New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-29
EXPERTS DISAGREE
ON FIRE HAZARDS
Kenlon and Croker Hold
Opposite Views onDepart-
ment Store Dangers.
APPLY PRESENT LAWS,
SAYS FORMER CHIEF
Too Much Special Legislation in
Code-Broad General Reguls'
lions Now Needed.

The department store as fire hazard
was the subject of discussion yesterday IN
the City Hall at the session or the STATE
Factory Investigating Commission. Ed
ward +. Croker. ex-chef. and John Ken
Ion. chief of the New York Fire Depart
ment. expressed widely divergent views on
the subject. Croker said that the depart
Inent store was not now and never had
been serious IRE risk. Chiet kehiol
said that he considered the department.
store a grave hazard.
After hearing which lasted unit! rate
in the afternoon the substance OF the evil
dencc was that theoretically the depart
ment store. especially the old style depart
ment store with central rotunda, is
grave menace, while i'm actual practice Il
fire is virtually impossible because OF the
thorough supervision over every part OF
the store during shopping hours.
"you don't want any more legislation
announced Croker sruffly; you've got too
much now. The fire aud labor laws con-
Gict and work hardships on property own
ers and business people. forcing them 70
move to Sew Jersey. What - needed IS
q, broad general law 10 the effect that all
new buildings must be OF ilrepfoo1 con-
struction: then have board Of standards
10 apply the law i'm particular instances.
EVERY fire differs from all tho rest, and
every building differs from all the rest.
You can't apply the same standards to one
building that YOU can To its neighbor'
They must be dealt with individually by a
board OF experts.
Ilf
partmcnt store any great hazard. or
course there arc q great number OF pco-
pie gathered there. but the only time we
gave them any great consideration was
around the holidays. The greatest IRE
danger I'm my opinion. is from poor IN
sulation. " hen a building is wired In the
first instance the work is supervised by
the city, but later all kinds Of unauthor-
lied repairs and additions arc made ana
the city authorities know nothing al an
about them. The amateur electrician IS
about as grave menace as the ireoug'
while | am here and talking. ! want
TO say that ! don't believe In civil ser
vice examinations for experts in fire pre-
vention. What is wanted is men of prac-
teal experience-not a lot Of clerks with
book learning.
81 certainly do consider department
stores 4 great fire hazard, declared Gle
Kenlon. There are great quantities OF
iniammable materials spread about; there
are large areas without any subdivisions
and there are enormous crowds. However
I am pleased to tell YOU that we nave
never had. In my experience depart
ment store fire i'm the daytime. This is
largely due 30 the great care exercised
by the management Of the stores. the
local brigades are very active. and may
extngush many incipient fires that the
department never gets.
Croker, Kenlon and former Deputy
Chief Guerin all testified to the value OF
sprinklcrs and the evils of revolving
doors Chief Kenlon said that had there
been sprinklers in the Triangle waist
factory not life would have been lost
The purpose of the inquiry is 10 de-