The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-06
FACTORY DEATH TRAPS.
Wooden Stairwa.s and Obstructr d FNns
in Dow OM n New Sork.

To THE EDITOR oV THE SCN Sir. The
horrible catastrophe In Newark where over
a score OF lives were lost and many persons
injured shows how cheap human life is held
among u-. Laws are occasionally passed
for the better protection OF III" operatives
in factories. II invariably happens. how
ever. that all bettsrments for the safety OF
life neces-,sate the spending Of money on
the part OF the owners Of the factory or the
tenement an@ they. the owners would
rather risk tn. life Of n fellow being than
spend the money Sometimes there u
application to court OF Justice to compel
the owners to make improvements, but
the lawyers sometimes succeed by some
technicality III convincing the court either
that th. law is unconstitutional or that II IL
not binding. II IL only in extreme case.
that the authorities can force IN. owners
to make the improvements. and even then
they are not made with view OF safe
guarding human life bat to comply with the
form Of the law.
Such conditions a. existed in the Newark
factory prevail in thl- city 10 a great extent .
especially in the downtown manufacturing
dist ict Most Of the Factories here hay,
wooden -tairvays. often absolutely dark
Many Of the factories were formerly oc,.tI-
pied dwellings they ar. Of light con
structiOn. and should fire break Out 4,
would surely result IN : he loss Of life Every
hit Of moor space II occupied. and nfiam-
mabi- materiais are strcwn all about \
ton Of the authorities to dark stairway
TO ov~rcrow ding and Ia lack or ob-truC
~ exits som. 81 IN. abuses were reneri,sd
but not all In the new modern hrsproof
buildings the -taIrways. for economy OF
space. are mad. So crooked. marrow and
Irregular that II - almost Impossible 10 20
down them without missing the Steps and
stumbling. They are poorly lighted and
very often the door leading 10 tn. stairway
IL obsrructed. or even locked
- "a 4 Iftl m Il. g..
human life should h. made safe or ~, con-
demned by tn. authorities All wooden
, ,sn IN nn.ld,nTs whether bnilt
should b" taken oI' and Nrrprnof
staiTway- be pat IN. in t"n"mrnt. ~
buildings should he restricted to- non-hurn-
ing material industries only Al -tairways
whether IN new ar IN old buildings should
or height % III. step, b"iw."n floors, and
they should h. we'll lighted Al dnrr.
leading 10 stairway or elevators should
slide by IN" wall. should ba held CLOSED hv
a spring. and should not bc locked or Oh
4ir'ICtrd during working hours ia ,h..
buildings where troy Use elevators Ih..
people should he made to go down N ro,,vh
the -fatrway- az least oD",' arrk In the
blg loi' builHInr- II - IRE Ou,,, starts ON /,
floor Their" - nothing te stop u frou -prrad-
INK and 'au-ing great loss of money ana
very often nj human ~" \ rolling p,rti-
lion or curtain of Are resist ny mntoTi II i'm
the niddi" 81 III" hoor. or wherever CON
veni"nt. but between !NO exits Ia pa 70
leased ny u catch or hutton wound s.f a.
u means of holding baCk the FIRE ami r.-uI,
N ~ my opinion that u tho ahoy. -,iggesia,i
improvements were made there would ne,
liiil" loa- ~ life Such =uxges'ion- hos
ever. can h'' carried ont only when ~ ha
roua- tho gcberal a. veil u ~. legal ,,,,d..r
that human life H. rearrr and Tnnr.
-a"r.d than money IL seems. hosev"r
ma. ~. mhys not yes arrived az s%ch an
Ngw YORK. December s