New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-29
NEED OF AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER
Such Devices Would Have Avertcd the
Washington Place Horror

To tho Editor Of Tho Tribune
s,r. Numerous asinine suggestions for
the improvement Of factory and other
buildings in New York city have appeared
in the public prints since the Asch Building
holocaust Of last Saturday afternoon.
Several things must he taken into account
when rushing into print by means Of let
tiers to the editor. BY the constant appli-
cation If tho golden rule. 2. keep down
the cost-condi,ions have been created I'm
brick and stone and iron and steel in this
city which cannot he overlooked nor now
changed n any apprecable extent Build
ings yet TO go up may he controlled and
safety provisions may be required, but
those that are already up constitute the
factories We have 10 deal with The high
value Of their floor space precludes the pos
siolity If ordering and enforcing their re-
construction so as ~ make these ancient
buildings conform to modern ideas OF
"fireproof' and .deathproof construction.
The various forms Of protection must then
ho relied upon.
The Asch Building had iron stairways: il
had iron shutters at the windows which
opened opposite other buildings or courts
although these shutters prevented almost
which hung outside: IT was equipped with
standpipe AMI fire hose; it had an auto
matte fire alarm; fire pals were located
here and there, and yet all these failed
most iGnominiously when they were nut 10
the supreme test. The one additional ap-
pliance which would have held the fire and
saved the lives Of the girls was absent, viz.
automatic sprinklers.
There has been a cowardv nsnuation
that tho recent order Of Fire Commissioner
Waldo as to automatic sprinklers was in
spirod by the promise Of financial reward
from the concerns selling sprinkler in.
stallations. DO not all kinds OF equipment
have 10 he sold by somebody. pray?
The automatic sprinkler would have let
loose sufficient volume of water at exact
iy the right point To have reached the fire
on that cutters table at just tho right time
There would. of course have been no such
showing up Of the other lnef1lciencies of the
building as We have now before us but
there would also have been no loss of life
The proprictcrs Of tho building say they
would have been willing 10 make other Inn
prolcments had they been suggested. but
there are thousands of factory owners in
New York City who will never make a sin
gle improvement until they are forced 10.
For that reason tho order by Commissioner
Waldo should be supported and extended
10 cover all places where employees are
crowded into narrow quarters The sprink-
lei Will do more to save life and property
from fire damage in any building frame or
i'reproof. than any other known device on
tho market to-day.
Some sprinkler OPT oncnt will answer
that they do not work" half the time
when needed They will always respond
promptly when properly cared for. and
they need no moro care than any other
form Of fire protective device. The prop
erty owners who do nothing, ever, unless
compelled nave nothing on the automatic
sprinkler.
Responsibility? Those who knew the
building and knew its occupancy ought TO
have taken into account the most danger
Gus thirC that could happen TO 1t and have
provided accordingly They should have
known that in time Of fire there would he
a panic and panic stricken employees to
reckon with. There can be no excuse that
tho building was all right under ordinary
conditions There are no ordinary condi-
tons I'm time OF fire Conditions become
extraordinary at once and fire escape
that would require three hours To empty
the three floors is worse than none. be
cause some might foolishly rely upon IT,
None OF us expect that any one Will he
made 10 suffer any serious penalty on ac-
count of this fire There is no excuse
however. for not taking immediate steps
10 protect other factories by means Of
automatic sprinkers NJ A. BROOKS
Managing Editor THE Weekly Under.
writer"
New York, March q igit