St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-11-10

think that the St. sJohnsbury fire well
proves this.
What we need most in this country is
safer and saner construction, along fire.
proof lines, to prevent fires gaining such
Roadway as recently happened at St,
Johnsbury. I
A. |. LAURENcE/
Burlington, VT, November 3, 1909.
Look to Fire Escapes.
The fire horror OF St. Johnsbury last
week was extremely fatal in the loss OF
human life far beyond common, consider
ing the number of people in the building,
and no doubt there was more than
ordinary reason for the catastrophe.
The fire had gained Roadway, it is true.
but according to reports nearly all the
lives could have been saved if necessary
| fire escapes and apparatus had been pro-
vided. In the building not necessarily
dangerous the unfortunate occupants
were penned in and suffered one of the
most frightful forms of death within
sight of many people, through lack of
proper equipment. 1t is just such ex-
periences as these that show up careless
ness and it ought to be lesson to the
authorities in all communities to look up
these neglected dangers Hardwick
Gazette.
st. Johnsbury's Bitter Lesson.
Littleton's sympathy will go out to
the neighboring town Of St. Johnsbury
in the terrible holocaust which visited
that place last Saturday morning. No
such calamity has visited the North
country before in long time and the
news caused a profound shock to all of
US. Littleton could perhaps the better
appreciate the horror because of its re-
cent experience with fire in tenement
block, though happily no one was in
jured thereby. While st. Johnsbury lost
one of its best business buildings this
pales into insigni6cance with the loss of
nine persons by so horrible death. 1t
is bitter awakening to the town to the
inadequacy of it's fire fighting facilities.
That any town, and particularly one of
st. Johnsbury's size, should be without
ladders to reach to the top of its highest
buildings, is little short of criminal neg
lect somewhere. St. Johnsbury has
learned its lesson, but at what terrible
expense! Especially will the hearts of
Littleton and Bethlehem people go out
to the family of Charles T. Ranlet, who
formerly lived here and whose native
place was in Bethlehem. MIR. Rarlet
was leading printer in St. Johnsbury
and was well known all over the North
country for the high grade of work
which he turned out Littleton IN. H.
Courier.
Negligence Somewhere.
The fearful loss of life at St. 10 hnsbnry
last Saturday would indicate that there
was negligence somewhere. A fire de-
partment that hasn't any ladders long
enough to reach above the third story of
building is not properly equipped, and
no fire escapes on the front side of the
building is also negligence. 1t is hardly
proper time to find fault when
sorrow has entered so many homes, and
gloom is cast over place by the loss of
so many lives, yet it would seem that a
bit of precaution might have prevented
this fearful catastrophe. Let other
places take warning by this and look to
their fire apparatus and fire escapes.-[
News and Citizen.
Rutland Warned.
How many buildings are there in Rut-
land where frightful holocaust, such
as that at St. Johnsbury, Saturday,
could be possible? 1t is doubtful if there
is one, but certainly it behooves our city
officials to take the most solemn warn
ing from the St. Johnsbury fatality and
insist forthwith and vigorously on the
most adequate fire escapes from every
building in this city, public or private.
The nine or more lives lost in st. Johns
bury were due entirely to the lack of pro-
per fire escapes. Il Rutland News.
Better Elevators Needed.
That was fearful fire calamity at St.
Johnsbury last Saturday. the worst in
human fatality in the history of YER
mont, it is said. The dangerous eleva-
tor shaft, serving as fue for the flames,
got in its work here, as it has in so
many cases before. Why does not some
building expert devise a fire-proof inter-
ior for these shafts. in the light of what
has happened many times? Even thin
lining of asbestos would serve as some
protection, whereas the ordinary lining
of dry, oil-soaked boards is Just like
tinder.-[ Randolph Herald.
A Lesson to New Hampshire.
There is lesson for New Hampshire in
the st. Johnsbury holocaust; to see that
our fire escape laws are enforced and
that as many "fre traps" risks as pos
sible are Acknowledgement Monitor.
W. P. Stafford For Supreme Court.
In casting about for a worthy successor
of Justice Peckham of the United States
Supreme court President Taft could not
find better man than Judge Wendell P.
Stafford of the Court for the District of
Columbia. The only fact that would
initiate against him is that he would be
every inch a judge Political expedi-
ency would not appeal to him. Probably
President Taft will not dare to appoint
him. |Vergennes Enterprise and Yer
monter.
Spelling Schools and Prize Speaking.
The Third Annuafseries of Contests
in the Central Caledonia District
to Open November II.
The reading schools in which each
teacher has conducted a reading recita-