Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1911-05-06
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON


1t took the loss of life in the Col
lingsWood school conflagration to call
attention to properly safeguarding
the children of America, the lroquois
theatre with the loss, by fire and 9th
er causes in the destruction OF the
building, of 800 lives to arouse atten-
ton along the line OF better pFotec-
ton for cur theatres, and the burn
ing of the wing of the New York Cap
ital at Albany entailing loss of sew
EN- millions of dollars, to arouse the
country to the need of reaSCnla
fire protection i'm public office BIZ
ings to life and valuable papers. T
country is aroused ON this latter
point as 1T has not been In its history,
and the Public Buildings and Grounds
Committee of the House, of which
Representative Shepherd of Texas, is
Chairman, lis entrusted with the very
responsible task of making a thoro
Inquiry into the condition Of the pub
Lie buildings of the United States as
regards fire. The committee appoint
ed TO have immediate charge of this
work consists Of Representatives Can
trill. Ashbrook, Rodenbery, ToWmer,
French and Nelson. This committee
proposes to make thorough investi-
CATION in the first place of all the of
flee buildings of Washington. In
these buildings many thousands of
men and women are employed i'm cler
ical work, and papers and documents
are stored the value of which cannot
be expressed In dollars, and the loss
of which would work irreparable in
jury upon the country. 1t is known
that in some of the buildings very UNI
satisfactory conditions exist and have
existed for many years; other build
ings are known to be practically proof
against fire. 1t has just been recalled
that within very recent years not less
than six fires have ccdried in Ike
UNITED States Capitol itself In 1887
a fire occurred in the south end of |
the Capitol Building, which required |
the Fire Department more than two |
hours to subdue; in 1891 another fire |
IN the south wing requiring nearly an
hour to put out; i'm 1892 a third fire
n the south wing of the Budding,
which required more than two hours
20 extinguish, in 1894 a fire occurred |
N the Senate wing of the Capitol
Building, which required nearly one
1our to put out, and in 1897 a Sec
ond fire occurred in the Senate wing,
which was put out in less time. The
most disastrous of fires in recent
years in the Capitol occurred i'm 1898 |
under the Supreme Court chamber. 1t
required five hours to extinguish this
tire, and the loss amounted to more
han $31 100000. 1t is not known what
he total loss amounted to that result
I'd from all the comflagrations mem
Toned, but the numerous fires that
nave occurred and the valuable prop
critics in all the various government
buildings suggest that this committee
las most important task ahead of
t. The work of this committee will
lot be of the heroic kind that will
ltuact the attention of the world,
nut it will be of the kind that in the
great long run may mean the saving
IT many lives and millions of dollars
worth of property, for it lis proposed
o bring out of the Investigation that
now under way better conditions
or the caring for the valuable paper
nd records of the Government, and
hat which DIS of vastly more import
nee, the safeguarding of the lives
[ the men and women who are EN-. |
loyed in the numerous offices. !