The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-08
ROPE ESCAPES
NOT IN FAVOR
ONLY ONE OF THE CITY'S LEAD
ING HOTELS USES IT.
Projectors and Managers OF the 9th
ers Prefer to Rely on the Iron Els
capes-Law Requiring Rope Es-
capes Not Observed Because There
Is No One to Enforce 1t.

Despite the law passed by the last
legislature to the effect that all hotels
in cities of more than 5000 inhabitants
shall provide rope fire escapes in all
rooms for the safety of guests, there
are few hotels in the state and prac-
tically none in this city which comply
with the rule.
In framing the law the author neg
lected to provide for its enforcement,
specifying no officer to compel it's OBJ
servance. The majority Of the hotel
proprietors feel they have ample pro-
indicating the location Of emergency
exits. But one Of the managers of the
largest six hostelries Of Minneapolis is
strongly in favor of the rope escapes.
The views Of the various proprietors
follow: &N
Manager C. H. Wood of the Vest
consider the iron escapes which we have
in our hotel sufficient to meet all the
requirements, even in the case Of a large
fire. could venture no opinion as to the
the use Of the rope escape, as l nave
never seen 1t used.
c. N. Chadbourn Of the Vendome-1
have never heard Of a rope escapes be-
ing successfully operated in an actual fire.
or course it has been demonstrated that
1t will work in an experimental test. In
the Vendome there are explicit directions
in every room telling the guest where he
can find the nearest escape and how to
reach it.. The three escapes which are
constructed Of iron, open into the halls.
There are also three escapes leading out
of rooms, but they are not counted on in
case of fire.
George Hyser Of Che Hotel Hyser-Iron
is the only thing for a fire escape. I con-
slider it the only successful kind. For the
past twenty-five years people have been
buying rope escapes. There have been
a. % e111 h,,fT hov
heard Of a single case where a life has
been saved by their use. In a fire people
are excited; they have no time to stop
and read directions as to tying knots and
that sort Of thing. With an iron escape
all they have to do is to walk down. With
our present arrangement there is no
chance Of any one losing his life thru
fire in this hotel.
S. E. Hopes, manager National Hotel
I don't want to go on record as express
ing any opinion of the rope method. I
have never heard Of it's proving more sue
cessful than the iron escape. If there are
plenty of iron escapes, easily accessible, !
see no reason to anticipate serious re-
| suits from a fire.
A. z. Zonne Of the Hotel Nicollet-l
don't know why a rope escape should
| not be a good thing, tho do not see how
| it is better than the old way. We have
| sufficient number Of escapes for the
| guests Of this house, and so are within
| the ordinance. The only danger see In
the rope is that it might burn before the
guest could descend from his window tt
the ground, but that is a mere conjecture
have never seen the thing tried and sc
could not make any positive statement as
to it's merits.
| Manager Rogers Of the Rogers Hotel-A
rope escape is the only safe kind. have
! them in all the rooms Of the Rogers, an6
| would Dut them there whether there was
a law requiring it or not. The cost is
| trivial and it Is a good investment to in
| sure the safety of the guests About Sc
, per room fits hotel with the rope escape
In fires the great danger is not so much
| the burning from flames as the suffoca-
| ton from the smoke and smudge in the
halls. An excited man wandering about
a smoke filled hall would find it difficult
to discover the whereabouts of the ladder
or stairway escape. With the rope he
can descend from his own window at the
! first alarm.