Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-12-15

ry stood at zero hereabouts, and on Toes
day morning a little moro snow came,
making the use of sleighs possible, though
wheels run better as yet.
"LINE UPON LINE, PREcEPT UPoN PRE-
CEPT."
The terrible disaster in Bfooklyn, N.
", in which between three hundred aud
four hundred persons met their death In a
horrible manner has set the people Of ev
cry considerable town aud city in the coun-
try to thinking about their own public
buildings, aud 10 calculating the chances
which they stand of some day meeting
like fate within their own borders. New
York and Boston are both anxious aud ex
cited about the means Of egress from their
theatres, churches and public halls; Spring
field, Mass, is devising means TO avert the
fatal effects of panic in its opera house
Canadian cities are talking about their own
places OF amusement, and even across the
Atlantic, in England and Scotland we read
that the authorities have in some cases in
stituted an examination OF public build
ings TO see what additional means OF egress
from them arc necessary for the protection
of the people.
Brattleboro people have formed no ex-
ceptlon to this general rule OF anxiety and
uneasiness; and in truth we must say that
in no town of our acquaintance is there a
more substantial reason for alarm and So
licitude on this subject. The plain Eng
lish of the matter is, that, given crowded
or moderately full house and a sudden
alarm Of fire or Of any other immediate
danger and the Brattleboro town hall is, or
would prove, neither more nor less than
horrible death-trap. AT numerous times
In the past few years when, for one reason or
another, the town hall has been crowded,
we have called the attention of the people
and Of the town authorities TO the existing
danger aud urged that additional means of
egress be provided. When we have failed
TO speak of The matter we have invariably
been reminded of the neglect and asked TO
agitate the subject until something was nc-
complished. But thus far the "agitation"
has not produced perceptible result.
Let us for a moment look al the matter
just as it is. Suppose the town hall 10 be
filled by an audience numbering from 500
city seated listening TO lecture, sermon,
concert or drama, let there come a sudden
cry OF fire, either in the building or in its
near vicinity I; let this promiseuous audi
ence be seized with the idea that each in
dividual member is in immediate personal
danger, and what would be the result ? The
only possible means of exit is by the doors
which stand in the centre Of one end of the
hall. With the whole of these hundreds of
people pressing in mad excitement from
the centre and from both sides toward the
doors, in less than two minutes there would
be in The lower end OF the hall mass of
crushed, bruised, sniothered humanity, the
weaker carried TO the floor and trampled
on by The stronger, and, though there
might have been in the beginning, no real
danger, the inevitable loss or life would be
something which we do not like to contem-
plate. The picture will be complete if in
addition we imagine two hundred people
rushing pell nell from the gallery and,
with those who escape from tue body of
the hall, blocking the stairways, and crowd
ing and struggling there.
There il yet one other point in this con-
nection which we are convinced has not
heretofore been duly considered, and that
is the length OF time which is required to
clear our town hall. From our own OBJ
servaiion, as well as from that of other
careful persons, we are satisfied that from
twenty minutes 10 half an hour is the
shortest possible time in which the build
ing can be cleared when filed TO its full
seating capacity, and when the crowd goes
out in the most orderly manner. Let there
be genuine panic aud does any one sup
pose il conld be vacated in double that
length OF lime? Before it could possibly
be cleared under such circumstances a fro
would have ample time t. gut the building
aud tumble IN the floors and roof. AS re-
| CARDS this question OF limo we confess our
surprise on reading, since the Brooklyn
calamity, that by actual observation the
| New York theatres are empiied in from
| three to six minutes afler the close of an
entertainment, and an old ianilor of tho
Brooklyn theatre says that that ill-starred
building used TO be cleared in four min
utes when Edwin Booth played thereto full
houses. If then, the loss of one hundred
or fonr hundred lives is possible 10 panic
10 a Building which Is readily emplied in
six or ten minutes, it requires but little use
of mathematics TO calculate or imagine
what might result In a hall which cannot
be cleared in less than twenty minutes.
In thus presenting this subject we have
no desire TO create a sensation or raise uu-
necessary alarm. We only aim 10 state the
facts just as they are, and to give voice to
the general public feeling. The communi-
ty has the matter in its own hands, and
with this fearful Brooklyn warning before
them our people will be criminally at fault
| IL they DO not arouse such a sentiment in
the premises as shall compel those CHI anges
in the town building which are absolutely
necessary for their own protection. II, for
any reason, the town authorities do not
feel authorized 10 act without instructions,
let the subject be kept in mind so that at the
next annual town meeting an article COW
ering this point shall be placed In the war
rant, and the selectu.en be unqnalihedly
instructed 10 Immediately provide such Rd-
ditional means of egress from the town hall
as reasonable solicitude for human safety
requires.
The following Is the list ofletters re.
naming at the post Office in this village
Dec. IA:
Ladies. Hattie Blaysdill, lillian f. NJ
Bemis, Mrs. Mary Cochran, Mrs. Norman
Dewey, Mrs. Rose Hunt, Mrs. Elise Kane
Mrs. C. w. lander, Mrs. N. Martin, Mrs
Villa L. Pettee, Mrs. A. II. Rogers, Angie
A. Roberts. afs