not known or thought of by the majority of those at work in the studio, as the main entrance was the one resorted to by the majority for escape. This main entrance was located at the corner of Park Avenue and East 134th Street. At this point there were two large doors opening outward ; however, these doors were not in general use and a draft and sound partition was erected around a third door, also opening outward. A single door, opening inward and provided with a door check was located in the partitioning. It was neccessary to pass through the doorwav in the partitioning first and then through the second doorway before gaining exit to the street from the studio floor. To reach this exit from the balcony it was necessary to descend