State Building Inspector Patterson Visits The Opera House - - - District Attorney Also Here
The requirements of the state factory law were all met and no violation could be found, will be the report of the building inspector James R. Patterson of Beaver Falls, who was in Canonsburg last night and today, looking over he Morgan opera house, where the awful catastrophe occurred on Saturday night. Inspector Patterson was accompanied by district attorney C. L.V. Acheson of Washington, Coroner James Heffran and Burgess W. h. Dunlap of Canonsburg. The building was inspected from top to bottom and Mr. Patterson stated that his report to Chief Inspector Delaney would have to be that there were no violations of the law. Six months ago Mr. Patterson had visited this building and ordered that a booth be placed in the building for the moving picture machine that would meet the requirements of the law. He said that this had been done and that the booth was as good as any in the state.
He took many measurements of the building, stairs, doors, etc. the picture machine booth is 9x61/2 feet and is lines with asbestos.
The seating capacity of the theater is, on the first floor 552, balcony, 132, and gallery, 200. Manager Ferguson stated that the mad rush for the doors began at the opening of the second show, and that the house has a seating capacity of 884. the house could not have been crowded as there had been but 714 tickets sold for the two shows.
Inspector Patterson stated while the state law had nothing in it in reference to the theaters being on the second floor, he was of the opinion that it was very bad policy and should be avoided. He also stated that chief inspector Delaney had attempted to have incorporated a clause prohibiting theaters on the second floors, but it was defeated.