Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-12
THE ST. LOUIS FIRE.

tended by such a serious loss of life
aud property, as described in our
Geographic columns of yesterday
afternoon, was the topic of eager
inquiry and earnest conversation all
day long. St. Louis is so near
Memphis by water and rail, and SO
closely connected, commercially,
that the startling news came close
home to almost every citizen. The
first thought was, "Have | a friend
or acquaintance among the lOst?"
A careful scrutiny Of the bulletin
boards and the dispatches in this
paper does not reveal the name of
any Memphian as lest or endan-
gered. This relieved the appre-
hension of many, yet without
abating the sympathy Of the COM
munity for our sister city. The
name of George Frank Gourley,
grand secretary of the Masonic
Grand Lodge, is familiar to every
well-read Mason in this city, and is
known throughout the country.
The other ten names are not so well
known. The full loss of life is
perhaps not known and cannot
be until the ruins are care
fully examined. When such
calamities happen it is natural
and proper to inquire who
was to blame?. Not so much to fix
the blame upon some one as to
learn how to guard against recur-
rences and to protect the public.
There is a tendency in all crowded
cities, as space becomes more yalu-
able, to increase the hight Of hotels
and other public buildings without
proportional precautions for the
protection Of human life. 1t is
usual to lodge the female help on
the top floor which, is reached by
one or two narrow staircases.
These being cut off by fire escape
is impossible. Guests on the sixth
or eighth floor and unacquainted
with the house are in almost as
great danger; for the elevator, SO
convenient and luxurious for car.
rying them up, is never available in
case Of a fire. When the narrow,
crooked stairways are once filed
with smoke and gas the only escape
is by the windows. 1t is not many
years since a fire occurred in one of
the great New York hotels, which
cut off the servant girls in the loft
and fifteen or twenty Of them
persisted from asphyxia. No means
had been provided for ventilation
or escape. With all the improve
ments made Tor the comfort and
convenience of humanity in crowd.
ed cities it has been impossible to
keep up with the life-saving appara-
tus. When the fire broke out in
the Southern Hotel at st. Louis il
was found that no ladders in the
city would reach the top windows
The fifth and sixth story windows
were only reached by hosting the
ladders from the one and two stor,
balconies. Why had no one eve.
thought of this before? In the
first place, the fire department.
should be provided with ladders o
fire escapes to reach the highes
building in the city. In the sec
ond place, every hotel proprieto
should make ample provisions fc
the escape Of guests and employee
Laws have been passed in som
States requiring this, but such law
are never enforced rigidly unle,
for a short time after an acciden
The matter rests with the travelin
public more than with legislature
If people will refuse to occur
rooms SO near the skies unless pr
vided with means Of egress, sue
as rope or chain ladders, the pr
prietors will find it to their interC
to invest in the most approvI
modern appliances-the same
captains Of steamboats, provi,
each berth with a life preserve
Until something Of this kind
required by the public and genera,
adopted we may expect to he
every year or two of wholesI
losses of life like that Of yesterdi
When all the circumstances Q
taken into consideration it is
wonder that so many escaped.