Imperial Valley press., 1913-10-31

cade, the service does not seem in
adequate. In St ePtersburg, man is
kept stationed in d tower in the city
hall to watch for fire. When he sees
one he run up black balls upon a
pole if it is daylight If it is dark
he runs up lighted lanterns. The
Russian fird protection and also their
preventive pleasures have until re-
Gently beenrgreatly inferior to those
of the rest ST Europe. In 1906, they
were reorga ized Since then train
ing school 4or fire chiefs has been
established in St. Petersburg which
is model of its kind The students
are supported by the government and
given a high-grade technical instruc-
tion in everything pertaining to the
cause of fires, as we'll as the methods
of extinguishing them and of rescuing
victims A part Of the duties of these
chiefs is to consist of the inspection
of buildings with view to determin-
ing their fire hazard. Such school
has lately been established in New
York under the direction of the fire
prevention bureau and the example
set by Russia in this respect is likely
to be followed extensively in other
countries.
The matter of fire protection must
rest largely with individual citizens IN
every country. 1t is impossible for
the best organized companies to save
all the lives in a panic-stricken crowd,
or to protect property from destruc-
tion when the flames are once well
under way. The establishment of fire
drills in all buildings in which a NUM-
ber of persons are congregated is a
protective measure not to be over
looked. 1t is obligatory now in most
of the public schools of this country,
and is in general use in all large fac
tories and work rooms. 1t is not al
ways satisfactory however. A room
full of small school children may be
thrown into confusion in a drill BY
the prank of a mischevious boy, and
even in large crowd of adults some
one is likely to upset the uniformity
of the drill. Consequently while it's
value as a protective measure is not
disputed, the drill can never be any
thing more than an adjunct to the
protection afforded by a properly or
ganized fire department.
Several fire chiefs have called at
tention lately to the awful fire menace
Of large department store. Ere
quently as many as 5000 shoppers
will be congregated in such an estab-
lishment Most of them are women
and there is no means by which they
can be drilled. No matter what pains
have been taken to protect the en-
ployees of a store, no adequate means
have been devised by which the throng
of shoppers could all be safely got out
of great store if a fire should hap
pen to break out upon bargain day.
No such calamity has yet happened,
but the owners of stores are keenly
alive to the possibility of it. The pro-
tections provided to meet such an
emergency are becoming more COM
plete each year, and yet in the opin-
ion of one of the most experienced
fire chiefs in the country they cannot
be equal to the need.
One Of the most efficient means of
fire protection is the rigid inspection
of buildings, and the enforcement of
every measure calculated to limit the
difficulties of escape if a fire occurs.
The laws for the erection of factory
buildings in several of the states re-
quire the construction of stairways
entirely of fireproof material which
cen be entered from every floor and
he shut off from the fire by means of
fireproof doors. These stairs really
form a sort of tower entirely separate
from the building which may be built
around it. A large factory in Phila-
delphia provided with such stair
way was recently demolished by fire.
Every one Of the 300 girl workers
employed easily made her way down
as the tight fireproof doors prevented
even smoke from penetrating to the
stairway. After the fire the stair
tower stood intact in the midst of the
ruins.