National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-12
ARour FiRF-EsCAPEs,
Somebody Fighting Against Their Adop-
ton by ConRrcss-who IL Itf

tion by ConRrcss-Who IL Itf
The recent fire at the shaky old Chronicle build.
ing has drawn the attention Of the District author
tiles and Congress to the urgent need OF fire es-
cRpes on the public buildings OF the city. Had Il
not been for the fre-escape in the Of the Co.
lumbar Bank.Note Company's building, upon
which Chief Engineer Cronin aud others reached
the roof Of the burning building, the destruction
Of property there would have been more complete.
Recently Ilpon the IN oion of Senator German, the
following amendment was unanimously recon.
mended by the committee TO be inserted IN the
regular appropriation bill for the District OF Co.
lumbia,
NOW PENDING IN CONGRESS:
"sEcT1oS =. For the purchase apd erection Of
suitable fire. escapes for the public schools and
other District buildings, $4,000 or so much thereof
rs may be necessary: said horoscopes to be Sc.
lected and erected upon the recommendation Of
the president Of the Board Of Commissioners for
the District of Columbia the Architect OF the cap.
itol, aud the Chief Engineer Of the Fire Depart.
ment." This is an emincnlly proper section and
one TO which there cannot Ge amy reasonable OBJ;
lection. The members OF the board designated
comprise I'm themselves every element necessary
for faithful and intelligent performance of the
most Important duty imposed on them,
CHIEF ENGINEER CRoNIN,
of the Fire Depar ment, who is an expert, has re.
peatcdly urrei the adoption of fire.escap's ON all
large buildings where numbers of persons arccon-
grcgntCd sinCC 1877 No common standard he
says, has been agreed upon but speedy legislation
| should compel all prOpriutors Of hotels, public
halls, and business places 70 make the best ar.
of Justice should avtuate the several chiefs of the
| Government Departments in the same manner. III
addition TO escapes he has asked that all Gov
crnment Departments IN the city should erect iron
ladders reaching from the ground to the roof, kept
in position at all times, thus pruvidinga mode of
reaching the roof IN time Of fire should one occur.
| The Chief Engineer cllls attention TO several
| buildings, particularly the Government Printing
Office, where should a fire occur the loss Of life
would be fearful to contemplate unless fire. escapes
| are placed uron 1t.
THE AMENDMENT RECOMMENDED
| by the Senate District Committee Is simply in
tended to carry Into effect the recommendations
| of such officials as above mentioned. by some
| hook or crook this recommendation and amend
trict appropriation bill in the following shape:
For increasing facilities of escape from fire by
adrlCdys aud d0rs in the several school buildings
of the District $4,000" The Appropriation Com.
mittee has evidently been mi,led or overlooked
the fact that in the bill as 1t came from the House
$4,000 was appropriated for repairs to school
buildings and $4,000 for the erection of new ones.
II will thus be that ample funds for stairs and
dOOrrdys had already been provided for. II is TO
/ hoped that the conference committee will c.
ommend to their respective bodiesthe striking out
of the words
"BY srAIRwAYs AND DOORS"
and restore the original language of the bill and
the definite object for which II was intended. 1t
is almost incredible that In view of the official
| ports already made, that there has been such
ala,hy OH the part Of iaw.mnRsrs IN IN ms yi,a
| Committee Of the District Of Columbia, adding
| the Architect of the Treasury, would make such
| board as would com mand the confidence of every
one. Congress sh ould appropriate therefor a
sufficient sum for tn purpose, cOnldt 1t to their
| Judgment aud thus project the property Of the
government and guard the lives of its employees.
| Of what benefit under heavens can extra doors
aud stnirways be to the fire department to assist
them In reaching the roofs of buildings having
pitched roofs there being no foothOld for the fire.
men, and the majority of the roofs one vast lum-