The Somerset reporter., 1893-02-23
FIRES IN DWELLINGS.
Few HOUSES HAVE MEANS OF ES-
CAPE EXCEPT THE DOORWAYS.

Trspdoor In <he Roof seems to He tho
Only suggestion For a Means of Escape
In Case the stairway of House In the
City Is on Fire During the Night.
Two deaths from suffoCation in burn
ng dwelling have again called the atten-
ion of all thinking people to the fact
hat dwelling houses are not provided
With any practical means of escape IN
,ase of fire occurring in the lower floor
luring the night Investigation by re
porter shows that The law is mute on
he subject of escapes from dwellings.
Neither the laws governing tiioburcalfet
auilding inspectors nor those applying TO
he 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
he most feasible and most effective plan.
1t is stated on good authority that these
rapdoors, while one of the best means
If escape, cannot be found in more than
one house in 2oo on the average through
.he city.
Chief Baxter Of the fire department
aud president of the bureau of fire
s,capes said: There were ,531 fires last
year, and ASS of these were in dwellings.
Fortunately but few people met their
leaths from dwelling house fires during
.he year This is not always the case,
however. and have seen quite large
number Of fatal results from such fires
the deaths few years ago as the re-
.ult of the fire in the King residence at
seventeenth and Pine streets, for in
stance. and many others not quite 80
appalling nor of such prominence. In
most of these cases the fatality would
not have been 50 great had some means
# escape, other than stairwavs. been
provided.
There certainly should be some new
clause in our fire escape laws and the
most important one would be one re-
luiring trapdoors in the roof of every
aouse, or some equally feasible means of
kit. The present laws are particularly
stringent regarding fire escapes on hotels
IN the city, but neglect altogether the
dwellings,. 1t would seem more proper
to take care of the permanent population
Than transient visitors to the city, from
which class tho hotels derive their in
come.
of the dwelling house fires which oc-
cured last year" the chief continued,
"148 were caused by defective fues. 1t
Is fair TO presume that the majority Of
Tres from this cause occur at night after
he fires have been fixed and the family
mas retired. In fixing heater fires for the
light the general method used is to open
wide the fue draft and close the bottom
, lraft. The heat ascends up the chimney
then, and any defect in the fue may
cause fire. Before the family are
awakened the whole lower room may be
n 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
IF the illegal frame kitchens in the rear
They could then jump on that and
rom there to the fence. If trapdoors
we're provided in the roof, however, they
could easily ascend and escape either to
IN adjoining house or at least escape suf-
location by running along the roofs ont
If danger until the fire department ar
lived. These trapdoors have been sug-
sested, but it is claimed that they would
furnish means for burglars to enter the
houses from those adjoining. The pop
nlar sentiment, though, would seem to
Indicate that most people prefer to take
.nanccs OF being robbed of few dollars
han to take the risk of being burned to
Death
Harmon Boorse. a mGInber of both
ourenu of building inspectors and the
bureau of fire escapes, said he had always
been in favor of building trapdoors i'll
every house The law" he said, for
bids the erection Of frame kitchens, but
At present these furnish the only means
Of escape from dwelling after exit by
the stairway has been cut off Statistics
prove that fire very seldom occurs i'll
these outside kitchens. A prominent in
surance agent told me only day or two
ago. he continued. that the majority
If dwelling house fires were caused by
defective hues in the cellars where the
heater fiue enters the chimney"
James c. Moore, a prominent builder
erecting from 200 to 800 dwellings q
year and member of the Operative
Builders association, denounced in out
spoken terms the present system of build
ing without providing means of escape
from the upper floors except by the
stairways. He said: ut is an outrage
an the community.
LAS dwelling houses are built in these
days. not one in POO on the average is
provided with a trapdoor or scuttle in
The roof ] have always favored this
manner of building" - Philadelphia
Press.
Dali.