Schiller  Theatre  Fire. — This  was  an  exposure  fire  due
to  the  burning  of  a  building  of  combustible  construction
near  the  Schiller  Theatre  in  Chicago.  The  source  of  flame
was  some  thirty  feet  distant  from  a  court  in  the  side  wall  of
the  theatre  building,  so  that  the  fire  was  blown  against  the
court  wall,  which  consisted  of  an  iron  framework  protected
by  six-inch  vitrified  tile  blocks.  As  a  result  the  outer  faces
of  many  of  the  tiles  fell  off,  completely  exposing  portions  of
the  iron  frame.  The  fire  attack  was  not  a  severe  one,  as
adjoining  brick  walls  were  comparatively  uninjured,  but  the
fire  entered  the  building  by  means  of  the  windows  and  de-
stroyed the  contents  and  finish  of  several  offices.
This  instance  clearly  demonstrated  the  value  of  fire-
shutters  as  a  safeguard  against  exterior  exposure,  and  showed
the  danger  of  using  tile  walls  for  exteriors.  However,  it  has
not  deterred  the  erection  of  many  very  tall  buildings  since
then  with  the  walls  exposed  to  severe  exterior  hazard.
Another  notable  example  was  the  burning  of  the  Detroit
Opera  House  in  which  case  an  adjoining  steel-frame  building
of  non-fireproof  construction,  but  with  exterior  side  walls  of
tile,  was  exposed  to  the  flames.  The  tile  cracked  and  fell
off  in  large  quantities.
