The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-26
District Attorney Whitman
Will Act al Once In
Sitting the Facts.
OFFICIAL NEGLECT PROBE
Chief Croker Says He Foresaw
Some Such Disaster Il His
Complaints Unheeded.

whitman Ilurrics tO the Fire al Once
| and Croker Immediately Talks 10
! Ilinn Of the Conditions That Permit
such . Fire Buildings Not Death
Proof Even n They Arc Called Fire
! proof Coroner Holt zi,auscr Calls ~.
tcntIon 10 the Onc Fire Escape on the
| building Croker Tells Reporters Of
| Ills Efforts In vain TO Get Proper
| Fire Escapcs-Thc Building and It's
Owncrs-Thc Omcial ln>estisntien.
An immediate result OF yesterdays
disaster will be Grand Jury investiga.
tion of the safety Of all loft and Office build.
inys. The Grand Jury will inquire first
as to whether such buildings conform
! to tho law in the matter Of fire prevention.
fire control construction and fire escapes
second. as to who shall be held responsible
provided the law has been disregarded
in any of these essentials
Chief Croker put this matter squarely
up to District Attorney Whitman last
evening in the first words he said to the
District Attorney after that official got
to Washington place and Greene street
Croker called Judge Whitman to one side
and told him that the situation called for
prompt action.
Il predicted" said Chief Croker. that
this thing would happen and tell you.
Judge. il will huppon again II such so
called freproof buildings as this aren't
J made actually SAFE
Cro,ser waved his hand toward squads
Of firemen that were busy lowering bodies
from the eighth ninth and tenth 6ooes
to the sidewalk
Look at that" said the Chief. There's
the natural result OF permitting 1000 girls
10 wedge themselves into q place that
isn't provided with fire escapes. I have
talked and talked and talked about this
matter. and now see what We have got
Ii sickens q man.
They call such buildings as that
Greproof They aren't fireproof they
merely burn slow They are so built that
combustion is slow and the firemen have
n chance to save property; but how about
the lives? They aren't death proof, but
they could be made 30 with proper super
vision and obedience to such laws as we
have"
p Chief Croker Sold the District Attorney
that he has been trying for years to get
authority for the Fire Department to
control all matters with reference to
fire escapes He said the law should
I give the Fire Department that authority
4 because fire escapes are used not only
for escape but for fighting fires
, 1t should be borne in mind" said the
o Chief to Judge Whitman. that while
' many buildings are fireproof in theory
their contents are not. Therefore hrs
escapes should also be required on fire.
= proof buildings except when provided
4 with enclosed Hreproof stairways."
K District Attorney Whitman was At his
e home in the Hotel lroquos. in West Forty
8 fourth street near Sixth avenue. when
q he was called up on the telephone and told
- how bad things were in Washington
I Square. Judge Whitman hustled down
Il stairs. jumped into taxicab and sped
t down Fifth avenue with the right of way
over unofficial vehicles
There were no indications in crowded
: lower Fifth avenue OF what had occurred
!. a few blocks away. The fire. which in
6 itself had never amounted to much. was
g under control and no smoke rose from the
: east side OF Washington Square, People
v were striding homeward from work
and the trolley cars were shooting along
Eighth street. But when the District
u Attorney 8 utomoble wheeled around the
!. Washington Arch and curved toward
d the east something Of tho extent OF the
l. disaster unfolded itself
"a The east side OF the park was senti-
e nelled solidly with mounted policemen.
% against whose horses thousands OF people
X pressed. There was no noise except the
r sputtering Of dozen fire engines in WASH
le ington place and Greene street. no con-
ID fusion. no aimless running about Of speo-
'e tators. The first thing Judge Whitman
I. observed was the police control OF the
situation. Besides the mounted men that
k drew Gordon Of cavalry around the dis
% triot Deputy Commissioner Drisooli and
=, Inspector Sohmittberger had i60 foot men
ps who kept elbow room for the firemen and
I'd repelled the curious.
n. A few smoke wreaths curled upward
TO from under the cornioe OF the ten story
r. factory building from which the bodies
N were being removed, Chief Croker 3 fire.
men were swarming all over the block
I'd climbing up and down the face OF the
1t building. lifting bodies out Of the windows
carrying objects that had been covered
. ...;ah Aarnaulins aOrOsa the All and law