Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-07-29
FIRES In DWELLINGS.
FEW HOUSES HAVE MEANS or Es-
CAPE EXCEPT THE DooRWAYs.

CAPE EXCEPT THE DooRWAYs.
A Trapdoor In the Roof seems to he the
Only Suggestion For = Means OF Escape
In Case the stairway Of a House In the
City Il On Fire During the Night.
Two deaths from suffocation in burn
hg dwelling have again called the atten-
ton Of all thinking people to the fact
that dwelling houses are not provided
with any practical means of escape in
rase Of fire occurring in the lower floor
during the night investigation by a re-
porter shows that the law is mute on
the subject Of escapes from dwellings,.
Neither the laws governing the bureau OF
building inspectors nor those applying to
the bureau Of fire touch on the subject.
Both bureaus agree in saying that some
means Of exit other than the stairways
should be provided, and both favor the
introduction of trapdoors in the roofs as
the most feasible aud most effective plan.
1t is stated ON good authority that these
trapdoors, while one Of the best means
Of escape, cannot lie found in more than
one house in 200 ON the average through
the city.
Chief Baxter Of the fire department
and president Of the bureau Of fire
escapes said: There were .53l fires last
year. and is5 Of these were in dwellings.
Fortunately but few people met their
deaths from dwelling house fires during
the year, This is not always the case
however, and have seen quite large
number of fatal results from such fires
the deaths a few years ago as the re-
suit Of the fire in the King residence at
Seventeenth and Pine streets. for in
stance, aud many others not quite so
appalling nor of such prominence. In
most of these cases the fatality would
not have been so great had some means
Of escape, other than stairways, been
provided.
There certainly should be some new
clause in our fire escape laws, and the
most important one would be one re
quiring trapdoors in the roof OF every
house. or some equally feasible means Of
exit. The present laws are particularly
stringent regarding fire escapes ON hotels
in the city. but neglect altogether the
dwellings Ii would seem more proper
TO take care of the permanent population
than transient visitors to the city, from
which class the hotels derive their in
come.
"Of the dwelling house fires which oc-
CURED last year" the chief continued,
"lI6 were caused by defective fues. 1t
is fair to presume that the majority Of
fires from this cause occur at night after
/ the fires have been fixed and the family
has retired In fixing heater fires for the
night the general method used is to open
wide the tlue draft and close the bottom
draft. The heat asccnds up thechimney
then. and any defect in the fiue may
cause fire Before the family are
awakened the whole lower room may be
in flames. and escape by means Of the
stairway may be impossible The family
would then probably have to jump from
| the windows. unless the house had one
of the Illegal frame kitchens in the rear
They could then jump on that and
/ from there TO the fence Ii trapdoors
i were provided in the roof. however. they
+ could easily ascend and escape either to
+ an adjoining house or at least escape suf.
/ location by running along the roofs ont
/ of danger until the fire department ar
rived These tTapdoors have been sug-
/ gestcd, but il IL claimed that they would
+ furnish means for burglars to enter the
4 houses from those adjoining The pop
I ular sentiment. though, would seem 10
4 Indicate that most people prefer to take
/ chances of being robbed of few dollars
than to take the risk of being burned t.
= death.
/ Harmon Boorse, a member of both
bureau of building inspectors and the
bureau Of fire escapes, said he had always
been in favor of building trapdoors in
every house The law he said, for.
bids the erection Of frame kitchens, bnt
at present these furnish the only means
Of escape from dwelling after exit by
the stairway has been cut of Statistic.
prove that fire very seldom occurs il
these outside kitchens. 4 prominent in
surance agent told me only day or tive
ago" he continued, that the majority
Of dwelling house fires We're caused by
defective ilues in the cellars where tn,
heater tiue enters the chimney"
James {. Moore, prominent builder
erecting from 200 To 500 dwellings 4
year and member of the Opcratiy,
Builders association, denounced in out
spoken terms the present system of build
ing without providing means Of escape
from the upper floors except by tn,
stairways. He said. 1T is an outrage
on the community.
AS dwelling houses are built in thes,
days. not one in 200 on the average i
provided with trapdoor or scnttle II
the roof have always favored Thu
manner Of building. - PHILADELPHIA,
| Press
An Important Innucnco.
One nhasc Of the movement known n