The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-29
CROKER ON FIRE PREVENTION
,OrID SAVE o. AFTER or LOSS
az HE nan ms WAY.
Tr,,. legislative Comrsittre Police Pow ~
should ne Given 60 Remove Ftrr
hazards NJ Onrc M Danger of n
treat Fire sweeping New Nork tlt,

nd had for its chief witness Edward
,roker. head of the Fire Department.
VI, IN Identifying himself testified thu
... - t-en with she department twenty
."'.'u v...-s. IN which time he hcd served
y capacities
D. 'i Counsel Bruc. asked chef Croker
p ~" the comm tee the benefit of his
,..~S - To what could he don. Nv l-giS-
'.r,nn In lessen Nh" fir" waste IN New
NrN The witness plunged at once into :.
narration nf the conditions which most
torment him. saying:
Il is a part Of my duties to prevent
fires We find grea, deal 81 trouble in
cellars. especially IN tenement houses
and apartment houses They are almost
invariably filled with rubbish. II the
tenant has an old bed or an old baby car
rage or an old mattress or carpet that he
or she does not want II in piled in the
cellar. and this process goes OH by twenty.
thirty or even forty families in ten.-
ment II they want to go into their cellar
al any time Of the day or night they have
u take a light Of some description Some
times this is candle or a match. but
generally il is . rolled up newspaper
When searcher has found what he or
she wants the lighted paper is dropped
on the floor and pretty soon the Fire
Department. Is called upon to take care
Of the result. There should be- light
properly protected in every cellar. That
would be great prevention.
Chief Croker then described the con-
ditions resulting from lighted hall
ways and stairways in tenement houses.
In such too he said that in most aston
lshing number OF times a tenant entering
his domicile after dark uses the familiar
lighted newspaper torch and throws II
half extin guished on a wooden stairway.
The witness expressed himself en-
pharically in favor OF n law which would
operate to provide lighted Railways ~
we'll AZ cellars day and night IN all rene-
mcnts. The automatic sprinkler he did
not think . good substitute in all cases
The sprinkler requires a certain degree Of
heat to be brought into operation. hut.
said the chief a fire might orr gina'e under
a table or desk from which the sprinkler
would be slower to he operated upon. and
then the fire would he protected from its
operation until IL had gained such head
~ay that the sprinkling would only add
fuel 10 the flames
Tn. witness said that there was "A very
great inspection OF buildings in New
York by the Fire thc Health and III"
Tenement House departments. but they
amounted to little in Ihe matter of fire
prey cn-ion because Of rho lack of power
o. maze offenders comply with TN" Law
or remedy conditions which invited
fire. He suggested n. Law that would
give some department or bureau IL the
CT PREMISES in which conditions had
teen found which made tn. fire hazard
a. tlbiy great
II. said the " itness. the Fire Depart
nlen' had proper power under an ordi-
nanc. such as one which was brought
w fer discussion during Mayor NcClel-
ans Communication we could force offend
ing property owners TO remedy danger
Gus conditions within twenHy-four hours
after a notice
Judge Bruce ask ed how much headway
was made in getting such an ordinance
passed and the witness replied:
They just talk ed about il, that was all
In response 10 questions by Chairman
Merritt the witness said that the modern
sAyscraper was very dangerous both
10 ,hamselves and their neighbors
The Fire Department with its present
enlipment could successfully combat
a fire not over eighty-tiv feet above the
street level or about seven stories. he said
As 10 the present efficiency OF the New
York Fire Department the chief said that
j, cannot be beat in its personnel and
Its apparatus. For the purpose OF extin-
gushing fires IL In at the highest state Of
efficiency" He said. however. that he
would like 20 have few more compa-
nias-twenty or so-and 100 more men
~. g. hax ~ in |
Croker said. was most imminent in Man
haitian borough on account OF congestion.
However. said the witness. a great con-
Aagration in New York could not occur.
He based this belief not only upon IN.
efficiency Of the department but upon
IN. added aid given by the high pressure
service. which now covered most Of RI.
areas OF great " alues and great fire hazard.
Examined an To what he considered
the dangerous districts in Manhattan
the witness described them. first south
Of Chambers street. east OF Nassau street.
10 Wall street and the East River; second.
south 81 Chambers street from Wash
lngton street to the North River.
Other parts OF Manhattan which for
!nerlv the witness considered dangerous
districts had been Withdrawn from that
classification by the introduction of the
high pressure system.
o Well. IN the absence OF high pressure
are there other dangerous districts? A.
Anv FIRE ~ dangerous. But ! have always
said and say II again here publicly before
,hls committee. that have not any fear
Of any conraRr4t,G" ever visiting New
YORK
= Il It not possible that = confa grafton
IN a winters night with high gal" blowing
ugh. get beyond the control Of III" depart
r.sn'' A The department has been m
aE.-'e,cs for q great many years and
Lay" mad great many cold winter nights
and a high storm raging and n great man.
fire. IN on cold w'..fers' nights mil .,.
'a'" not had confiaRra'io ION yet
Tho witness was emphatic III his crI'!-
.-r - the laws which provide many
.ar"t Il safeguards against fires IN theatres
- -u few against the SO-"all''d work
-..'- wh'ch you get along tn" lin" 81
f't avenue now which are nothing
20. .r 'e-s than high class Sweat-hop~
.... l- very known safeguard thrown
ut The theatre TO prevent fire and
.. O. - ~ I'll AZ Of fire. but th"r. IL not
. - - attention paid TO poor man
"t- =" 20 20 his bench or maChin" IN
'..... -r lll"d sweatshOps anything -
.u,ugh for him They claim u Ia
tr"vruof building and they do not
.. l1tg fire. eSgaUss-