New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-27

table. and under il was a mass OF clip
pings from very light and inAammable
material These men were inveterate
cigarette smokers. and the fire probably
started either from lighted cigarette or
q match dropped by one of them.
II am convinced of this by my exam
ination and by the testimony of several
witnesses I have examined. Besides
this. I have been through the three
floors below the ones burned. and which
were occupied by a firm in the same
business i found on those floors any
quantity of cigarette stumps and
matches and many empty cigarette
boxes.
Delay in Sending Alarm.
Highly infammable material was
piled all over the room. and when once
the fire started it gained Roadway so
rapidly that it could not be checked
But in spite of the great danger that
any one could recognize. the alarm was
not turned in at once. There have been
dozen small blazes in the factory
within the last few months. and they
tried 10 put out the fire themselves be-
fore they turned in the alarm.
There is no law TO prevent smoking
in such places. but the proprietors gen.
orally make their own rules. l under
stand that there were rules here against
smoking. but they were probably about
as well enforced as such rules generally
are And when il came TO those fellows
trying TO put out the fire themselves
they had the same success that gener-
ally follows such an attempt. II was
impossible for them 10 control fire In
such material as filled the place 1t got
away from them in five minutes. and the
terrible loss of life followed
The fire chief was greatly agitated by
the long fight and the experiences Of
Saturday night. and he continued with
q bitter arraignment Of the FIRE and
building laws Of the city.
Il have predicted just such an occur
renee" he said. and the only wonder
IS that It did not take place before. I
want 10 predict right now that unless
radical measures are taken TO install
fire escapes in buildings rated as fire.
proof. where large numbers Of employees
are at work, New York will witness a
much more serious disaster than that at
Washington Place and Greene street on
Saturday afternoon.
Too Many Have Jurisdiction.
six departments of the city govern
ment have jurisdiction as TO the order
ing Of fire escapes in buildings. They
are the Buildings Department. the Ten
ement House Commission. State Depart
ment of Labor. Department of Water
Supply. Gas and Electricity the Police
Department and the Department of
Health.
The department that is vitality inter-
ested in this question. the Fire Depart
ment, can make, recommendations. but
they are generally disregarded. 1t should
be given u the Fire Department to or
der fire escapes on all such buildings /
where large numbers of men and /
women are employed. The only fire es- |
care in this building was eighteen inches !
wide. and It buckled and was worthless I
after the heat touched H.
Il have always contended and recon- |
mended that all buildings. whether rated |
as freproof or not. he equipped with a |
large balcony, extending across the out
SIDE Of the building with two commodi- |
Gus stairways leading from the balcony !
u the street. The stairways should be !
q sufficient breadth 10 accommodate at !
least two persons walking side BY side. |
and should be provided with handrails.
Workers Should Be Safe.
It seems 70 me that the poor man or
woman who goes into loft building 10 |
earn his or her bread and butter is en-
titled IN protection from being roasted |
alive Their bread and butter depends |
uron their labor. On the other hand. ,
YOU NAV 90 70 q theatre for amusement [
and find every reasonable safeguard |
thrown about you against fire. Exits
are provided and sprinkiers put ont the
fire az soon a : il is discovered. almost.
Another thing--our large Office build
irgs should have fire escapes. Some day
we will have a repetition Of this latest
experience and ! am afraid the death
l!st will be larger.
When Borough President McAreny
he'd an once in the Park Row Building
vas called into two conferences IN his
ofice 70 discuss the building laws OF the
city They said thev wanted me 70 give
them some practical suggestions for
changes n the laws Once I vas in
vted 70 dinner az Mr. NcAnenys house,
but big FIRE came along and I couldn't
g.
When J vent down 70 his office !
found Z lot OF architects there. and Pu-
do!ph Miller or somebody in the Bureau
OF Buildings was there found that
everybody opposed nv recommendations
! stood all alone in my recommended lions
for safeguards They al talked about
the city beautiful and how the beauties
% the architecture would be spoiled
CITY Beautiful" All re Heard
y wanted outside Ate escapes and one
tor every six windows But all heard
vas the city beautiful objected. also
70 skYscrapers II is Impossible TO fight
ere in buildings twenty and thirty stor-
ies high, and there IS no chance at all
20 save people who set caught in them
and have no hope but in jumping
The life nets will not hold at such
height The bodies 60 through them
u is impossible 10 hold the net or for
the ne. to hold the body when the body
shoots down 125 feet Four or FIVE
stories vre hut yvh1r, the a II &c fvo,,, G.,