The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-31
TIE CITY,s PERL.
Matters Startling and Suggestive = Our
Sreat and increasing Danger from
Ffre ON Account of Wooden Buildings.

To the Editor of the Press:
There is matter to which 1 would invite the
attenton OF our city government and also of
the citizens themselves, question that should
De ialrly discussed, promptly met, and such de-
clslve action taken as may be deemed best for
the interest of all concerned Is it worth a
whlle to build city simply to be burned up2
has the average citizen stopped to consider
what situation we find ourselves in TODAY in
regard to the very large number of frame
buildings, which are continually going up in
the business portions of our city, a great many
OF which are simply prepared kindling wood.
ana II a city invite confagrations, by indiffer-
ence ana recklessness, the invitation will sure
ly be accepted sooner or later.
Has not the time most surely come when
the city government should take this matter in
hand,as all other wide awake cities have done.
frame suitable laws, stringent ones too and put
the same In force at any cost, that will control
ana stop at once, the erection of another frame
Dniiding OF considerable size in the business
portion of the city? Perhaps it may be deem
ed expedent to permit the erection of small
frame buildings, which shall not exceed one
- - OS-SN'A ASA6heb W 70 OOVotGu Oh U00
sides and ends with iron or slate, the roof to be
OF the same material or concrete. and in all
cases with iron cutters. Even this would be
great advance and would be gladly hailed as
one step in the right direction. How far we
should go in this matter is subject for calm
| deli0eratlon, but it is we'll understood that
there Is no certainty OF combining fire to pre-
scribed limits, even with surroun dings of brick,
| stone or iron. aided by formidable fire de-
| partment.
| If, then, there Is such insecurity under such
| surroundings, what may be expected with
| favorable combination of wind, weather and
| water-deticlency, should fire start near the
foot Of Preble street, or on the Westerly side
| OF Exchange street between Middle and Fed
| eral, or the .sterly side of Market street,
bounded BY Newbury, Pearl and Congress
| streets, extending even ito the city building?
| This peril has impended all along for years
| past, and nothing but remarkable good fortune
| has agreeably disappointed the expectations of
| thoughtful men, touching the incendiary pos
sibilites lying in wait in these buildings, and
their lnfamable contents. Our city, taken as
| whole, is now more compactly quilt than be-
fore the great fire of 1866, and yet our past CITY
| governments have allowed theses huge finder
BOXES to go up, year after year, one after the
otnef In any spot, and without any restrictions
Whatever as to safety, with an utter disregard
| OF all the protests and petitions presented by
| those whose properly is endangered by these
| immense frame structures, many of them be-
ing factories and workshops of specially dan
| gerous character.
1t is even OF more startling Importance when
we remember that there are miles of finder
box sheds, immense frame buildings two land
three stories high, most of them filled with
iutiamabe material, covering an enormous
| amount OF merchandise and other property
| which all the time invites land offers to feed)
| sweeping conhagration. on the South-easterly
/ side OF Commercial street, all along the har-
| Dor front In our dry summer months, with
| our strong Southerly winds, does it not make
one shudder, to stand at the foot of High street
| and look up and down our harbor, and imae-
| inc what one fire might bring to us? Do we
not deserve repetition OF 1856. if we go on,
| year after year, filling up our wharves and the
business portion of our city with these fearful
| fire traps? This is question involving the
| safety of the city, and is of general applica-
tion in all localities.
In conclusion, would again ask is it not
| time noao, that the authorities do something?
| Time that somebody; or some body of men do
something to substitute system, for all this con-
| fusion and danger, strength, for this construc-
| sent peril. A mUre enlightened, vigorous and
| conscientious regulation of building must be
| enforced in town and city alike, if property
| and life are to be safe, and the prosperity-the
| very existence, indeed, Of our thriving city Is
to be assured. Action, of preventive, precan-
tionary sort should be promptly taken by those
municipal officials who must be held RESPONSE
Die II the Calamity comes. w. A., JR.