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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6007, 25 November 1890, Page 2

Now that J. L. Toole's season is over, we think it right to acknowledge the receipt of sovoral letters during its progress in reference to the fire escape exits of the theatre. We did not publish those letters as we did not wish to produce a feeling of alarm in the minds of tbe crowded audiences that went to hear the great comedian. It does not take much to create a sense of nervousness in many who, finding themselves in a

building packed from floor to ceiling, have been told that in the event of a panic they would never bo able to escape. The exits from the theatre aro not sniHciont. The windows on which the words "Fire Escape" are painted lead ou to tho roofs of lean-tos, the one on tho eastern side of the building being fifteen feet from the ground, while that ou the western side looks as if it were in a rotten state of disrepair and not able to bear any weight. In a panic tho windown would be jammed by an excited, frightened crowd of people, and thero would bo littlo chance of esc.pe by that means. For escape purposes tbe windows should be much wider and made to open outwards. But this of itself would be useless, for thero is little choice between death by suffocation aud death by being jumped upon, for in jumping or dropping tho distance from the lean-to roof to tho ground very few would keep their feet, and those who went down would never rise again. It is not, however, our province to point out the particular alterations that should be made so much as to show that alterations are required, and in doing this we have endeavored to embody tho remarks of several correspondents.