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Music Hall To Be Safe After Changes Are Made(Centlliaed from Pt|« 1.)Taft announced. m president of. exit facilities to see that they sre the Music Hall Association. that It *n operative condition, and... fn _,1fh! that the exit sign* are properly. we* ready to proceed at once with I lUuminllUd u y, tUo incumbenti maklnx the Improvement* recom- ^ ihtm to **, that the alalea andmended and would do so alter the paaaafeaay* ere kept cleer end thatconference artth EM*.The expin** of the experts are to be paid by the Muatc Hall Association The committee adopted a resolution presented bv Taft thank-ing the expert* for the prompt manner In arhlch they dll their work and Ellis also thanked the commit -for their service*. The committee adjourned subject to cell of the chair.CONGRESS PLANS STEPS AGAINST TAX EVADERSTwo Way Program of Leginr | lation la Agreed Upon.REPORT IN PARTThe report follows ih part:OUr examination was directed primarily to the music hall section and secondarily to the two wings. Two days. Friday. May 21. and Saturday. May 22. were spent in a survey of the building; a study was made of the findings, followed by further verification at the building on May 27 and 28. Onr report, directed to answering specifically the questions submitted to us by your resolution of May 19. 1927. and supplemented by certain observations and recommendations, la respect-fullv submitted herewith.Your first question. Ta Music Hall safe for public performances?' we can confidently answer affirmatively. Although the building is not of the type of construction that present-day standard require—that la. the building la hot fireproof—we are sure that, assuming proper housekeeping and management, a capacity audience can promptly find refuge in case of need in the ample corridor spaces on each tier immediately Outside the auditorium. The audience will find ih these spaces more than 3V square feet for each person on the main flosr. 9 square feet on the dress-circle tier, and S square feet on the balcOny tier not including space in pexter Hall, as compared with IN square foot regarded as adequate under present-day standards In all cases the audience Is separated from the space it left by masonry walls Capacious stairs and exit doors afford opportunity for rapid exit.Regarding the second general question, if improvement* which we are recommending are so extensive that they can not be made tot the 1937-1938 season, can safety be assured by improvements which can be made promptly, plus the use ofstandees, if permitted, occupy only the space assigned.We recommend as desirable Improvements additional exit doors from the auditorium Although the doorways now provided have an aggregate width in each tier in excess of that required to discharge the audience into the corridor*, lobbies and foyers, they are not placed to the best advantage. On the main floor about 40 per cent of the audience is seated between the stage and the exit doors at the end of the boxes, while the other 60 per cent ha* access to five wide, evenly distributed exit doors. To relieve that situation passages and stairs forty- four inches wide can be introduced close to the ptoscenium wall passing through the spaces occupied by Boxes l end 2 respectively, connecting the main floor at tha atage-end to the corridors through a doorway to be cUt in the enclosing wall Such doorway would open directly opposite the doors from the corridors to the lobbiea leading to Central Parkway. Theae additional exits would not eacRfiee more Utah cne seat in each of the two boxes, To provide suitable access to such passages It would also be necessary to remove three or four seats on each side of the main floor of the auditorium.From tha dress circle an additional doorway forty-four inches wide, near the atage-end on each side, leading Into the corridor*, withWASHINOTON. May Revenue authorities disclosed today they hope to transfer 8t00.000.0M from the pockets of tax evaders to the Federal Treasury.The officials, spurred by President Roosevelt s broadside a gal hat wealthy tax dodgers, agreed oh 4 two-day program of prosecution and evasion-proof legislation.They said fraud proceedings. In-volving possible Jail sentences and heavy fines, would be recommended to the Justice Department wherever evidence justified and that several changes in the tax law* would ba^ sought to seal existing loopholee.jpRoosevelt Approve*$81,736,943 Metro*the neceuery .tep. to overcome floorWASHINOTON. May 99-KJP*— President Roosevelt signed today the 881.736.943 second deficiency appro-prlation bill. The act gives the T«l*7 neasee Valley Authority permission to start preliminary work on a *112,-000.000 flood control and power dam at OUberUvUle. Ky. The] signed also * measure appropriating 118 000.000 to enable the Social Security Board to continue payment* of grants to States for old-age assistance. Social security funds isecurity fu indebende;ntlevels, la suggested.DOORWAY IN BALCONYIn the balcony an additional doorway might be cut In the wall at the head of the thins aisle from the stage-end. between aeat-aectlona M and N on the south side and sections T and U on the north aide. These doorways would lead to stairs forty-fopr inches wide down to the dress-circle corridors, which would necessitate^ a bulkhead construction in the roof of the corridor. These several sugeationa relative to the new doors here recommended are Indicate on plans submitted herewith.In order that the doorways at the rear of the balcony now leading into Dexter Hell may be utilised to better advantage for exit purposes.firemen at each performanccr' we we reCommend the construction of ahave already indicated that, subjectto proper maintenance conditions, the buildii417It-08(ding is safe in its present condition for public performances. As a part of proper maintenance the reconditioning of the electric wiring throughout the building is essential. It should be done as soon aa possible, and certainly before the 1937-1938 season starts. In addition the use of tha cellar spaces under the auditorium, stage, lobbies, foyers and corridors for storage of combustible matter or for workshops should be discontinued unless a new well-constructed metal lath and plaster ceiling is provided over such spaces. Although these spaces are •quipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system that would undoubtedly control and extinguish fire that might start there, smoke could seep through the present floor construction and cause some alarm, as the present wire lath and plaster ceiling protecting the floor construction is of insufficient thickness to be adequate and ha* numerous defective spots.We recommend the discontinuance and removal of the flight of wooden stairs now leading from the men's toilet on the north side of the main auditorium floor to the cellar under the lobby. There should be no such direct connection between the cellar space and the main auditorium floor;The further recommended improvements hereinafter enumerated •re none of them so extensive that they could not be carried out before the 1937-1938 season starts if the work is undertaken promptly. If (or any reason such changes must be delayed they can be made as opportunities offer.t offices.appropriation bill, still in dispute t tween House and Senate. So th the board might make June grants* s special resolution appropriating 8l8.0Q0.00d was rushed through Congress. The second deficiency bill carries MO. 166,270 for the TVA alone, plus an authorization for the agency to contract for *4.000.000 worth of dam and power house equipment..tor*AFFIREMEN ON HAND Regarding the employment of firemen at performances, that should be dime In any event, whether required by law or not. If their presence is a statutory requirement lt;as we believe), the authorities having Jurisdiction would be the judges of the number to be employed. In our opinion there would be aa many as necessary, one In the stage section and two. one for each side, in the auditorium The one assigned to tha stage should be familiar with the m of hre extinguishing equlp-that U provided, and should the operation of the asbestos n and the stage ventilators andpartition from the south side of the north doorway to the east side of the doorway at the north end of Dexter Hall opening into the stair lobby lt;a* indicated on drawings), thus guiding the audience to the exit stairs A similar partition is recommended at the south end of Dexter Hall, leading to the present doorway, suitably enlarged, to be cut through the brick wall of the south stair lobby. -- '» ' . ' - . ■We observed that the exit doors were equipped with hardware of various types. The hardware on such doors should be of unform type throughout, of such character that the doors can be opened readily in the direction of travel at all times without the use of keys or other opening devices. We recommend the overhauling of all the exit doors by removing unsuitable hardware and replacing with the kind hire referred to.As the stage section during May Festival times is said to seat, on temporary platforms, as many as 900 persons. It Is important that the exit facilities from this part of the bqildlng be adequate and suitably arranged. We find the provisions, so far a* adequacy is concerned, satisfactory. but we recommend that the stairs at the rear exits from the stage level be reconstructed so that the risers are not over TN inches •nd the treads exclusive of nosings not less than 10 inches. When the stage is usedas above indicated, s temporary railing should be set up on these stairs.It la desirable that the separation of the stage section from the auditorium by the proscenium wall and asbestos curtain extend across the corridors -also. To this end the existing wide doorways from the corridors to the stage section on the main floor can be reduced In else to make them nothing more than ordinary service doorways equippedtoms tic .sprinklers. We are of tha opinion that the present equipment covers the parts where such protection is desirable. It la Important that the sprinkler system be ooattn uously supervised and maintained I prime condition. Y“Something has been said (we have not the complete report! about an explosion hazard in the loft over the auditorium due to dust accumulation. We did not find any cause' for slsrm In our examination of f space referred to. ■corresponding doorways on the dress circle floor can be similarly altered, or better still, permanentlywtlh atngle ulf -ckwlnt Or* door*.Where's George?—at LsNormandieif* a safe bet, lay* Gaorge, that you'll fallhard for that real country fried chicken, served with’country gravy, mashed potatoes, delicious biscuits and coffee!Large Platter tor 2,75« •*.
Newspaper Details
Cincinnati Times Star
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Sat, May 29, 1937
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Joanne G.
NA, 31 Aug 2024
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