The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-17
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM.
TIE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL HORROR

THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL HORROR
Insecurity Of Public BuIldIngs In New
York-The Flight OF the Life Insur'
ance Companies-Two New Daily Pa
pers Projected-A Wonderful Inven.
ton to 60 Into Practical Operation
The End OF the Lucca Opera Season
IRON OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
NEW YoRK, December IL.
Public attention ls again called to the inse
curlty of life In many Of our hotels, theatres
and public buildings, by the frlghtful catas
trophe at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. There are
too many OF these places where, at times, hui
man beings are crowded together, that are gen
uine death traps. There will be holocaust al
one of our theatres some night, and then the
community will awake to the danger of going
into buildings 30 constructed. The new thea.
tres have been built with some regard to
means of egress for the audience In time Of
haste, but most of the old houses are fatally
defective, and 1t Is not impossible that the
awful Richmond calamity of sixty years ago
known az Hope Chapel, which was burned
the other day, was In the rear of tile second
story of a building, and had but one outlet,
which was by means of q long narrow stair
way to the street. Fancy the fate of an au-
dience of several hundred people II q fire
should break out below and cut off the only
escape.
The hotels are liable to worse accidents, for
some Of their inmates are likely to be caught
In the hour of sleep at the top of six tall
stories. One can hardly look at these tower
Ing edIfces crowded to the roof with human
beings and think of their possible doom with
out a shudder. know of a s~lx-story hotel In
| Brooklyn, from the upper floor OF which
escape would be impossible, If a fire ragged
below, except by leaplng from the windows.
But on that floor, as at the Filth Avenue
Hotel, are The apartments Of all the servants.
| There were eleven ''scrub" girls roasted to
| death outright at the Fifth Avenue Hotel fire,
| and several are lingering In the agonies Of
death. The papers are learnedly discussing
whether the elevator opening assisted In the
spread of the flames from below. It seems 10
some device cannot be invented by architects
to relieve elevator passages OF this dangerous
character.
The ~liveliest fight of the season is among
the life insurance companies over the action
OF the great Mutual Life In lowering Its rates
to new policy holders. The daily newspapers
are prohting largely by 1t, for the d!Jputants
puUllou lGOu LWO ~ utO luh4u VI hbuRoAo
ton every day In their advertising columns.
The origin of the controversy ls the course of
the Mutual Lie Insurance Company In put
ting down Its rates. The Mutual, with Its
vast accumulative fund and heavy current busi-
ness, can afford to make this experiment, but
to follow 1t might be hazardous to the smaller
companies. Accordingly the latter have
the af1davlls OF eminent consulting actuarles
that 10 their opinion the life insurance rates
cannot be cut down without great danger to
the security OF the policy holders.
Il seems that there is q strong party among
the policy holders of the Mutual Life itself,
who are opposed to the present Winston adj
ministratlon, and these malcontents have
been drawn Into the fight by the manipula-
lions of the rival companies. Statements
gravely affecting the Integrity of the president
and vlce.president of the company are pub
lIshed, and a paper is going around for the
signatures of policy holders, protesting against
the course of the administration 10 lowering
the rates. At the head Of a partial list printed
to-day were the names OF Rev. 8. 1renaeus
pendent; Carleton, the publisher, and p. A.
Qulntard. The quarrel intenslaes 10 bitter
nesa daily, aud will doubtless result In an or
ganized attempt to drive President Winston
and Vlce-Prestdent McCurdy out OF the pres
ent management. The reduction OF rates Ia
equivalent to twenty per. cent. When 1t is re-
membered that over 8 hundred millions OF
dollars Is Involved In this dispute its magni-
tude can be appreciated.
More new daily newspaper enterprises are
talked about. II Ia reported that Q Free Trade
Republican morning paper, with E. l.. God.
kin, of the Nation, at its head. VIII be started
with q large capital at It's back. There Ia
room, perhaps, for a Journal OF this character,
the only Free Trade Republican organ 10 the
city being an evening sheet, the venerable
and respectable Evening Post. 1t Is evident
that the question OF free trade will enter
largely Into the politics OF the next four years,
and, If the Southern situation Is settled. will
become the leading question. 1t was kicked
into the background In the recent contest out
of Difference 10 the feelings oil the Reform
candidate for President, Mr.. Greeley.
But another newspaper enterprise has taken
more definite shape than this OF the Free
Trade Journal. 1t Is the establishment OF o
daily illustrated paper. The proprietors are
wealthy capitalists, who are owners Of g new
and wonderfully improved process of photo.
photography. They have several hundred
thousand dollars embarked In the project, and
have bought thir presses and leased q build
ing In Park Place. The new journal will be
an evening quartO sheet, printed On hue
paper, and sold for five cents. It will be
Enlightened" and employ the best ability ! n
all It's departmental. "
IQ6 I6dtuE6, uOHcF0lt Will v
reproductions of ~cotamporaneous events. For
instance, Just as q fire, q scene In court, or q
funeral procession in the morning 10 written
up BY reporters and printed In the afternoon
paper, so the same events will be photograph
ed, transferred to the engraving stone, and
printed In this new evening paper. The pro-
cess Is 80 rapid that the salient pictorial con-
tents Of Punch and the illustrated London
News, arriving by mall this morning, can be
reproduced In the paper this afternoon, With
Photographic accuracy and distlnctness.
It will be seen that this Invention threatens
to revolutionize newspaper style. One can
hardly grasp the extent oil It's capacities. 1t
seems possible though that TIE News oorre-
spondents in different parts OF the world may
some day forward to 1t daily per express the en-
graved photo-lithograplc stoDes, upon which
are represented the great scenes transpiring
around them, and that these may be present.
ed to Its readers every merning just as the
letters of correspondents are now. The man.
ager of the new illustrated evening paper 10
this city will be Mr.. David G. Croly, for many
years the managing editor OF the World, and
one OF the most practical, versatile and eX-
perienced Journalists insAmerlca.
Lucca appeared In German opera last night
for the frat and only time; the opera being
Nicolais "Merry Wives Of Windsor" She
was badly supported as usual. and was herself
only q dramatic success. She is great
Coincidence. Max Marelzek's unfortunate
season closes this week, and he goes else
where with his troupe to try the patience OF
the lovers of music. NYM.