The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-18
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The great Ire In Baltimore. following su closely on the Iroquois horror. has re- vived the oft-recurring controversy abou, fire-proof buildings. but whether anything for the good of humanity will result from 1t remains to be seen. That such awful caiamities should be needed to stimulate the inventive and mechanical faculties of our people appears strange. but 1t Is no less true. It is not till after the. world has been shocked and mortified by some fiery cataclysm that Individuals, both private and public. begin to realize that something has been left undone that should have been done. and then begin to talk about the remedy. It will be well if something besides talk results from the recent lessons.
 For the construction of a house that will be safe in case of fire there are two points to be considered. one is that the building itself shall be as nearly fire proof as human skill and human care can make it. and the other that escape shall be easy and speedy in case the building really burns. The first is the more dif- fieult and should be the first object in building. especially in cities where houses are several stories high and stand so thlcily that the flames readily communi- cate from one to another. If 1t is possi- ble to build an absolutely fire-proof house while any infiammable material is used either in the construction or the furnish ings, we have yet to see some evidence of it. Even If the building Is made of brick. stone and metal. there Is usually some thing in the floors. the finishings and the inside works. as we'll as the furniture and other furnishings to offer ready food for the flames. Then when a fire starts 1t finds plenty of fuel and destruction is the result. The really fre-proof building Is yet in the future.
 But if a fire-proof house Is hardly to be hoped for certainly there is no good req son why all buildings. especially tail ones. should not have ready means of es- cape In the country the danger is small for the houses are usually of but one story. with doors and windows all around, and getting out of them Is easy, but it Is different in large cities. Take an ordi- nary house of three or more stories, and usually there is only the one stairway or one elevator. When a fire starts in the lower part of the building. the opening for the stairs or elevator offers a fiue for the flames and the almost invariable re- suit is that those in the upper stories are cut of and escape Is impossible without serious risk of death from the flames or from jumping from the windows.
 These dangers and difficulties are inten- sified iu almost all theatres and other buildings where large crowds assemble. There Is hardly case on record where an alarm of fire in a crowded theatre is not followed by a stampede. involving much injury and loss of life. A fire In a crowded building invariably crazes an audience, and when they also know that there are but one or two openings from the building. the result may be calculated with mathematical certainty. Each man, woman and child will try to be first and the result is generally fearful This is a fault in the construction of buildings
 which, can be remedies, and if builders
 will not do It voluntarily, the law should compel it. If we. cannot have 9resproot buildings, we can at least have them so provided with escapes and openings that
 egress can be easily and speedily ef-
 fected and the usual wild stampedes
 avoided. The authorities in many of the
 large cities have taken the matter in
 hand. and 1t is to be hoped that they
 win not wait for another horror to in-
 cite them to their duty.