The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-30
DEATH TRAPS
Loud Cry For Reform Follows Awful Re-
suit Of New York Fire.
VIEWING THE BODIES

"Give Us Not Merely Fire Proof, But
Death-Proof Buildings" is the Slo-
gan i'm New York-Evcry Factory
May Be MISUNDERSTANDING
the Bodies.
Eighty-six bodies of the 141 vic
tins recovered from the fire in the
ten-story loft New York building on
Washington Place Saturday have
been identified. Sixteen OF the bodies
were men. There are II injured IN
the hospitals.
District Attorney Whitman started
an official investigation Monday to
fix the responsibility for the horror.
No arrests have been considered by
him of any person in connection with
the fire and none will be made un-
til the facts disclosed give sufficient
evidence for taking this action Fire
Marshal Beers began his investiga-
tion Monday.
It is now known that the fire start
ed on the eighth floor of the building
near a window at the northeast cor
ner. 1t began under cutting table
in a scrap heap and is thought to
have been started by cigarette.
Crowds assembled at the morgue
to view the bodies, So in all. At
least half of the corpses were un
recognizable and only a small trim
ket or shred of clothing will help to
show who the unfortunate was. Some
of these bodies probably will never
be claimed. The victims, living alone
in furnished rooms CT little flats, may
have had no friends and few acquain-
tances.
Managers of the Triangle Waist
company. which occupied the burned
floors, deny that the iron doors lead
ing to the elevators and stairs were
locked. The fact that there was only
one fire escape on 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 offer
ing relief to those who have suffered
as a result of.the fire. The first con-
tribution in this movement was made
by Mayor Gaynor, who headed the
list with 500 and made an appeal to
the citizens of the city for relief
fund. Industrial organizations, the
atres and civic bodies have also set
in motion plans for supplementing
the fund. Fire Chief Croker said TO-
day:
II do not hesitate to say that a
more appalling loss Of life in office
buildings and big stores is likely to
come upon New York at any moment
because of the lack of safeguards. y
"Give us not merely fire proof. but
death proof buildings" bids fair 20
become a municipal slogan as a re-
suit of the fire disaster Of Saturday
afternoon. in which nearly $50 per-
sons lost their lives.
The slogan was coined by Fire
Chief Croker as summing up his rec
concentrations for the future. The
entire nation, he declared, will learn
a lesson from Saturdays fire such as
1t has learned only twice of late years
-once when the CollingsWood, Ohio,
disaster taught the necessity of ade-
quate fire protection in school build
ings and again when the lroquois
theatre fire in Chicago taught the
same lesson for theatres. Chief
Croker's recommendation is:
1.-THE City Beautiful" is less vital
than the City Safe.
"Let us see first Of ali that our
people live and work under adequate
protection for their lives and per-
sons.
'"I would have fire escapes landings
extending all along the outside OF
every office loft or factory building.
+ would have the balcony landings
built wide enough for two persons 10
pass in safety without crowding.
Next, let us have all inside stair
ways enclosed in fire proof partitions.
Never allow an exit door to be
blocked and make the fire escape
windows open to the floor level like
door.
protect each floor with all avail
able automatic safety devices and
srrinkles. Last, but not least, MAKE
fire drills at frequent intervals com
pulsory in all factories, lodging
houses and institutions.
The Womans Trade union all
ncunccd the beginning Of IN invest
CATION which is expected to embrace
every factory in New York city where
union labor is employed. All union
workers will be asked 10 write con
fidential answers to questions con-
cerning conditions where they toll.
The limiting Of the height Of all
buildings and even tearing down Of
existing skyscrapcrs is re commended
by Theodore II. Price. a prominent
fire insurance man. The height OF
every building should be governed,
he says, by the character OF It's Oc-
curancy. Four o. five stories should
be the lcmal maximum where mana
fartnrinU Or induStrinl nurSultS are