Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-02-22
Responsibility for Accidents.

Flalnly somebody is to blame for the
1earI9l tragedies that have Mortified the
Worla during the past few weeks Their
RAPID recurrence-one disaster almost
treadlng on the heels of another-must
result IN setting people to seriously
thinking about their causes, and to
speculatlng whether they cannot be
avoided IN the future. The immediate
cause OF such tragedies as the Newhall
House fire, the burning of the circus in
Poland and the sinking of the Cimbria
lies undoubtedly with those directly in
charge. That seventy-five persons should
perish IN hotel in these days of adj
Vanced facilities for extinguishing fires
and adordlng escape from burning build
ings is simply criminal. The circus fire,
where people were roasted by hundreds,
was atrocious. The arena back of the
seats was walled in with hay, so that a
complete circle of fire flashed up around
the terrified victims who rushed to the
exits only to find them nailed shut. The
sinking OF the Cimbria, presumably. so
constructed as to render such an acct
dent impossible, was no less a culpable
tragedy.
1t may be said that the proprietor of
the Newhall House had no idea that fire
he must have known that such a thing
was possibility, and yet he seems to
have made no provision for the safety of
his guests, and seventy-five inmates per-
ished horribly on account of neglect.
Nor did the manager of the circus dream
of the tragedy about to be played as an
afterpiece in his place of amusement.
But he must have known that Just such
catastrophe was possible, and instead
of taking reasonable precautions, he
seems to have invited the disaster by
making escape practically impossible.
So with the sinking of the Cimbria; the
weather was fOggy and the place eX-
tremely dangerous on account of the
great number of vessels constantly in
that portion of the sea. Yet it does not
appear beyond doubt that either vessel
was proceeding with the care that should
have been exercised, and as a conse-
quence 400 souls went to the bottom of
the ocean. The Captain of one or both
of the vessels is chargeable with the fatal
blundeF that brought them into collision.
These, however, are only secondary
causes. The true reason for many of
our CHASTITY surprises lies beyond these
men in the foreground. Hotels are I'M
safe because the public demand compels
it. For convenience they must be near
the center of business, the depot, the
State House, where ground is very costly.
AS a result, to get the necessary space to
accommodate his customers, the land
lord piles floor upon floor until danger
Gus height is attained. In response
again to public demand, an elevator is
put in-the most dangerous thing pos
sible in case of fire opening up as it does
q fin SDrbX fnV hn -.
floor from basement to garnet. Outside
again the public steps in between safety
and danger by forbidding fire-escapes-
they spoil the beauty of the structure
Again, safety is sacrificed to symmetry
when pine-lined mansard roof crowns
any public building. What has beer
said of hotels is nearly applicable tC
places of amusement, where safety i!
ignored in the effort to please the eye
The stability of ocean steamers is de
stroyed in order to please the public il
other particulars. The broad ones art
slow and nobody wants to ride on them
AS a consequence builders are obliged
to make them dangerously narrow il
order to attain the requisite speed, Thos
provided with water-tight bulkheads ar,
not well ventilated, so they must give
way to comfortable airy shells that q
down like so much lead when the THU
crust is broken. Railway cars take fir
and burn up because the travelling pub
lie insists on kerosene lamps instead O
candles. Steamboats, burn like tinde
because they are built of finder. TIL
cry everywhere is for speed before safe
lty, beauty before security. The result
lis inevitable. Nihe-story hotels, wit
elevators and without escapes, will con
.tinue to swallow up victims by scores
slender steamers, built to save a day
time in crossing the Atlantic, will 90 t
the bottom when their hulls are pierced
Cars will burn just so long as the publ
insists upon lights brighter and NOR
dangerous than candles. Steamboat
Will 90 up like flash just so long a
their upper works are built of thin strip
of oiled and painted pine. So it wi
continue. The public soon forgets hol
ror, but never forgives slOwness or a lac
of what is called accommodations" -