Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-04
GENERAL LESSONS OF THE ST
ST. JOHNSBrRY FIRE.
(From the Barre Times)

There are several lessons To he learned
from the terrible fire catastrophe In 81.
Tohnsbury Saturday. in which nj feast
nine. and perhaps more. lives were lost
lessons to he learned not alone by St.
Johnsbury hut by every other commun-
ity which 'nds itself under similar con-
ditons. First and foremost Of these les
sons, Irrespective OF the condition Of the
fire department. Is the matter of over
head wires. The reports of the disaster
agree In the conclusion that the nremen
and volunteer rescuers were greatly ham
pered in their work Of saving the IN
mates Of the Citizens bank building and
that several Of those who persisted might
have been saved had II not been for the
mass Of wires which lined the open sides
of the four-storv building. The tangled
mass prevented the raising of the ladders
which were Mt the disposal OF the fro
fightsrs and many of the inlprisOn ID
persons In the upper stories Of the build
ing called in vain for succor. II seems
likely that extention ladders with me-
chanical lengthening devices might have
been raised in spite Of the mass Of wires
but It still Is certain that the work Of
the firemen would have been impeded
even then. Granted that the hremen had
been equipped with the most up-to-date
apparatus in the matter of ladders IA nd
Ne are not acquainted with the condition
Of the 81. Johnsbury Department. they
would have yet been woefuly handi-
capped by the wires. So. therefore, the
lesson to be learned IL that overhea nd
wires are both n nuisance and menace
70 life. The only solution is the elimina-
ton Of the overhead wires on the bust
ness streets by s,ringinE them in under
ground cables or by taking them of the
business streets except where absolutely
necessary.
Another lesson Is the absolute neces-
rity for the equipment OF a FIRE de-
ment with hrenets and the proper drill
Of the fremep in the use of the nets.
This lesson presupposes, of course, that
as many as possible Of the overhead
wires have been eliminated. thus enab-
ling the flrenen to use the lifenets. II
the wires were still there the lifeneis
would be Of little. or no. value. since
tho bodies OF those who jumped from
tho buildings would be diverted in their
fall by striking the wires and the posi-
ton Of the lfenets could not be shifted
rapidly enough to receive the flying bod
les in their new courses. So the elmina-
ton OF overhead wires md the use of
lifenets are dependent upon each other.
A third lessen was the apparent made
quacy Of the fire escapes on tho Citizens
bank building. II we are rightly In
formed. there was only one hre escape
that on the rear OF the structure. and
80 placed In relation to the elevator
shaft that when the fire leaped up the
elevator shaft II effectually cut off the
approach to the escape. One fire eescape
thus placed, was not enough for build
ing which housed from twenty to thirty
people IN its third and fourth stories
DO we need any greater warning thar
this that the state OF Vermont was ex-
actly right when II demanded a shor,
time ago that all public buildings more
than single story high shall be equipped
with "suitable" hre escapes. accessible
from each room Of such building above
| the first story" unless the States attor-
| ney shall deem 1t unnecessary? Withou,
knowing the sentiment in st. Johnsbury
we can state authoritatively that own.
ers of public buildings in several large
| e WINS and cities Of Vernon; have shirk-
ed their legal and moral duty in this
respect until their action has become
shameful and worthy OF no further i'm,
munity from the penalties of the law.
These are few of the lessons which
stand out prominently In the considcra
ton OF one OF Vermonts worst fire dis
asters as regards the number OF live,
lost. Whether there are any purel,
| local lessons TO be learned therefrom
st. Johnsbury people are themselves tn.
best judges, but those outin ed above ar,
applicable to any town or city as larg,
as st. Johnsbury.