Moving Picture Shows. Sect. 106

All moving picture shows shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 176 and of chapter 437 of the acts of the year 1905, and of any amendments thereof or additions thereto now or hereafter made.

Exits, Etc. Sect. 107

Every building hereafter erected containing a hall or assembly-room shall conform to all the aforesaid requirements as to exits, stairways, exit lights, aisles, and seats, which apply to theatres; provided, that the same are necessary for the preservation of public safety and are specially ordered by the building commissioner. All orders of the building commissioner under the provisions of this section shall be subject to the authority of a majority of the Board of Appeal, which may annul or modify such orders.

Roof Gardens. Sect. 108

Nothing herein contained shall prevent the placing of a roof garden, art gallery, or rooms for similar purposes above a theatre, provided the floor of the same forming the roof over such theatre shall be constructed of fireproof materials, and shall have no covering boards or sleepers of wood. Every roof over such garden or other rooms shall have all supports and rafters of steel, and, if covered, shall be covered with glass or fireproof material, or both.

Exits From Roof Gardens. Sect. 109

Exits from roof gardens may communicate with stairs leading from the auditorium of the theatre, but they shall be at least 4 in number, not less than 4 feet 6 inches wide, and distinct and separate from each other from roof to street.

Summer Theatres. Sect. 110

Summer theatres, if built without the building limits, and located 30 feet distant from any other building or structure or adjoining lot lines, and of no greater seating capacity than 750 persons, and not more than 1 story high, without balconies or galleries, may be constructed as follows:

The auditorium, without a cellar or basement, with open sides of double the number of exits as hereinbefore provided, opening directly into the surrounding courts or gardens at the grade level, and the adjoining dressing-rooms, may be of wooden construction, but the stage shall be inclosed in brick walls not less than 12 inches thick, or shall be plastered on metal lathing throughout; provided, that the openings leading to the dressng-rooms shall be provided with fire doors.

Otherwise, all protective features and arrangements shall comply with all previous sections of this title.

Existing Theatres. Sect. 111

All stairs of theatres shall have throughout proper handrails on both sides firmly secured to walls or to strong posts and balusters.

Stairways 12 feet or more wide shall have one or more intermediate rails not more than 8 feet apart and properly supported.

No boiler, furnace, engine or heating apparatus, except steam, hot water or hot air pipes or radiators, shall, be located under the auditorium nor under any passage or stairway or exit of any theatre.

In every theatre shall be over every exit, on the inside, and over every opening to a fire escape, on the inside, an illuminated sign, bearing the "word "exit" or "fire escape," respectively, in letters not less than 4 inches high. An emergency arc light or its equivalent shall be installed in the auditorium, which light or lights, exit lights, and all lights in halls, corridors or any part of the building used by the audience, except the general auditorium lighting, shall be fed independently of the stage lighting, and shall be controlled only from the lobby or other convenient place in the front of the house. Every exit sign shall be kept illuminated and every outside balcony and fire escape shall be kept well lighted during the performance, except outside exits during a performance in the daytime and before sunset.

The exits and openings to fire escapes of all theatres shall open outward and have fastenings on the inside only. They shall be unfastened during every performance and shall be so arranged that they can easily be opened from within. Plans showing the exits and stairways shall be legibly printed so as to occupy a full page of every programme or play-bill.

No temporary seats or other obstructions shall be allowed in any aisle or stairway of a theatre, and no person shall remain in any aisle, passageway or stairway of any such building during any performance.

The proscenium or curtain opening of every theatre shall have a fire-resisting curtain of incombustible material, reinforced by wire netting, or otherwise strengthened. If of iron, or similar heavy material, and made to lower from the top, it shall be so arranged as to be stopped securely at a height of 7 feet above the stage floor, the remaining opening being closed by a curtain or valance or fire-resisting fabric. The curtain shall be raised at the beginning and lowered at the end of every performance, and shall be of proper material, construction and mechanism.

There shall be one or more ventilators near the centre and above the highest part of the stage of every theatre, of a combined area of opening satisfactory to the building commissioner, and not less than 1-10 of the area of the proscenium opening. Every such ventilator shall have a valve or louvre so counterbalanced as to open automatically, and shall be kept closed, when not in use, by a fusible link and cord reaching to the prompter's desk, or any other place easily reached from the stage level and readily operated therefrom. Such cord shall be of combustible material, and so arranged that if it is severed the ventilator will open automatically.

There shall be at least two 2-inch high-service standpipes on the stage of every theatre, with ample provisions of hose nozzles at each level of the stage on each side, and the water shall be kept turned on during the occupation of the building by an audience. The said pipes shall in no case be sealed and shall have a gate and check valve and shall have a test valve placed between the gate valve and check valve. The proscenium opening of every theatre shall be provided with a 2 1/2-inch perforated iron pipe or equivalent equipment of automatic or open sprinklers, as the commissioner may direct, so constructed as to form when in operation a complete water curtain for the whole proscenium opening, and there shall be for the rest of the stage a complete system of fire apparatus and perforated iron pipes automatic or open sprinklers. Such pipes or sprinklers shall be supplied with water by high-pressure service, and shall be ready for use at all times.