Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-19
IHE MILWAikEE HORROR.

Tic year 1882 was ushcrod in by dread.
full casualty-that at Spuytcn Duyvl-grow.
ing out of well understood and entirely pre-.
vcntablc cause; and the opening days Of the
present year Nre saddencd by terrible sacri-
flee of human life equally unnecessary and
for which man and not Providence is direct
ly responsible. We refer, Of coulsc, to the
burning Of the Newhnll hotel, tt Milwaukee,
with its dreadful concomitants of death and
suffering. There are some features Of the
disaster that deserve careful consideration.
In the first place, the hotel-a six
story brick building-was, the dispatches
say, 'long designated rs Il dcath-,rap." This
designation applies, unfortunately, to many
another public building; and in too large
proportion Of cases the business Of the title is
fully proved by the event. But the fact be-
ing admitted ard notorious why are these
"death-traps" permitted TO engage victims I'M
I'll some fine evening the whole thing goes up
in smoke and flame; In the prcscnt case it
was only forty-iivc minutes after the discov-
cry of the fire when the building was Il total
loss-u building which had accommodations
for eight hundred guests and had force of
nearly one hundred servants. Surely death
ture; and the only wonder is that in the
smoke and terror OF that av full night 50 many
escaped with their lives in the flying seconds
that were given them. Now, of course, the
| tl., l,,,
was unsafe They must have fully shared
in the popular belief, so sadly justified by
the event, even though they refused to ac-
knowledge it. The responsibility for the loss
OF life is Therefore directly cbargeablc TO
them. They are, primarily, the guilty lar
tics, and the innocent blood is upon their
hands. There has been considerable discus
sion by the press OF that part of Governor
Buffers message which recommends the
death penalty for train.wreckcrs. Theirs is
dreadful crime, to be sure but how does
1t compare with that of the Lotcl-manager
who can attract eight hundred people
into a building recognized as a deah-trap
by all the people of the place aud which
vanshcs in smoke in forty-iivc minutes
For our part, we would be glad to see II severe
penalty enforced against the managers Of
such public building, and the penalty could
hardly be made too severe. Considering the
awful responsibility with portion at least
Of which lie must be charged 1t is no wonder
that John Antisdcl, the Chief proprietor of the
Newhal house, became raying maniac
1t was enough to bend the strongest spirit
and wiring the stoutest heart.
But back of this, there ought to be a law,
in force all over the country, in every town
and city, requiring the construction of hotels
and other buildings where people are congre.
gated to lie made in such manner as to
provide ample means of escape in case Of
fire; and further providing for inspection at
frequent periods to see that the law is fully
complied with. Until some such measure
is adopted hotels Of the Newhall stamp will
continue TO be erected and disasters such as
that OF Tuesday night will be repeated over
aud over again. There is no other way of
stopping the erection Of such buildings. Pub
lie sentiment can not do il. and the hotel
patronizing public are absolutely helpless,
Tor in the vast majority Of cases man knows
little or nothing about the hotel he stays at
while travelling. But the law once passed.
and 1t would be neither burdcnsome nor
orpressiyc-puOlic sentiment would back its
enforcement and the chances would be de-
cldediy against repetition Of the Milwau-
kee horror