The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-24
FIRES AND BIG HOTELS.
EXPERT ADVICE ON WHAT THE
GUESTS SHOULD DO.

Chief Croker of the New York De
partment-How to Behave in 8
strange Hotel or BOardinG-h ouse
Always Locate Stairs and Fire Is
cape Before Retiring Buildings
Are Better Protected.
From the New York Sun.
You know I always say that there
isn't such thing as a freProof build
ing" said Chief Croker. OF the fire de-
partment, in answer to sun reporter
question. There's nothing that fire won't
down, if there's enough OF the fire.
Now. I'm not afraid Of FIRE when it's
in the line Of my work. but I'm not TAX
ing chances on broiling. You don't get
me into a room on one OF the top floors
Of a big hotel-hreproof or not freproof.
Not much, I've attended too many hotel
fires and my memory is too good. I'll
take fourth or fifth floor room at a
pinch. That's high enough. thanks.
And IN take a hotel with fire escapes.
even if it is trihe shy on onyx and
plush There isn't money enough lying
around TO persuade me to go to bed in a
strange hotel or house without first 10
eating the fire escapes and stairways and
sizing up the adjoining roofs and hay
ing a look at the distance from my win
dow to the street. When I've done all
that and clearly decided just what I'd
do in case of fire, go to sleep and sleep
like a log; but if don't go through that
fire drill I'd probably lie awake listening
for the alarm.
IF there isn't a fire escape handy to
my room, l want a rope. For that mat
ter, if ! had my way, every hotel room
would have a rope, no matter what other
fire provisions it had. A great many Of
them do have ropes tucked away where
no one could find them. i always hunt
them up and coil them by the window.
Some hotels and boarding houses have
ropes fastened to stanchions near the
window, but people don't like it. They
say it makes them nervous to be re-
minded of the chance of fire. There's
common sense for you. I'd rather be re-
minded of the fire than not be reminded
of a chance to escape from 1t.
How to Go Down "A Rope.
THE trouble with rope fire escapes is
that so few persons know how to use
them. / can 90 down a rope hand over
hand easily enough, because I'm not very
fat and am in training, but fat old
party who hasn't seen a gymnasium in
twenty years isn't very agile on a rope
There isn't one woman in a thousand
who can hold on and let herself down
easily.
Most people take hold of the rope and
slide until the friction burns and cuts
their hands. Then they fail off. You re-
member how il was at the Windsor Ho-
tel fire. IT a good thing to take a twist
CT the rope around one leg, but the great
thing is To keep cool That's the one i'm
portant rule in fires. Keep cool"
II sounded like joke. and the Sun re-
porter looked at the chief obviously, but
the great man was grimly serious.
Even Il one remembers the rule it
doesn't always seem possible to follow
H." suggested the reporter gravely.
mo. but II people would only keep cool
there'd be few serious casualties from
FIRE"
The theory seemed sound
4 suppose it is natural for a man TO
lose his nerve and jump when the flames
are after him. minute seems like an
hour to man or woman on the window
sill Of a burning room, but In so many
cases Just a moment or two would give
the fremen time for a rescue, and lives
are lost neediessly.
THE modern buildings aren't fireproof,
but they are slow in burning. There s
more chance 20 keep the fire from spread
ing in them, and II 1t does spread, it
doesn't 90 with a rush as in the old
buildings. The chances are that envy
person with a level head and "a know
ledge Of the exits could escape from the
building, but those are two things the
citizen who puts up at a hotel doesn t
seem to have.
THE building laws of New York are
infinitely better than they used TO be.
They are getting better all the time, ana
there is more effort to enforce the laws.
but there's enough to be done yet. All
the precautions you can introduce into
an old building won't make it safe. You
can't have fire escape at every window
You can put red lights al the fire escapes
and staircases, but the stairs are built
near the elevator, and both make such a
splendid draught shaft that In a fast fire
the stairway is impracticable In no time
stairs Near Elevator.
THE stairs are even built around the
elevator shaft, you know. That is alb.
surd. If 1 were building a hotel the stair.
ways and elevators would be nowhere
near each other, and there'd be outside
fire escapes scattered plentifuly over the
building, even II they did give the archi.
tects nervous prostration. Ia put fire
escapes on all buildings. What's more
not building higher than fifteen stories
Should go up in the town.
I'VE can pump water higher than that
but no fire can be really well handled
above that
"A good many Of the nigh office build
ings are wonderfully well protected
though. I'll say that for them. Their,
are such fire precautions anywher,
else in the world The building has IL
own stand pipes, hose, MOBILES, etc, an,
the employees are drilled in their use
Then we have had tests and fire drill
in those buildings, and could make con
nections and get to work so quickly tina
It would be mighty hard for a fire I,
get headway-but the high hotels anI
apartment houses Well"
The chief looked volumes.
what about the tenements?" asket
the reporter.
oh, they are better than they were
but they are bad enough. The law re
quires fire escapes on all of them, but tn
people think the fire escapes are provide,
as storerooms. They put the bathtub
and ice boxes and wood and coal an,
baby carriages and trunks out on the fir
escape, and In case of a fire man nigh
just as well jump from the roof as try q
get down the fire ESCAPE.
Law against that? OF course there's
law against ii, but who enforces 1t? W.
all take a hand at it-building depart
ment, fire department, health department
htaa tNbn