New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-06

objections presented in behalf OF OWL
ers fully a year ago, the lnaus'i ial
Board of the Department OF Labor mas
adopted a rule which makes IL un-
necessary TO either remove the IRE
escapes or spend money for unneees-
sary improvements, such as wire grass
windows, new balcony stairs or counter
balanced stairs. II building has otner
satisfactory means of escape the hIe
escapes are considered superhuous eN-
its, and the Commissioner OF Laooi
withdraws orders affecting suen hre
escapes, provided they are strueturaily
safe. and provided also that at the WIN
dows leading 70 such fire escapes there
are posted proper mot an exit signs
These signs have letters eight lnches
high, with notices in English, flddlsh
and Italian, informing the occupants
that the fire escapes are for the use OF
the Fire Department only, and should
not be used either for fire drills OF III
case of fire.
Owners of buildings in general have
had the experience of erecting nfe es-
capes at the order of one department
only 10 have them later condemned Dy
another department. Such nre escapes
were too often erected with Ittle re-
gard to their being sate ana aue-
quate means OF exit. but Simply as
technical and unavoidable compliance
with some department order AS
result. when new exit STANDARDS were
adopted, or the jurisdiction over hfe
escapes changed from one department.
TO another, the fire escapes were con-
demned and the owner obliged TO make
expensive alterations OF the existing
fire escapes or provide entirely new exit
facilities. II the original nre escapes
had been designed by an engineer VINO
understood how to arrange exit laclil-
ties TO meet actual fire conditions they
would be as satisfactory to-day as
when they were first erected ana re-
gardless Of the changing Jurisdictions;
In the past owners OF buildings ana
real estate managers have been accus-
toned to intrust fire escapes entirely
TO iron contractors, who were not
structural engineers nor experts in
providing for the emergencies created
by fires. So long as the contractor
could follow the standard speciiica-
tions of the Bureau of Buildings,
which prescribed how the ordinary out
side balcony fire escape should be built,
the contractor could be sure that his
fire escape was properly designed from
the structural standpoint, but even
then he could not give any assurance
that it was a means of escape which
was effective and permanent. FIRE es-
capes in the past have generally been
looked upon as something which had to
be provided to satisfy some public de-
partment, and they were never intended
for regular use. A different state Of
affairs now exists. because fire escapes
in many cases are one of the legal
means Of exit, and they will be used
at least once month in carrying out
the fire drills required by law. This
means that such fire escapes will be
nut to an actual test frequently and
regularly, and not, as has heretofore
been the case, be used very seldom, II
at all. The fire escapes also now rep
resent special problems. because they
must be considered in connection with
the general exit facilities, and for this
reason an engineer should be employed
to study the needs of the building and
proper plans and specifications pre-
pared before contractors undertake to
execute the work.