New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-28
EQUITABLE FIRE.
Underwriters Blame Unprotected
Floor Openings.
DELAY IN SENDING ALARM
Fire Department Praised for
Preventing Spread Of Flames
to Other Buildings.

The New York Board of Fire Underwent
.-s issued yesterday its report on the
rou,table Building fire. The chief blame
Gov this catastrophe. which cost six lives,
=. n,aced on the unprotected floor openings,
which permitted the flames, sucked up by
cha draft In the elevator shaft, TO spread
out on the upper floors, and TO the cast iron
columns supporting the floors which caused
,bsir collapse On the other hand, the I'M
dervriters think the Fire Department did
eli that could have been done under the
circumstances on this score the report
saws:
Although the Fire Department is entitled
,o the credit of having done all that Could
Re expected with the facilities available II
;s apparent that the fire. at least above
The level of the fifth floor, burned unre-
strained throughout the entire area OF the
main building
r,Gte 10 be promptly available, 1T is difficult
~ deure how such a fire. If started again
Under similar circumstances, could pe
fought with any greater effectiveness u!
tbe Fire Department when the conditions OF
UNPROTECTED floor openings, comHusuDle
material. excessive and undivided hoor
areas, high wind, freezing weather, smail
stsndpipes i'm buildings across streets anu
the reiative inefhCienCy of portable steam
engines i'm comparison with the high press
Ir4 service are taken INTO consideration.
This lire, like those m tho Parker Bulld,
ing. the Triangle shirtWaist factory am am
he ALVIN Court apartment house, calls
sttention to the inability az 2ny hre De
rartnncnt effectively 10 hight a IRE whlch
has once gained Roadway In the upper $40,
ries Of a tall building lacking such essential
fire appliances as an adequate standplpe
eouigr1cnt in conjunction with smoke PROOF
.tair towers The height Of buildings
should Re limited in proportion TO the ,s i et,
fectiveness of their fire protection II HE
and property arc to he conserved
The report briefly describes the origin OF
the fire in the timekeepers office and says
Of the DELAY in sending in an alarm:
q After the fire was discovered. about 5:ls
a m. employees stretched nose from lhe
inside standripe equipment, out on attelnr.
ing 10 use il found the hose was too snort
. considerable time was lost IN ProNidllg al
adequate length of hose pohcenan
when notified by one Of the employees or tht
cate Savsrin Investigated the fire anu al
once called to another policeman. VINO
turned in an alarm from street box NO. y,
corner Nassau and Pine streets, ~ 30
a. IN. II is estimated that approx met s,,
sixteen minutes elapsed between the ais
covery Of the fire and the receipt or the
FIRST alarm.
II Is SURPRISING according to the report
that the high buildings surrounding the
EQUITABLE on four sides across the narrow
csnvonlike streets suffered no damage
from the FIRE. The Fire Department Is
praised for it's part in this result. SAYS the
report:
It is stated that the flames At times
reached more than half the distance across
Cedar and Nassau streets. II is somewhat
remarkable that no damage was done 10y
the FIRE to the buildings across these streets
So far as can he asCcrtaned, only a few
window panes were cracked by the heat
Considerable credit Is due the Fire De-
partment for this lack of damage.
The most emphatic among the recommen-
dations Of the board is that against unpro-
tected floor openings. Stairways, elevator
shafts and wells of all descriptions, II reit'
crates, should be Enclosed with freprooi
material Restaurants in office buildings
ere considered dangerous because of the
existence of kitchens and Of large unbroker
floor areas. As for cast iron columns. they
were again shown TO be inferior to wrought
iron and steel"