The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-04
FIGHT THE FIRE DEATH
Schemes that Might Have
Saved Many Lives
THE INVENTIONS IN FIRE-ESCAPES
Apropos of the Windsor Hotel Horror
Public Attention Il Attracted to a Va
riety Of Novel Safety AppIiauces-Fire-
proof Garments, Exiting uishins Com
pounds, and Hand Grenades-some VAL
liable ses for Asbestos

pounds, and Hand Grenades-Some VAL
liable Uses for Asbestos
Many lives that were lost in the Windsor
EOtel disaster might have been saved If
the building had been provided with one
or more OF the newly-irvented spiral
slices. which, in Indiana. are already in
use in connection with some public
schools. TAis sort OF ccntrivance is a
cylindrical tower eight feet ia diameter
attached 10 the main structure and pro-
vided with an entrance at each floor OF
the latter Its interior is occupied from
top TO bottom BY d kind Of winding chute,
and a person has only to get into il IN
OIGer TO fall 10 the basement with a cork
screw-like movement that is just rapid
enough 10 be pleasant without involving
any danger. In fact, at the schools aiore-
said, i Is customary to permit the boys
ard gins who have been good during
the week to make their exit Friday after
moons by way OF the fire-escape, thus Civ
ing them enjoyment and practice in the
art at the same time.
Many remarkable ideas for fiTe-escapes
are recorded al the Patent Office, and not
the least notable of them have TO do with
articles of furniture. which, in an emer
gency, are convertible into means for get
ting out of burning building. For eX-
ample, there is A kind of ladder, made
in sections, which folds up into an arm
chair. When Unfolded. the arms trans
form themselves into hooks to catch the
NindOWsll. and the ladder hangs down
ward fifty-two feet. Another invention in
the same line is bed that has for its
bottom chlin-la6der. which is strung
back and forth from side to side 50 as 10
accommodate a great length of it. Then
there is a bed that is hardly more than
ladder in disguise, though quite comfor-
table TO sleep on, its sides, ends, and
sectional bottom being all parts of lad
der, into which the couch may be trans
formed at moments notice, the mat
tress and covering being thrown off hasti-
Iy.
1t is noticeable that many kinds of
Horoscopes are of such construction as 10
be unavailable except for practiced ath-
letes. There seems 10 be a notion TO the
effect that people in a moment of panic
and fear of death are able to perform
gymnastic feats of which they would be
utterly incapable under ordinary circum-
stances. There were ropes in the Wind
sor Hotel, but the women who tried TO
use them failed, because a special ex-
pertness is needed to slide down a rope.
Indeed to get over this very difficulty
various patterns of brakes have been in
vented for attachment to ropes; but. I'M
fortunately. the working of these ought
to be studied at leisure before trying them.
Most of the familiar balcony fire-escapes,
with iron stairs between stories, are so
placed as TO be extremely hard to reach
from the windows.
Stairways onthe Side.
Much better than these are the stair
ways inclosed in tow ers on the outside OF
buildings. down which people can run
spirally in safety, being protected from
the flames by the surrounding brick. Some
of them are so arranged that elevators,
useful At ordinary times, are run in them.
But there must often be occasions when
persons are caught, as at the Windsor
Hotel, in circIn stances where they can
not avail themselves of any kind of
permanent escapes, and hence invention
in this line will always devote its efforts
be conveyed to those seeking help and
of devices for saving them from injury
if they jump. In the latter category are
comprised numerous patents classified
as "body-catchers." Some of these are
on wheels, so as TO be conveyed quickly
TO any point desired. and are mostly pro-
vided with arrangen ents of spiral springs
supporting q net or cushion, into or upon
i., FL xiafi 10 int -
Jump. Others are nets of various pat
terms. one of them being circular in form
and surrounded by a huge iron ring, 50
that twenty men. if necessary, can hold
on to it.
The efforts made by men at the Windsor
Hotel fire 10 catch women who jumped
from the windows were pitifuily ineffec-
tive. and it would seem as if the fire
department ought 10 have had some sort
OF apparatus for this purpose on hand be-
fore it was too late. But this branch of
the life-saving art does not appear 10
have kept pace with its development in
other ways. Under such conditions il is
apt to be a matter Of urgency 10 convey
a rope in some fashion 10 a window far
aloft. and one invention for this purpose
consists of a mortar that shoots a pro-
iectile which carries a line There is
also a kind of musket for the same pur-
pose. as well as a species OF gun which
shoots a small folded anchor. The lat
ter unfolds as its strikes, catches in the
window aimed al, and pulley and Sec
ondary line being attached to il. the per-
sor TO be rescued is quickly lowered 10
the ground.
Some Queer Inventions.
A Texas man has devised a sort of tubu-
lar sack, which may be sixty feet or more
IN length. having The diameter of a man
or slightly greater. A ball is shot into the
window of "a burning building, carrying a
rope. by which the sack is drawn up by
the individual TO be rescued The latter
fastens il, gets into it, and slides to the
ground through il. being able TO control
the rapidly of his descent to a certain
extent by pressing with his arms and legs
against the sides of the bag. Ii one could
only get an umbrella that could be guar
anteed against turning inside out, one
might use it as parachute and jump out
of window with comparative safety
Several styles of parachutes have been
patented Tor escaping from fires; TO one OF
them is attached a belt which is 70 be
d special kind heavily padded on the bot
tom. are provided TO make landing more
comfortable
II Il certainly unfortunate that some Of
the victims OF the Windsor Hotel disaster
were not provided with fireproof suits Of
the pattern patented by Betsy Jane Mar
tin, OF Pomona, kans Her idea is a suit
made CT asbestos throughout, coat, panta-
looms. and boots being stitched together
with asbestos thread. A head covering
with openings for the mouth and eyes IS
provided 4 modification Of this Costume
is an asbestos cloak and mask for ladies'.
which. says Mrs. Martin. may be worn
regularly or kept in a convenient place.
especially in hotels. and put on in time
Of danger thus enabling the wearer 10
avoid all danger of being burned To
death" A New York man is the inventor
OF q somewhat similar suit, the material
OF which consists of an inner Wax-coated
fabric an intermediate layer of compress
ed wool mixed with charcoal. 10 serve as
a non-coaductor. and an exterior treproof
coat OF red ochre, glue, and sulphur H.
connection with this costume asbestos