Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-23
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LANCASTER, FEBRUARY %, 1855.
Thai Terrible Fire.

The terrible oonhagration of the King
mansion in Philadelphia is the most har-
rowing in its details Of any within our re-
cent experience, numerous and fatal as
have been the fires of this winter. The
horror of this disaster springs largely from
the knowledge that its loss of life could
easily have been avoided, and that it is
altogether due to the inertness of the Phil
adelphia fire department, and the lack of
ready thought upon the part of those who
were upon the scene. Mrs. King is the he
roine of the occasion, and her calm courage
and presence of mind at the window OF
the burning house are reflected as bril-
liantly against the stupidity of the crowd
upon the street below her, as were the
flames against the cold background of the
winter sky. She called for mattresses to
to be spread to catch their falling forms !;
and threw out her children upon them,
sprang out herself and called her husband
to follow No finer display of courage and
thought in the presence of peril stands re-
corded.
But what is obe thought of those who
saw the peril, in safety themselves, and
found no means of salvation, though
houses to which the fire had not pene-
trated stood on each side, affording access
to the burning dwelling, through the walls
or by the roof, which ready man could
have opened without great difficulty. An
axe would quickly have broken through
the roof, but there was no one to think
quickly and act promptly. OF course
the chief responsibility rests upon
the fire department. 1t should have
been there with hose and ladders in a
few minutes, but did not get there for an
hour. 1t will not do to say that it did not
have notice for it is said that it was
promptly notified and if it was not there
j. failure of duty charged upon the police
department. The fire chief .ays again tn
his appaIatus WAS at other fires /; but if his
aamiH4tation is so bad that he can attend
prolaE to Int one fire in district at &
t.lne fa fact is in itself his condemnation
TIE fact is that the fire department
Of Philadelphia il inefficient. 1t ha
good al paratus and trained horses that ar
ready to gallop forth at tie stroke of tht
lel. Yet fires gain great headway before
the iirelnen appear and when they CONF
tire fire still burns long before they ge
into service aud get II under control. Tni
fact has been CONSPICUOUS for long time
aud it is remarkable that the press o.
Philadelphia has beln so Iet!cen
about it, and the people So patieu
under it. The fire at Second anC
Chestnut streets demonstrated beyond
peradventure the great worthlessness o
the department The scandal of this eX
tended confiagration, in city well eluippet
with fre apparatus, should have aroused
the newspapers Of the town to indignant
comment, and its authorities to vigorous
action: and now that the King homicide:
are directly chargeable to the ire depart
ment's slowness, is it not high time
that the political government which has
robbed its members of their readiness
courage and zeal, should be changed to a
business government that will bring the
firemen to every fire as speedily as theiI
horses will get them there and will put
them when there under intelligent direc-
ton
The lesson to be learned from the calam-
tiles fallen upon Philadelphia by reason of
the fact that the fire department is polit-
cal machine, should be needed by other
towns. When lives and property are thus
endangered is it not time TO say that the
fire department, at least, should not be a
featber-bed proyider ior ward politicians.