National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-12-27
New York Buildings.

IN an article on the Fifth avenue fire
the New York Iporid says: All tn
material havoc and ruin ID the fire Il
Boston were scarcely so impressive q
the burning Of corner Of the Tiitl
Avenue Hotel. For the burnt building
Of Boston are reparablc. and their rcpai
will he rapid. But the loss that wa
sustained here Is one which II IL quit,
out Of the question to estimate or 10 re
pair. There were lives lost in Boston
too, but not IN SO distressing or so im
presaive way as the way in which thes,
eleven lives were lost. 1t is not b,
figures OF arishmetic thot We can com
pute disaster in the effect ii has upol
our Imagination. Fifty thousand mer
may be siain in battle and the pityins
memoy Of men not be impressed by
their tate so deeply nor retain their fate
SO long as the story OF the forty victim,
OF Glencoe or the l23 victims OF tn.
Black Hole Of Calcutta. The perfec,
helplessness OF these eleven poor crea'
lures, within an arms length OF help be.
fore this mere sputter OF contlagratiop, Is
the thing which makes the story OF theil
terrible suf'erings and tl.eir slow release
seem so sad and 80 shameful. Since the
Avondale massacre ii has had no parallel
in this country.
1t is disheartening to have to take up
forever the same old parable of eye
service and slackness and superticiality
These wretched women were burnt IN q
cage. The fire followed the tiue an elc.
vator made for it. II il true that there
must be vertical openings in all build
in6s like this. for staircases and for ele.
vators, and that in fire these openings
serve the fire with fues. But surely
these hucs ought to he rs few as posi-.
ble aud as well defended as possible. A
device has been invented and shown
which if it does not make I'm elevator
safe from the ascent Of fire, at all events
diminishes the danger Of it. This de-
vice was not applied here. And, wsrst
OF all, the place in which these women
were cooped was literally cage. 1t
was 50 easily accessible by persons who
sought to enter it to commit crimes
Tint it was barred up against those who
sought 10 escape from ii to save their
lives. 4 watchman with a key TO the
bars Of this cage could have released the
OF it. But il never occurred to
any body TO furnish an exit from the
cage, or to provide a watclinan to open
it in oXigencies like this, and the in
mates persisted miserably and painfully
in beating the bars behind which they
were burning.
1t is lille to blame the men who We're
specifically and technically responsible
for this hideous thing. They simply
caught the infection which builders of
hotels and steamships partake with the
they form part of. They
take the cheap and hasty mode instead
If the dear and honest mode Of doing
heir business. They are too busy in
furnishing the outside Of the cup and |
platter to look after the quality Of the
ware. They are too eager in the race
or wealth to observe what they leave
leliind them in it, He who maketh
taste to be rich shall not be innocent.
That is the lesson which solomon taught.
md which fires and shipwrecks and col
isions keep on preaching to us. Ex-
,erieuce is dear and harsh school.
Master, but he is said to teach well. How
many more disasters must we undergo
'dore We learn our lesson