ON Till: CONSTRUCTION OF THEATRES, 303 



thVit a fire could begin and coromnnicate itself roujid tlie 

 house with such rapidity as to endanger the lives of the 

 auditors; but what is as bad, or worse, on the first appear- 

 ance or cryW tire, instantlyWcruld the audience rush from 

 their places to the doors, and hundreds of lives would per- 

 haps be lost; for the very idea of a fire deprives a man of 

 that command over his reteson, especially if he conceive 

 the danger imminent, that at the first scream of fire, all 

 would press to escape, so that numbers would be suffocated, 

 crushed, or trodden to death. The second view I would 't^d in cases of 

 take is, that on such immense piles of building being in a 

 blaze, if the wind should be high, vast danger might be 

 the consequence; and in the attempt to extinguish fires of 

 this sort, we have a recent instance in Covent Garden, how 

 dangerous is the employment of the firemen and assistants. 

 I will suppose, that a theatre was constructed of iron instead In a theatre 

 ©f wood. If the scenery during the midst of the perform- u^eT1"or"wood 

 auce was to take fire, and the whole in a blaze, the specta- a fire of no 

 tors might rest quiet, it coiild no' extend to reach them ; consequence. 

 and I do think, that, although the whole house resounded 

 with the cry of fire, the idea would fix itself on the mind 

 so strongly, that they were sitting on iron, that the alarm 

 would not so much affect them, if.it did at all, as to pro- 

 duce any mischievous consequences. The very thought of 

 the theatre being incombustible would draw to it many per- 

 sons, who, from a fear of accident, might now keep away. 

 The security it promises to the proprietors not only from 

 real danger, but from the alarm of danger, would, 1 should 

 «nppose, (especially if it can be made appear, that it would 

 be erected as cheap, or nearly so, as of wood) induce them 

 to adopt this plan. 



I will giv^ a brief description of the mode, and although J'' '" ^^'^ ^ the- 

 imperfect, yet all I wish is to strike the mind with the idea-, 

 and induce the proprietors to give it due consideration. I 

 will begin with the stage — all the upright and cross sup- 

 porter?? should be iron, cast light, fitted, and screwed or 

 pinned togetluT, and \o make it fire proof, projecting edges 

 Tmight be cast on the bottom of each spar, so that wlien lai^ 

 down to lay the floor upon, tiles or quarries made thin and 

 light on {)urpo:je u.ight be luid between the spans, i<)rn)ing 



a sulid 



tie. 



t 



