Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-12

| How soon the public forget great calami.
ties, and how shamefully it neglects 10
| guard against their recurrence, in whose hor-
ror any individual may lose life or limb, ID
one of the astonishing things Of the day. II
is not long ago since nearly the whole Of 8
large audience at theater in Vienna were
| burned up in FIRE because the house was so
built and arranged that there we're no suf-
l fcient fscilities for the speedy escape of that
| crowd OF men and women, who were offered
| up as holocaust to the demon of criminal
Indifference and inhuman apathy. Wehave
| had catastrophes in our own country which,
while not of the wholesale character Of that
at Vienna, have aroused the public mind
for a week, perhaps for two weeks,
| from the prevailing listlessness. Under
1 the momentary influence everybody has
l acknowledged how necessary it was
th at something should be done. Perh APPS the
public oficisls have been stirred up TO make
examinations and report what the something
should be. Investigation has shown the
existence Of serious liabilities TO danger, and
has proposed necessary, stsrtlingly necessary
changes BY the time that has been done
the public has subsided into lis accustomed
apathy, and things have been left, although
danger has just been demonstrated by actual
investigation. A few doors have been made
to open outward instead of inward, and a
few stairways have been widened, few fire
escapes put up, or an additional means of
exit has been provided, but the great radical
causes of danger, the defects of building,
the arrangement of its more important access
series, remain just as they were before. A
mountain has to be attacked, and the nib
bling of mouse is accepted as attack
enough. Buildings fall aud destroy
life, fires ravsge manufactures and
the workingmen and women on the
upper stories are burned to death or fran
tically cast themselves from the windows to
be impaled upon ratings or have their
brains dashed out upon the pavement; but
nobody appears to think, ut may be myself
next time" and nothing effsctual is DONE
Now let US contrast with our languid apathy
the proceedings OF The Austrian government,
and see what the Vienna fire melted it to do,
acting in conjunction with the city authori-
Ties. An edict has been issued regulating
buildings, especially theaterr, and appoint
ing a local supervisory committee in every
town. The committee consists OF municipal |
police, fire brigade, repre-
from the medical profession, and |
experienced experts. Any new theater put |
up must be detached from other build. |
ings, and have no store-rooms or paint |
shops; all inf ammable substances must |
be well impregnated with fre-resisting |
fluids, there must be an open gangway for |
Exit between every six rows OF seats, shaft |
Is TO be erected for the escape of smoke, and
audiences are to be limited to the seating
capacity. Theater inspectors are required |
% enforce these regulations. An official re-
port Just made in New York shows how
much we require a little Austrian foresight
aud energy in our own country. The
building inspector there, in his recent re-
BORT, shows that only two theaters in New
York have carried out the city regulations
necessary to prevent loss of life
n case of fire