The record-union., 1899-03-21
SAFETY FROM FIRE IN HOTELS.

1t appears that the rear walls of the
Windsor Hotel New York, that burned
the other day with such fearful loss of
life, were lined with fixed fire escapes
iron ladders-from story to story at
certain points on the outside of the
building, but that only in few in
stances did the inmates of the hotel use
them or make any effort to do so. IT
is added that every room with an ex-
terror opening was supplied with a fire
: escape rope coiled beneath window.
But only one instance is recorded of
these ropes being used. There should
be wisdom drawn from this experience
that will result in benefit to mankind.
So far as the exterior ladders are con-
cerned it does not appear that much
improvement can be made except to
require them to be sloped in all cases.
But the suggestion is worthy of con-
sideration that the approaches to these
ladders in all cases can be greatly i'm
proved by continuous lines of iron land
ings. In the front of a building these
long rows of narrow platforms would
be very unsightly, it is true, but on the
rear walls they would be unobjection-
able. AS it is now, these ladder escapes
are reached in most cases only from
particular rooms and in the panic of a
fire alarm guests in hotels always find
which landings extend, and sometimes
such rooms are found locked, the occu-
pants being absent.
Another suggestion which was adj
vanced many years ago by we'll
known Eastern architect is to have
ladder escapes at the end of every main
hall. Then he would have steel de-
scending secreted doors over one of
the openings on every side hall leading
into another, SO that in case of fire by
the operation of one device on each
floor these doors could be shut down,
and thus close off all draughts and make
the group of rooms opening into each
hall with the feeder halls and the main
Railways separate compartments, with
an ample fire escape at the end of each
main hall. All which reads well, but
whether the idea is practicable remains
for builders to determine Certainly
the thought has not impressed itself
deeply upon the minds of architects, or
it would have been more debated ard
some experiments have been made.
Concerning ordinary rope escapes
they may be said to be almost value
less. In the Windsor Hotel fire three
lives were saved by a rope escape by
reason of the perfect coolness of one
man, rather than by the strength Of
the rope or the method of its arrange
ment in the building Whether others
availed Of the ropes is not recorded,
and We must assume that they proved
failures and for q very good reason.
Only very few people can come down
rope hand over hand; rarely does one
think to pass the rope around the leg
to stay the descent. Women and cllil-
The rope is liable to be burned away,
and. as in the case of the Baldwin Ho-
tel fire in San Francisco, it is liable 10
break We do not know of wire ropes
ever being used for fire escapes, and
they would be of little use unless
mounted ladderwise. 1t would seem 10
be not difficult, however, to adjust be-
meath each window in every lofty hotel
reel carrying a fine, strong, flexible
wire rope ladder, which thrown out
Oo1l1H 1ae Of fl,r. u
furnish comparatively safe mode Of
descent even through smoke and flame
issuing from windows beneath But
even such ladders would be useless to
the nervous, frightened women and
children. and only now and then a man
would be found who could safely de-
scend from a great hight upon such
slight swaying structures.
There has never been invented or
used a better life saving device as for
descent from high burning buildings
than the chute" This consists of a
long canvas bag, its upper end firmly
affixed to the window Being cast out
it is seized at the lower end and twist
closed The escaping person then gets
into the upper end, the rescuers unwind
the chute rapidly. and the party is
brought swiftly down in perfect safety
through fire and smoke
These chutes can be made of nom
combustible material and thus render
ed safe for use during even a long
fire. In Milwaukee some years ago
they We're used at a great fire with
perfect success, saving many lives and
bringing down women and children
from great nights, without SO much as
a scratch or the smell Of fire upon
them. Where the situation permits the
chute to be held firmly at the lower
end and in a curve. descent may be
had swiftly without giving the bag a
twist Some years ago these chutes
were tried in New York by the Fire
Department as device for enabling
Hrernen to descend who are caught in
an upper story with their means Of
getting out by stairways cut off by
flames and smoke The experiment was
an entire success.
II the thought Of continuous exterior
platforms on each floor to reach fixed
ladders. such platforms to be easy of
ACCESS from each main hall, Is worthy
o6 consideration, there should 60 with