PICTURE THEATRE PANIC IMPOSSIBLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18958, 2 January 1930, Page 11

PICTURE THEATRE PANIC IMPOSSIBLE.

LOCAL SAFETY SCHEMES ARE ALMOST PERFECT.

A disaster such as occurred at the Glen Cinema, Paisley, on New Year’s Eve could not happen in New Zealand, according to Christchurch cinema authorities. They state that the very stringent regulations imposed by the Government render such a holocaust impossible, and that, by means of automatic shutters, any outbreak of fire is confined to about a foot of film. The film containers, the sections of the operating box and the operating box itself are all fireproof and fool-proof. “ Christchurch cinemas extend the deepest sympathy to those people -who lost children in the terrible panic in the Paisley theatre,” stated Mr 11. Watters, manager for Christchurch Cinemas, to-day. “It looks as if there were some carelessness in connection with that fire. The operator had the film in the container before he noticed that it was burning. If the container were fireproof, as it should have been, it only remained, to leave the lid on, and no one would have known that the film had been burnt. As it was, the operator rushed out into the open, and the fumes escaped into the theatre. Fires Cannot Happen. “ That cannot happen in New Zealand, as the regulations make it necessary that the theatres be kept up to date. The Paisley theatre may have been one of the old ones, without sufficient means for a quick exit in case of fire. Also, the operating box may not have been properly equipped. With an admission charge of only lid, it is not likely that the management could afford to have a full staff of ushers on at the time.” Mr Watters stated that while a film was being screened only about a foot of it was exposed at any one time to the arc light used for projecting. If this happened to catch fire, automatic shutters cut off the projection and confined the blaze to that small strip of film. One of the shutters went in front of the lens and cut off any projection of the burning film on to the screen. In that way no panic would be caused, as the fact that a foot of film had been burnt would not be known to anyone in the theatre. The operating boxes, which were fireproof, had funnels leading out on to the roof of the theatre to permit the escape of any fumes. The windows of the box were also fireproof, and no himes could escape through them to frighten people. No Fear Warranted. “ I believe that the Government regulations in New Zealand are the most up-to-date in the world,” declared Mr Claude Haigh. “It has cost theatre proprietors hundreds and hundreds of pounds to bring their operating boxes into line with the regulations. The boxes, which are absolutely fireproof, are equipped with fire extinguishers and blankets. There are fireproof shutters on the windows, and steel-lined boxes for holding the films. If a small fire occurs, the filo automatically slips back into its container. Rewinding of the films after use is done in a room separate from the operating box, where there is no danger from the arc light. “ There is alsolutely no fear of such a thing happening in Christchurch as caused so many children’s deaths in Paisley. Most of the Christchurch theatres can be emptied of a crowd in ies" than two minutes. The houses are very well staffed by ushers and others who know exactly what to do in the case of an outbreak of any sort. The operating box is outside the auditorium, and with the modern plant there have been cases of fire of which no one apart from the operator has known.”