The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-28
Suggestions Considered by
Village Commissioners
Concerning Lookup
ANOTHER EXIT
is NECESSARY
Building To Be Used on Elliot Street
Is Fire Trap-WilI Be Ready for
Occupancy Soon - Emergency Key
Probably Will Be Provided.

Contractor George Crol and force of
men are engaged in the work of trans
forming the east half of what formerly
was used as the house for storing the
ladder truck into quarters for the new
village lookup. w f Stellman has all
the material for the construction of the
steel cells and corridors here and it will
not be long before the unfortInates who
tail INTO the clutches of the law will he
provided with more humane quarters for
their safe keeping temporarily than has
fallen to the lot of their predecessors for
many years
The fact that this time is not far in adj
vance has caused interest to be taken in
the alterations now in progress This in
terest has developed the fact that. so far
as Is apparent now, no preparations have
been made for a second possible exit from
the building in the event of fire.
W lth its four stories at the rear and
only one on Elliot street, where the en-
trance to the building is located the most
tiattering thing that it is possible to say
OF the old wooden building is that it is a
fire trap. With human beings confined in
steel cages inside and only one exit there
are possible conditions under which no
human power could rescue them
Ladders are always a possibility as aids
to the work of reseue from windows. but
with the ladder truck stored in the same
| building ON the same floor with the cells
a long time would be lost in waiting for
a team of horses from a livery stable and
still more time in dragging it around the
block to the rear of the building and vet
more in raising ladder if there is one in
the department that would reach the win
dows
Under the conditions there is no an
swer TO the demand for safety first" but
that some other means for effecting am es-
| cape from the building after it is put into
use a village Lookup must be provided
| The commissioners have considered the
necessity for some suitable firt. escape that
would lead from another exit, and it is
| probable that before the victims of the
| laws mighty arm are incarcerated in this
| building all reasonable precautions will
/ be taken.
| The police force of Brattleboro is not
over numerous and both men on duty at
night might he remote from the lookup
| III the event of fire starting on one of
! the lower floors. Even with ample means
| of egress, steel cells and strong locks
would prove serious obstacles to tiremen' 5
axes in the matter Of a hurried rescue
| An extra key should be left somewhere
not where anyone might bring about
wholesale lookup delivery, but where
someone in authority might release unfor-
tunates in an emergency. The fire sta
tion, where men are always on duty, is
| almost directly across the street, and
many regard that as the proper place for
a spare key to be left.
All of these suggestions have been con
sidered in some degree by the village com
missioners, but now that the work is
started and the new lookup is thing of
| the near future and an improvement that
| the village must pay for, it is Just as well
| that the humanitarian side of the ques-
tion be thoroughly covered once and for
all time