Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-22
Compulsory
Measures.

Compulsory pulsory fire drill to as
rr. certain If building can
1Ne"SuAoS. be emptied within safe
time period, and power on the part of
the authorities to compel such structural
facilities as may be needed. The fire
drill is compelled by law in the factories
of Pennsylvania and in the public schools
of most of the states. Two fires in New
York public schools a few weeks after
the great shirt waist factory fire dem
onstrated how easily 700 or 500 school
children could be gotten out Of build
ing when the fire drill and proper exit
facilities were provided. During the past
summer some Investigations ofrsthe fire
escape facilities have shown that in many
factories they would be insufficient to
accommodate fraction of the people
employed in the building.
In New Jersey the commission on labor
recently called together a number of
structural iron manufacturers to deter
mine the best means of providing fire
escapes for factories and high buildings.
1t was agreed that the drop ladders are
unsafe and not to be relied upon for a
rush of people. AS a result of this con-
ference there are a number of forms of
balanced stairs provided on New Jersey
factories that seem to meet the demand
for safety. They have straight run
The lower balcony is connected with the
ground by means of balance stairs. In
the investigation of factory equipments
in New York during the summer it has
been found that the great majority of
fire escapes are provided with drop lad
der arrangement that Is from fifteen to
twenty-five feet short OF reaching the
ground. There Is little doubt, however,
that this matter will be speedily correct
ed, since public sentiment is fully arous-
ed upon the subject
The ideal fire escape for large buildings
is known as the Philadelphia fire tower
This is a tower
Inside Tower inside the build
Ideal Fire Escape. o. s, othar s -. eS
material approved by the building in
floor by fireproof doors and will stand
intact even if the building around it is
burned to the ground. The Pennsylva-
MIA law requires these towers In factory
buildings three or more stories high, hav-
ing a floor space of 5000 square feet, and
in stores above two stories high having
1000 square feet of floor space
II has been proved absolutely that there
is no IRE apparatus In the world capable
of effectively fighting fire above the sew
enth story, or 1S5 feet. The Triangle
shirt waist factory fire started upon the
ninth floor. Consequently no help could
be given by the fire department When
the public Is fully aware OF the danger
of factories In modern buildings. w..icn
may extend as high as twenty stories
more stringent fire precaution regulations
will be enforced.
The automatic sprinkler. which is so
much In use in New England factories
is an effective means OF fire fighting and
could be Installed In every modern build
Ing 1t provides sprinkler in the ceiling
for every nifty or sixty square feet The
water can be turned on from these sprin-
klers by simple faucet ARRANGEMENT,
thus checking fire at its beginning. The
water supply In an ordinary building
would be adequate for this sprinkler ar
rangement. 1t Is said that the shirt waist
factory fire and the fire at the state cap
itol In Albany. N. Y, could both have
been checked at the beginning IL the
buildings had been equipped with an au-
I! tomato sprinkling device.~