New-York tribune., 1911-04-20
PROTECTION IMPOSSIBLE?
No Immediate Remedy in Case OF
Fire, Expert Says.
BUILDINGS roo CROWDED
H.F. J. Porter Adds His Opinion
to Predictions That More DIS
asters Are to Come.


The preliminary work OF some Oh INV
per;s who will make up permanent h'""
attached TO the now Committee on oa'''s
Of The city OF New York has ALREADY r.
yesled "A condition Of absolute lack OF aue-
ouato fire protection in factories and 'ot'
buildings throughout the city more star''
ling than was predicted by the most rau'-
cal persons following the Washington PIa'e
fire. The dangerous situation Is in'ensi"'"
by the fact, ms II appears IN 'he op'''o"
OF at least ono Of the experts. VINO mas
made a thorough study OF The SUBJECT u
Ere prevention In all It's various phases ior
q number Of years. that there IS n" I''''i'e
dste remedy for prevailing cono'to"s.
Under tho present physical consuGc'lo"
Of such buildings. If only the oeSt type o'
them is considered. II simply means 'h'
destruction Of certain number ~ 'he
workers IN every place whenever theFe -
a bad fire until complete reNo'uuoh oi
huildirs construction can be accon'phsheu
20 cope with the conditions OF conses''o
occupancy which have been allowed 10 ue-
velop unheoded during tho last te" years
1T Is not q matter OF compulsory Hre
drills or fro escapes. or other emergency
measures" said II. 7. J. Porter yesterday
1T means such radical changes IN buidihs
construction that they are by no means
feasible and practically Impossible in me
majority of the buildings as they stand
to-day
Mr.. Porter has been IN earnest advocate
Of tho corlpulsory>nrc drill az the most ei-
flcient means 10 save human life m factoy
fires and he has installed such dflIis III
hundreds Of factories in this city ana other
cities during the last few years. since the
Washington Place fire more than nun
dred local manufacturers. many OF Who'u
are proprietors OF loft factories similar 70
ths. of the Triangle Waist Company, have
urged him 10 install fire drills IN men
plants.
'T have found upon Investigation In
nearly every one Of these cases said MI
Porter that an efficient fire drill cannot
be Installed either In the individual plants
or throughout the building as whole. rs
&c necessary In mos, instances. 1t is an
impossible engineering or physical feat 80
empty these buildings by a drll, on account
Of the utter lack Of adequate stairways
and exits IN proportion 10 the number OF
persons employed on the various hoors'
Furthermore, il IL not possible 20 have the
number of desired exits constructed. evon
n the owner is willing 10 do So in propor-
tion to the excessive number Of workers on
a floor.
III you can't empty these buildings bv
systematic fire drill the bald and painful
fact remains that they cannot be empued
at all That means the fate II large
number OF workers Is clearly foretold IN
case OF bad fire. The general growth "f
congested conditions in ;hc city has simply
run far ahead Of reason and safety and IS
as applicable 10 the place where the work
ers are employed as anywhere else II IL
high time the manufacturers were moSine
into the small towns. where safe conditions
Cor their employees could be obtained They
feel that they have a right TO remain in
the city and subject the lives Of their work
crs to inevitable destruction in these lofts
and high buildings. but such lessons as can
be drawn from the Washington Place hre
and others which are bound TO follow
should clearly define their rights IN this
respect and convince any fair minded man
that 10 Law divine or human. will counte-
nance such conditions.
Legislation which would mean the ma
teriaI reduction Of the number OF employees
allowed to work on any one floor OF loft
or factory building, or. stIl better, law
which would prohibit the employment OF
any large number Of girls or men above
three or four floors from the street. he sUS-
gested as the best ultimate remedy.
Having in mind the uncertainty of always
getting Tie legislation needed. Mr.. Porter
also suggested that a solid fire wall might
be constructed from cellar to roof. or per-
haps two such walls. which would greatly
enhance the element OF fire protection.
These walls would run up through the
building. dividing the lofts into two or
three rooms, connected with fire doors,
through which the employees might pass in
good order IL they were drilled for fire, and
get safely down through another part OF
the building before the fire could reach
them.
This would mean big item in building
construction. Mr.. Porter said. and probably
would not meet with favor from the ma
jorty OF owners Of such buildings. 1t
would bs a comparatively small under
taking though in the course of construct
ing a new building.