The New York herald., 1872-12-13

IN q public building, and which could be sounded
by the police or firemen IN case OF fire. building
escape and yet II the tenants are not speedily
awakened in time OF danger smoke will overtake
them and they Will perish ny sufocaton. for Il
rarely II ever, happens that people are burned to
death, but first suffocated.
REroRTEE-Then you consider that had those
time the ilre originated they could ali have been
saved
MAocnEooR-I do; that is. had there been an
alarm or hre detectOr. In Their rooms.
REpoRTER-What do you mean BY hre de-
tector2
sembles a small gauge-dial 1t is wound up by
screw, and the ndexhand Is placed at the degree
below which it ID desired to keep the Temperature
Within the instrument is . thermometric spring:
This spring expands by the action OF the neat
IN the room, and when II mas EXPANDED M
leased which falls and, in falling, trips lever and
crank which causes the alarm bell to ring. The
annuncaor or alarm is operated By n cockwopn, work
where the fire originated can be announced
THR PRESENT FIRE DEPARTMENT TOO SMALL.
REPoRrER-What is your opinion as to the EFFORTS
MAooREGoK-I think they did all they could do; ;
but believe If the old volunteers had been in
existence that flre would never have gained the
headway 1t did.
REPORrER-Why sos
MACGREGoR--It is well-knOwn fact that the old
department put out more fires on still alarms than
the present department.. do not wish to say any
mcnt, not at all; they are all that could be ex-
pected, considering their numbers. But 1t will be
remembered that there were over 5000 OF the
old boys, and there were sure to De dozen or two
in the immediate neighbOrhOod OF a fire when 1t
broke out They never waited to send out an
alarm, but npped 1t in the bud. You remember
well old Five engine that laid in Ann street, near
the HERALD Office; why there was hardly q fire
below Beekman street that fire engine did not
have stream on long before an alarm was
sounded.
REPoRrER-Thcn you don't consider the present
Fire Dcpartment fully up to the wants 0i the
MAcGREG0R--Nota at all. They want double the
number OF
MIN AND MORE APPARATUS.
The Boston and Chicago dres have fully proved the
TACT that no twelve men can man an engine at
heavy fire. You must acknowledge that where
fire gets well under way In building 1t Is, as
general thing, totally destroyed, the attention OF
the aremen being turned to the safety Of the sur
rounding buildings
REp0RrER-Do you not think that the stairways
leading to the upper stories Of the Fifth Avenue
Hotel were too narrow
MISUNDERSTANDING. l am opposed to any
stairways in hotels. warehouses or public build
ings being built other than with stone or ir0n and
in regard to "Mansard," or French roofs many OF
which tower up far beyond the reach OF any Or
hotels, banks and other public buildings, they
should IN the future be built OF freprOOf material,
also the corniccs and coverings thereon
Mr.. MacgregOr mentioned several other hotels as
being unsafe especially In regard TO the servants
quarters.
REPoRTER-Is this the first time the Fifth Avenue
Hotel has been on fref
MACGREGOR-No, sir. 1t was
FIRE TWICE BEFORE,
but they put 1t out themselves each time and they
attempted the same this time. believing that they
could accomplish 1t without giving any alarm, but
they failed. Had they promptly called the Fire De-
partment the fire would not have gained the head
way 1t did, and some OF the unfortunate girls
might have been saved.