The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-12
SAFE FROM FIRE.
EXamplesof Good Construc-
ton in Worcester
Blocks.

An alarm of fire in Worcester does
not usually bring with it the feeling
Of fear common to other cities. The Sc
curity under which its people rest easy
in an alarm, is caused by the fact that
Worcester has not yet in its history
had any really disastrous fires where
there has been any great loss of life.
To be sure there have been great
conhagrations here where the financial
loss has reached towards the million
mark, but damage to life and limb has
been comparatively small
The efficiency of the Worcester fire
department is unquestioned, and the
people place the utmost confidence in
the courage and ability of the firemen
Then again, the many buildings, public
and private, are for the most part well
provided with ways of egress in case
Of fire. The stringent state laws in
this matter is a safeguard, especially
when it is enforced as it is in this city
by the efficient inspectors of buildings
and factories.
A Spy man visited several local fac
tories and was surprised at the pre-
cautions taken in time of fire. The
factory of the Worcester Corset Co.,
on Wyman street is said to be the
best equipped in the country, and is
the delight of the inspector. 1t is iso
lated from other buildings, facing on
Wyman, Hollis and Grand streets,
handsome structure of solid brick.
This factory employs over hundred
hands all the year round. Most of the
employees are women.
When the building was being con-
structed, it was decided instead of
putting the fire escapes three of four
feet wide on the outside of the build
ing, which would become covered with
ice and snow in winter time, to build
inside fire-escapes. These are really
tire-prOof staircases. There are two
of these in the tower and there is no
wood work of any description. Should
the building by any misfortune burn
to the ground these towers would re-
main standing. All the rooms com
municate with the tower by means of
iron doors, which when closed allow
no fire to enter. Between these two
fire-proof stairWays there is a frees
cape on the inside of the office, which
allows egress for more than three times
the number of employees.
The thermostat system of fire alarm
notifies the department when the tenn
peratuTe attains a certain point, and
owing to the system of piping the wa
ter is turned on when the temperature
rises, and the room is Immediately
flooded with water.
The factory of w. H. Burns 6, Com
pany on Park street is fitted up on
much the same lines as the Worcester
Corset Company. 1t is perfect in every
detail of its precautions against fires.
State Inspector Joseph M. Dyson told
a Spy man that in the matter of safe
guards of this sort, Worcester is a
leader and the laws are lived up to in
the smallest details. 1t is rarely the
the smallest detail. 1t is rarely that
the inspector finds it necessary to call
upon a delinquent.
An example of the qualities of
modern fireproof buildings that escape
the ravages of fire, was given when the
Day building was destroyed in the
spring of 1897 This block was not fire
proof, but the new Five Cents Savings
bank building adjoining was, and it re-
manned unframed, though the seething
flames at its side seemed to threaten its
destruction What saved it was the
two-foot wall of solid brick which sep
arated it from the Day building. The
day after the fire, people who visited
the scene were astonished to see the
bank building surrounded on two sides
with smoking ruins, but itself unscath-
ed by the terrific fire of the night be-
fore. Above it all, old glory foated
.serenely from the flagstaff of the bank
building.
For an office building, the most mod
ern and consequently the most fire.
proof is of course the nine-story State
Mutual It's ways of egress are many.
There are four stairways composed en-
tirely of iron frames, with slate treads,
and four passenger elevators, about
which there is nothing to burn. Two
other freight elevators of about the
same construction are in the rear, so
if a person is caught in the building in
a fire, he has several ways of getting
down without taking the short cut to
Grace church, across the way. In
deed, in the whole building about the
only things that will burn are the cas-
ngs and the doors and the office fur
niture.
Mechanics hall though built
more than a few years ago, is consider
ed a remarkable example of wooden
construction 1t has several modes of
egress and the upper hall can be emp
tied of people in remarkably short time.
There are two main stairways to the
first floor and four to the floor of Me-
chanics hall while as many connect
to the galleries. The building is equipped
with one fire escape, but there has
never been occasion for using it.