San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-25
the INDIANAPOLIS HORROR.

THE INDIANAPOLIS HORROR.
That Indianapolis horror is ter
rible object lesson, aud the wise mu.
, nicipality will be instructed thereby.
1t is an object lesson written In fire
and blood. in speechless agony and
unavailing cries for help, In the
charred remains of score of hapless
victims and in the burned and man
gled bodies of other scores to whom
death would be a blessed relief. Its
lessons come with peculiar signifi-
canoe to every munlci pality that has
not provided for the public safety by
rigid regulations, requiring ample fire
escapes and life lines on all buildings
in which the public are lodged, fed
taught, healed or otherwise cared for.
Had the city of Indianapolis pre-
scribed such regulations and enforced
them she would have escaped the
horror which overwhelmed her In the
burning Of the National Surgical In
stitute, on the 22nd. It was gross
neglig ence, If not criminal careless.
ness, that left such q building, in.
habited as 1t was by one hundred and
fifty manned and crippled patients
with their thirty nurses, without ade-
quate escape in case of fire.
From the reports that have
come by wire it does not ap
pear that there was any mean of exit
from the upper stories, save by the
ordinary stairways. When escape by
these was cut off the entire crowd OF
helpless humans were at the mercy
of the flames. This too in an institu- |
tion in which the care of life was the
express business of its officers and at |
tendants. II in such an establish |
ment there was SO fatal neglect of
precaution, can more be expected of
those who only provide for the ordi- |
nary wants of the public? The lessons
of this horror are the responsibility of |
municipal government for the safe
ty of the pu bile, and the need of such |
official supervision of all hotels,
schools, hospitals, theaters, etc., as
will insure the means of escape, in
case of fire or other pressing necessi. |
ty, when the ordinary means of exit
are cut of. In all the eastern cities |
this matter is of the first importance.
and all buildings of the character re-
ferred to are compelled under heavy
penalties to provide the required facil-
tiles for fire escape. The committee OF
public safety is entrusted with the du-
ty of seeing that the regulations pre-.
scribed are faithfully complied with,
and there Is no hesitancy in enforc
ing the strict letter of the law. The
public enlightened on this subject
and grown accustomed to its benefits
cannot be induced to patronize
hotels, schools, places Of amusement,
etc., where these regulations are not
complied with, and Ghus 1t becomes q
necessity for the management of all
these places to comply with the law.
The western cities are too lax on this
point for the. public safety. Indian
apolis is paying dearly for her care
lessness, and what Is true OF that city
today may be true of San Antonio to-
morrow. This state needs strin-
gent law governing all her cities on
this subject, and every city in the
state should mako itself secure, by
wise enactments strictly enforced,
against any such calamity as this
which has overtaken Indianapolis.
The time to attend to this matter is
before the destruction cometh, and
the lessons of this Indianapolis holo-
caust are commended to the leglsla-
ture of this state and to the munici.
pal council of this city.
THE fairness of. Gov. McKinley's
mind Is shown In his declaration that