The sun., 1897-05-06
NO CHANCE OF sUCH FIRE HERE
what Chief Bonner says Shout the Paris Dis
aster and Its Bearing ON New York.

what Chief Bonner says Shout the Paris Dis
aster and Hts Bearing on New York.
Chief Bonner of the New York Fire Depart
mept read carefully all the reports published in
this city yesterday of the fire in Paris. For
many years the Chief has made study of such
catastrophes. and he believes that the disaster
of Tuesday was not duo to an inefficient Fire De-
partment or to q lack of stringent laws regard
ing precautions. but to the leniency OF tho
authorities who have tho power to grant per-
mitS' for such entertainments. For any other
purpose but that of charity the authorities
would not have yielded tho slightest privilege
Tho connection Of the best people in France with
the project would In itself have been insufficient
to move the authorities. but the power of the
Church and the fact that the proceeds were to
60 TO benefit Church institutions caused them to
relHr.H Chief Bonner In conversation with q
SUpt reporter said yesterday:
"It u. OF course, impossible, with the meagre
facts about the building in which the bazaar
was held. to mako very accurate deductions
At present there appears to have been little done
to prevent such disaster that which o.
ourrSd. but We may hear later that something
wssdone. 1t doesnt seem possible that such q
place, crowded as ie was with tho best people of
France, should have been unguarded.
"Such catastrophe could not occur in New
York, for the very simple reason that the hold
ing Of such affair In such building would
nevurbe allowed. Our laws regarding fire pre-
cautions do not bend for anybody. There are
very few such buildings in New York. In the
first place Neither the Building Department
nor;ths. Fire Department would think for mo-
ment of permitting a bazaar fair, or In fact an
exhibition OF any kind that would attract a great
croisd of people, in one OF these. Under the
building laws 1t IL not possible nowadays to
erect such structures, 30 that the few We have
left are merely relics of the days before fire.
proof material and iron beams and rafters camo
"Ihe last building of the kind in which public
exhibitions were held was the old American In
stitute building on Third avenue. For many
displays there, and many thousands OF people
SoWsyer, and there eyer had been M Il 'eaosafid
haye made much Of
the chance Of that was equally remote. as 1t was
possible 10 empty the building In very short
limo. .,,'- 49,, o.-.,r. .--,.
"Such a disaster as this one In Paris couldn't
happen In our Madison Square Garden or In any
OF our arnories or other oxhibtio halls, because
tbey are built OF the least inaammable material
Of booths at fairs might Be wiped out, because a
fauno has but to sweep acIoss one to make IL
disappear. but tho flames could not spread. and
people IN such PLACES at times OF. fires compare.
,".T don't think New, Workers. as a, general
such disasters @ as this Paris aro 'I Frsaen are at
every theatre, at every public meeting, In fact
everywhere where, there isa crowd; Our hy
drants are carefully inspected, and In other
takSn.. On the day OF tho Grant parade all OF
those crowded stands were watched by fTemen
who were sresGy ct 2 noments notice 20
smother . ais. Ta1S for example, the