The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-27
FIND TIE MURpERERs.

A most searching and thorough investigation
of the disaster Of Washington Place, New York,
In which almost one hundred and nfty-terror
stricken and hystericaI men. women and girls
met most awful death. should be made by the
authorities In the metropolis Blame should be
fixed upon the responsible persons, and common
surate sentences imposed
Seldom has the nation been Mortified by such
an appalling recital as that which came out of
New York Saturday night For twenty minutes
or more tens OF thousands of persons, unable to
give aid, witnessed sickening and heart-rend-
ing shower OF human bodies to the cruel flag,
stones and pavements piled high with the
stilied forms of those who preferred the risk of
leaping eighty and a hundred feet to earth to
what they thought was the certainty of crema
ton.
The most appalling sentence in the entire re-
citaI was, There no fire escapes These
hundreds of working girls were trapped like
rats. There adequate means Of escape
from q building which, by reason of its construc-
walls, was predestined to Just such a fate as has
been reported.
Investigation has shown that the fire escape
law was nominally complied with by the owners
OF the building. There was one narrow, rusty
and rickety fre-escape on the building. To use
1t, however, it would have been necessary to open
i window. step out on the sill, close the iron
shutter, and then get on the fre-escape In the
panic which followed the ear-piercing and ter
rifying cry of "Fire,'' it could not have been
pected that the frenzied prisoners would have
stopped to do all these things 10 escape. They
heard the cry, saw the flames, and rushed to the
windows. Below they saw so-called safety nets
and horse-blankets held open to receive them
They plunged downward TO certain death, Tor
their bodies revoved in the air and they fell far
from the safety devioes and rescuers or. strik
Ing the nets and blankets, ripped them in twain
and continued their fatal dive to the street.
Some one is Responsible for this revolving trag
ady. which has cost many lives and saddened
such great number of homes II Is the duty OF
the grand jurors OF New York to make rigor
ons inquisiton and determine where the respon
sibility rests. that the gaiit} men may
he punished.
II has been discovered that 40 less than $500
other hundred-foot high factories and mills in
New York wherein labor for the scantiest OF
wages hundreds of poor girls. upon whom fami-
lies are dependent. disaster similar TO that
OF Washington Place is likely to occur any day.
ND is a humane duty upon the officials of New
York to demand the immediate installation OF
70 IF
these buildings, and, II necessary, business
| should be suspended in all Of the establishments
until the structures changed from death
traps to safe places for work.
Il The defense in this instance and others will be
Tint q freescape was provided This is not suf-
sNcienf. The fre-escape laws of New York and
sevsry other community should demand adequate
facilities for deliverance from cremation on
deafh In human shower.
This tragedy will doubtless cause discussion Of
~ 6reescape laws In every community In the
1Atfed 6tates. and should result in some radical
1haness throughout the cities of the country. III
r. psrficniarly gratifying to learn that the Are
Il M Laws are complied with in Richmond. and
tAese u Httie danger Of such catastrophe
IS ~ factories y she capital eisy. but