The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-03
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Fire Escapes.

| erected with reference to better systems of
prevention, or greater facilities for exit. Sew
eral plans have suggested themselves, some
of them more especially applicable to hotels,
others to churches, school-houses, theate S,
and the like / offer them in the hope that
even should they in their present form, not
be free from difficulties, they might yet pre-
sent plans which could be improved until
all objections were removed;
| j. Ropes have been recommended and
| been placed, to some extent, in the rooms of
upper stories 1 fear, however even were
| there no hurry and excitement, which there
is sure to be in of fire, scarcely any lady,
especially with q child or children, could
hope TO reach the ground in safety by this
means. 1t would be difficult even for an ac-
tive'man to grasp the rope, as it hangs across
the window-sill, low enough down to bring
the rest Of the body TO a suitable position for
a safe descent. The difficulty would be some
what lessened if every window, in its upper
woodwork, had strong ring firmly fixed,
into which the rope, with deep hook could
be placed, and thus enable the individual to
stand on the window-sill and commence the
| descent, grasping the rope below the sill with
the feet, while the hands were still above.
The ring would probably be more favorably
situated if near one side, so that, if
flames were issuing from the windows below,
! they would not be so. likely to envelope the
person descending Much better, however,
than a mere rope would be double-sneaved
/ tackle-blOCk, the upper hook of which would
| he placed in the large ring of the window.
/ I 10 ON oil cd iDtn fha ~
a very broad strong belt buckled on with
| ring behind; or, still better this lower hook
| of the tackle passed through a ring from which
| four cords suspend chair made expressly,
or deep basket'of wire in which n lady, and
Iperhaps a child with her, could be let down
by gentleman if any there, or by fireman
who may have assembled by rope or, if the
rope is long enough, say 150 feet 1.-THE fifth
story perhaps seventy to seyentysfve feet), it
can be etdown ito q fireman below, and by
him paid out until the basket reaches the
| bottom when it can Immediately be hoisted
again for other occupants. Should there be
no fireman below and the individual has
nerve enough, the strain not being very
great when using block -and-tackle, he can
| let himself down as painters do their tenn
| porary scaffold.
| The chief care to be exercised oa this plan
is getting the lady and chair or basket clear
of the windows, carefully adjusting every
thing necessary before hosting the basket
land lady from the room floor, and swinging
them gradually out at the window clear of
the wall.
! Ifithe windows were constructed at least
six feet high and flush with the ground,
there would be less difficulty Should the
window be SO low as to prevent the basket
from swinging clear, the remedy would be
TO swing it outside entirely then let the
lady stand on the window-sill and step into
the basket while holding on to the ropes of
the basket.
TO facilitate all this the sash should at
once be taken out. Should the windows
reaching to the floor be objected to for chill
dren, their safety can be secured by having
wire screens of sufficient height firmly at
tached to the easement and yet readily de-
tachable in case of fire.
g While the above may be denomnated
a domestic remedy, being within the reach
of all by an outlay per room OF five or six
dollars, there is another which could he
made available from the Ioos or from veran-
dahs, namely, the parachute, with basket at
tached. Although one aeronaut (Mr. Cock
ing) was killed by descending from his bal
loon in a parachute OF imperfect construc-
ton, yet at least two others-Garuern once
and Hampton several times-reached the
ground in safety by means of parachutes
from several thousand feet high. AS these
weigh about 300 pounds and are seventeen
feet in diameter, they could not we'll be
opened from an ordinary window
3. While the first suggestion is probably
the most readily available for hotels, such
appurtenances as the pulley-blocks could
not so well be kept at the win
dows of churches, schools, theaters
and other public bindings. For these,
in case the doors, which should always omen
outward and be sufficient in number, did
not offer ready exit, and many crowded to
the windows, which, in theater or school
house, would usually be from thirty to forty
feet from the ground, a suitable canvas, into
which they could leap, with reasonable
degree of safety, might, / think, be rendered
available, on plan somewhat as follows: "A
large wagon, either drawn by horses or steam,
operating on four elevated posts, which
should be connected by bows, well stuffed,
might sustain much more easily than fifteen
or twenty men now do the generally useless
blanket, and present at an elevation say OF
thirty feet some twelve feet square of
strong canvas, with suitable sides and even,
perhaps, an apron of the same material sus-
tanned on a light frame and thrown up
against the wall of the building after driv-
ing as close as is safe under the windows.
s. Another somewhat similar device,
namely, a fire escape under control of the
firemen, and suitable for any large buildings,
might, should suppose--cons.'iering our
modern facilities for raising great weights by
jackscrews, hydraulic pressure, donkey"
engines and the like-GOnsist in heavy
cast base, drawn by steam and having
on the base or platform, hollow cast-iron
pillar or prison, or solid steel mast, in the
form of a derrick, say thirty-ffve feet high,
to which, by jackscrew, or even by wind
lass and ratchet if the second mast ran up
through the hollow casting, perhaps thirty
five feet more could be added. From this
second addition or mast should be perma-
nently projecting curved arm or crane of
steel from which should hang suspended the
block and tackle, with wire basket etc,
as described in No. /. On driving up under
the window say of fifth story ,seventy-fve feet
high, the second mast is Immediately run
mp until the crane or basket reach the win
dow; the fireman below has the control of the
rope SO that us soon as an occupant of the
room is in the basket it is lowered to be
again Immediately hoisted for more. The
nnlN. III GinI1lt,r In fling r,lnt,