Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-30
A MENACE TO LIFE
Architect Declares Fire Es-
CapeS a Positive Peril.
CHANGE IN LAW SOUGHT
Favors Fireproof Buildings and
High Pressure Service.
OPPOSITION BY BUILDERS
Will Not Equip Their Buildings Ac-
cording to Regulations With
out Fight.
CHANGE IN LAW SOUGHT

The firse escape as now constructed
Is menace. 1t is useless in big FIRE
because of the uncertainty of the human
element. 1t is delusion and q snare,
and l can prove by statistics that it is
one of the worst things in a fire. The
only safety lies in constructing absolute
ly fireproof buildings in the first place.
and having adequate fire-fghting facili-
ties, notably a high-pressure service
This is what Commissioner Rudolph
heard today in an interview with T.
r. schneider. an architect, who is ac-
lively opposing certain portions Of the
escapes on fireproo ap1 hotels and eq sparts
ments. Mr.. Schneider called on the
Commissioner to acquaint him with the
movement to amend the present law
and apartment buildings need not be
equipped with fire escapes.
Morris Hacker, building inspector. is
strongly in favor of having f1reproof
apartments and hotels retain their
present status, SO far as the fire es-
cape law Is concerned.
For a New Law.
There is strong move on foot"
said Mr. Schneider, Ito pass a new fire
escape law. 1t will allow a builder to
erect a freproof hotel or apartment, and
not be required 10 hang fire escapes
on the outside.
The bill has already been in Con-
gress: it has passed the Senate once
In the House. There was opposition
to 1t, but the very men who opposed IT
are the legislators who are opposing
the high pressure fire-fighting service
which the District has wanted for
long time.
II have been studying fires and fire
escapes and firepfoof buildings for
years. I have had reports from every
big fire that has occurred anywhere.
have found that many of the &C
counts of fireproof constructions burn
ing down have been inaccurate. mas
much as the buildings were not actual
ly f1reproof. The District building
regulations outline what a really fire.
steel. concrete or something like that,
with no wood at all except the doors
and trim and floors.
Some Have Fire Escapes.
Il am not speaking of old ramshackle
buildings already erected. nor have any
thing to do with the factory problem. 1
am speaking entirely of buildings to be
erected in the future. There are already
in Washington. l should say, about sixty
tireproof buildings, in the way Of hotels.
apartments. etc. On a few Of these the
District authorities have forced the build
ers to erect fire escapes, because they
would not issue building permits without
that promise. On the others fire escapes
have not been erected and will not be
without big fight.
In the first place. the fire escape as
now constructed is frightfully dangerous.
1t rusts away within a few years. There
IS never enough supervision provided to
inspect them as to safety. l have records
Of many a fire where the escape broke
down with the weight of people crowding
on it. 1 have seen fire escapes patched
with rope. Chief Croker said after the
Triangle Waist Company fire the other
utility. and l will go further and say
that it is a menace. Chief Croker at
one time was heartily in favor Of fire
escapes.
Another point against a fire escape.
on tall building is that there are few
persons who can climb down a fire es-
cape from a great height. They get
dizzy and fall. The only remedy is to
erect more fireproof buildings. If the
regulations required that all apartment
houses should be actually fireproof there
life by fire."
Make Police More Efficient.
Maj Sylvester. superintendent of po-
lice said today that he had directed that
the officers and privates in the police de-
partment familiarize themselves with the
tails. passageways. courts and means of
entrance and exit at all apartment houses,
large buildings and factories. With such
In lod0 in their u0SseS9iOn tho s1nor-