St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-04-13
Public Discussion.
Fire Escapes on Public Buildings and
Fire Protection for Schools.

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In the CALIFORNIAN of March 18th
| there appeared a most commendable
| editorial concerning the attitude of our
townspeople toward the subject of better
equipment and more efficient service in
our fire department. Also, in his timely
and convincing letter of March 30th, Mr.
Charles w. Steele emphasized the need of
better fire equipment, not only for its
ultimate commercial advantage to our
town but also from the standpoint of
| better protection to human life. AIDE
quate means of escape from burning
buildings are no less important than
competent service and suitable equip
nent in the fire department.
| Under the chapter on Preservation OF
Public Health our state laws give specific
| direction for suitable fire escapes on ho-
| tells, public halls and places of amuse
ment, and forbid the obstruction of their
/ aisles and passageways. The law also
| makes definite provision for fire escapes
| on factories, mills and workshops. 1t is
/ a striking fact that in this connection
! the law makes no mention of hospitals,
] churches, school buildings and apart
ment houses. The state board OF health
is directed to issue to local boards of
health, when necessary, such regulations
regarding the inspection of churches,
schoolhouses and places of public resort,
for the purpose of securing the safety of
persons attending the same, as said
board may deem necessary, but there
are no definite directions nor specihca-
! lions to indicate what these regulations
| should be. This portion of our statutes
seems to be in great need of revision.
The subject of adequate fire escapes on
/ the outside of school buildings demands
special consideration, and it is tor the
purpose of calling particular attention
to that need that this article is written.
Adults may use their discretion in select
ing their home or places of employment
or IN patronizing hotels or places of
amusement where there might be danger
in case of fire, but httles children are en-
| tirely dependent upon the wisdom and
| conscience OF those who have them in
| charge. For this reason, extraordinary
care should be exercised in providing for
their protection and safety. The causes
| of fire are often obscure; and however
| great the precaution taken, danger is al
| ways present. When any community
neglects to provide adequate fire escapes
on the outside of school buildings, it can
not be truthfully said that even ordinary
| precaution has been taken. If we will
/ consider some of the conditions existing
where school fires have occurred and
compare these conditions with those in
/
conclude that our escape thus far has
| been due to merciful Providence rather
| than to our own precaution.
On February Goth, 1907, there occurr-
| ed in Montreal school fire so shocking
| ly disastrous that 16 little children be-
tween the ages of three and seven years
were suffocated. Their teacher, Miss
| Maxwell, after most heroic effort to
save their lives. persisted with them.
The fire started in the basement and
| burned up through the hall with such
amazing rapidity that nearly half of the
children (about 70 of the youngest ones)
were shut off in the second story. There
were no fire escapes. The smoke prevent
| ed the children from going down the
| stairs and no other way of escape was
| possible.
For the purpose of this article, the
| horrible details of the hopeless struggle
against sufocation, of these helpless
| little ones, need not be published.
During the investigation after the fire,
some OF those who were interviewed ex-
pressed the following opinions:
| Captain Corson, whose fire station
| was within 500 yards of the school
| building. said: 'We got on the scene
few minutes after the alarm was given
almost before the gong had stopped ring
ing, and | am sure that if there had been
| proper hre escapes we could have saved
every teacher and child"
Chief Benoit said: Had there been fire
escapes on both sides of the building,
| there would not have been life lost, be-
cause these active youngsters could have
run down them much easier than man
could" Other officers of the fire brigade
| were equally indignant at the absence of
| fire escapes. In making out his report,
| the medical inspector of schools wrote
| opposite the space marked Fire pro-
| lection, Nothing of any kind"
| While it may not be said that our
schools are entirely without fire protec-
| ton. it is serious fact that in case of
any considerable fire, such protection as
we have must prove utterly inadequate.
| That there is urgent need of fire escapes
| on the outside of the Union School build
| ings the following description of their
condition will show.
| In the north building on Summer
| street, the staircases are built directly
| over the basement stairs. There is no
| central hall connecting the front and
back halls, and no exit from the back
hall except down to the basement, from-
which there is no outside exit. Let us
| not be deluded into false sense of secur-
ity by the suggestion that these back
stairs could be considered a means of
escape in time of fire. 1t is quite prob
able that they would prove to be a
death trap rather than a fire escape.
The front staircases have each two land
ings. On the landing there is a half-win-
dow which cannot be opened. In des-
cending these winding stairs, FIVE turns
must be made before reaching the street
The foot of these stairs is almost directly
| opposite the door leading out from the
frst-hoor classroom. In case of emer-
gency, two lines of children facing oppo-
site directions must try. to pass out
through the same front door.
In the south building the conditions
are somewhat less dangerous. There is
a central hall and a corridor about so
feet long leading from the foot of the
back stairs out to the front door, but