New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-30
FIRES PAST AND TO COME.

Such confagratiOns as those at Lynn and
Boston are profoundly discouraging. The lat
ter. in particular, made its way under cond-
tons which, comparatively speaking, were most
mfavorable to swift and extensive comb ustlon.
Many of the buildings within the burned DIS
trct were good risks, in the phraseology OF the
insurance companies, and not few of them
belonged to the class loosely denOmlnated hre-
proof. The Fire Department of Boston has d
high reputation for skill, energy and courage
and it had the assistance OF Well-dIlleu
brigades from neighb boring cities. Moreover
a drenching rain fell steadily and the wind
though high, was not furious and battling
Neither the weather nor the point OF attack
was such as to make experienced fremen par
ticularly anxious. And yet within short time
after the first alarm, and against great natural
and artificial obstacles the flames had fastened
such hold upon substantial part OF the Guy
as nobody would have anticipated even under
circumstances most favorable to their progress
That peculiar and mysterious condition OF
the atmosphere which is often alluded to III de-
scrptions of notable fires, and which Is PROB
ably both cause and effect, was observed IN this
case II seemed as if the air itself were com
bustible, and that it was constantly pursuing
into flames which had no visible source ana
no connection with any tangible object Inc
theory can be defended with much plauSlblllty'
at least that when the heat of a cOntiagal0n
reaches q certain degree Of intensity vast vol
umes of hydrogen are liberated from the floods
of water which are being poured upon the flames
and that this highly infammable gas at once be-
e n a ~
not aware that this theory has been generally
accepted, but every fresh experience renders it
more tenable. The time may come when water
will be regarded as the least efficient impe-
ment at the command Of fire departments, and
when universal practice will conform to the
idea that the way to eXtinguish flame is to
sulTocate and not to drown it, The knowledge
that vapors can be chemically produced which
are competent to smother fire almost instantane-
ously has already accomplished practical results
of importance within narrow limits. 1t certain
ly is not unnatural to expect that wider and
mole skilful application OF this discovery will
be made hereafter, and it is not incOnceivabe
that in the distant future the universal exist
ence of appliances for the automatic generation
Of vapor in needed quantities will constitute
fires
In the meantime, such disasters as those Of
the current week cannot fail to suggest the
peril in which every community stands. New
York is Justly proud of its Fire Department,
and is absolutely certain that pre-eminent
display of skill and determination will respond
to every emergency that may arise in this city.
But whoever imagines that devastating con-
Migration is impossible in the metropolis lives
in fools paradise. We believe it is the con-
viction of the most competent judges in the
department that if the wind had been blowing
from the opposite quarter last spring when the
Vanderbilt elevators on the North River burned
down no human effort could have prevented
an whelming destruction Of property south
and west of Central Park For long time to
come, and until by the slow process Of improve
ment great proportion of the city has been
reconstructed, we shall live in constant, though
it may be hoped, diminishing, danger Of such
a fate. Moreover, the fact cannot be ignored
that though the quality Of construction is i'm
proving, some new elements of danger have
been introduced one of them being the height
Ct modern buildings, another the multiplication
Ct apartments with many families and many
kitchen fires under one roof and many danger
Gus elevator and light shafts and a third, the
general introduction of electrical appliances.
The significance of this last item is suggested
by the announcement that the Boston fire had
its origin in defective wire.
One thing which can be done Immediately
and hopefully to make New York safer is to
increase the number and raise the quality of
the watchmen who have charge of buildings in
dangerous localities This service is now per-
formed, where it is performed at ALL too often
in a careless and constituencies manner, and at
a thousand points which are assumed to be pro-
tected by vigilant inspection there is practically
no safeguard worthy of the name.