Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-28
ENRAGED CITIZENS
Demanding DEATH
PROOF BUILDINGS
As Result of Washington Place
Disaster Rigid Investiga-
ton Has Been Set on Foot
Ey Officials

ings~ bids fair 10 become a municipei
SLOGAN in the uany-sided ways OF inves-
tigation now under way here as a result
of the washington Place IRE disaster
Of Saturday afternoon in which nearly l'o
persons lost their lives
The slogan was coined BY Fire CHER
Croker as summing ur his recommenda-
ssons for the future. The entire nation
liz declared, win learn lesson from
Saturdays IRE such as It has learned
only twice OF late years-once when
the CoIlingswood disaster taught the
necessity OF adequate are protection IN
school BUILDINGS and again when the Iro-
quo5s sheater nre taught the same lesson
for thesters-
CROKERS Recommendations
FIRE Chief Croker-s recommendation Is;
The city beautiful is less vital than
the city safe he said
Let Us see first OF ali that our people
live and work under adequate protection
Tor their lives and persons.
Il would have IRE escape, landings ex-
tending all along the outside OF every
ONCE loft or factory building 1 would
also have the balcony landings built
wide enough for two persons 10 pass IN
safety without crOwding-
Next let us have all inside stairways
fncIosed II a hreproOf partition Never
allow an exit door 10 be blockedf ana
make the IRE escape windows open 10
me floor level. like a door Protect each
moor with all available automatic safe
b. devices and spTinklers. LAST. but not
least, make IRE drills al frequent inter
walls compulsory IN all factories iode-
ing houses and Institutions
WOMEN TO INVESTIGATE.
The Woman's Trade Union league an
nouuced the beginning Of an investiga-
ton which is expected TO embrace every
factory in New York city where union
labor Is employed. All union workers
piu be asked 10 write out confidential
answers to the following questions;
DO you work in fire-trapZ'
Are the doors locked while you workZ
Are there bars on the windowsT'
Are there IRE escapes on all fioorsg
Are the escapes readily accessibleT'
Are scraps or waste allowed TO &C
emulate near the motors or steam
plant7+
HEIGHT LIMIT PROPOSED.
The limiting OF the height OF all build
ings ard even the tearing down OF ex-
fsring skyscrapers is recommended by
Theeders - Price. a prominent IRE i'm
sur@nce man. The height OF every build
nj should Be governed ne says by the
character Of It's occupancy. -Four or tive
stories should be the legal maximum
where manufacturing or industrial pur-
suits are followed
a IRE In the financial district could.
IN a small radius. wipe out all the avail
able FIRE insurance capital in the United
States" said Mr. Price.
BODIES IDENTIFIED.
sfrhty-six bodies Of the 141 victims Of
- lnft building
on washington place Saturday night
have been identified. Sixteen OF the
bodies ere men There are IL injured
in the hospitals
District Attorney Whitman started an
official Investigation TO-DAY to fix the
responsibility for the horror. No ar
rests have been considered by the dis
tSrt attorney OF any person In connec-
ton with the fire and none viii be
made until the facts disclosed in the
investigation give sufficient evidence for
taking this action
Fire Marshal Beers began his Off
T. al investigation today IL is now def
fniteIy known that the fire started on
IN, eL,sa.a floor OF the building near
window al The northeast corner. The
fire began under a cutting table in a
scrap heap and is now thought to have
T. en- started By cigarette.
CROWDS VIEW BODIES.
Crowds assembled today ar the porgue
10 view tae bodies. Sc in all A~least
half OF e corpses were unacceptable
and only small trinket. a shred OF
clothing viii help 10 show who the I'M
fortunte was Some OF these bodies
probably viii never be claimed The
victims. living alone In furnished rooms
or little flats may have had no friends
and few cauaintan -es-
rE~N-w TnORE TO(xKEn
Managers OF the Triangle Waist COM
pany. which occupied the burned floors.
deny today that the iron doors leading
to the elevators and stairs were locked
The fact that there was only one fire
escape Oh the building will come in for
a careful investigation TO determine
what city official is to blame
Progress has been made by public and
civic organizations toward offering re-
lief TO those who have suffered as a re-
suit OF the fire. The first contribution
in this movement was made by Mayor
caynor. who headed the list with 800
and made an appeal to thu citizens Of
the city for q relief fund J Industrial
organizations. theaters and civic bodies
have s4so set in motion plans for sup
plementing the fund. Fire Chief Croker
said today:
4 do not hesitate TO say that a more
and big stores is likely 10 come upon
New York at any moment because Of the
Lack or safeguards"
Fire Marshal Beers summoned the pro-
prgetors Of the Triangle Waist company
and several employees Of the firm to testi-
~ at the public investigation he insti-
tuted today.
SO far as I have been able to dis
cover said MIR. Beers. there has never
been fire drill in this factory. In my
opinion il would take the 200 girls three
hours 10 reach the street by the fire
escape that was used in tho bufnding.
can say that the shutters INSTRUCTED
this Ere escape
There are a thousand other buildings
in this city in the same condition as
tic scene Of Saturdays disaster Nine
tenths OF the employees cannot read Eng
fish. yet I could not find sign in the
Yiddish or Italian tongues. which most
Of the employees spoke. pointing out fire
exits
District Attorney Whitman said today
thar, according TO the state labor laws
the responsibility for the disaster lies
with the state department Of labor The
Building vas inspected by the department
q month ago.
New Rural Pnufe