New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-11
INVITING DISASTER
Attempts to Batter Down Safeyu,,,
Against Another Triangle Fir.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.


the Triangle fire by threatening to t,.-
into the discard practically all the Law,
acted 70 eliminate as far az possible the -.
tinuance Of conditions which would ps,.,,
recurrence OF such a casualty Yet M,
lust what was begun last week and ba. -
kept M ever since.
When the Triangle holocaust occurred u.
most careful investigation into the A..
hazard in factory buildings ever made -,
prosecuted throughout The state. and Ia,
which we're enacted upon its findings T,,'
established on 90 scientific and firm a h,,.
that not only were they regarded as perm,
nent in this state, but other states h,-.
adopted them, and the principles involved =,
recognized as standard the world over.
And yet the Legislature has attacked ,r.
tically every safeguard which these Ia,
have raised. and when 10 seems SO II Il eo,ll
not be eliminated altogether every efort =,
been made 70 lower 10 % such level tina.
no longer would serve az safeguard. n,
law actually proposed 20 eliminate New Ys,,
City altogether from the operation o. n
safeguards affecting the safety and health ],
factory operatives.
The fact IL that when, as in this nstar,
engineers. after careful study and analv,,
Of problem, lay down a definite line Of ma.
cedure to meet effectively q concrete copS.
ton. il the method advocated 81 20 succeed
must be adhered 10 closely; but when Dol.
ticans begin 70 modify the method 10 az.
isfy this or that interest which is being A.
fected, result is attained which only ,j5,
expense without accomplishing the end a.
sired.
The principles advocated we're as sin,l.
as they were new. They we're 70 make N
factories safe for their occupancy By ei.hs,
% reducing the number o. employees on IA.
floor 20 meet the capacity Of the exit taeg.
ties or ~ increasing the capacity Of u,
exit facilities % accommodate the number d
employees on the floor. This was termed -,
occupancy law
With regard TO the capacity Of exit fsei.
ties IL was shown that q stairway vi;,
enough 10 permit two people 70 70 dow,
abreast e., forty-four inches wide-vo,y
accommodate just twenty people per fiji,
and therefore only that number could occu,y
a floor for each such exit facility proyia.l
In order 10 relieve the effect or such a trsS
tic limitation OF the occupancy Of factor
buildings A new device was projected, Wh,,
offered safety 70 as many people as voui
ever be required 10 be accommodated on en-,
of their floors. This was the horizontal q.
cape" by means OF FIRE wall. developing 4,
same principal as that involved N the water
tight bulkhead OF an ocean steamer. Shout
fire take place in one section Of the build.
! ing its occupants would have merely to pass
/ through the doorway in the FIRE wall into he
adjoining section, close the hreproof door
after them as barrier 20 the FIRE, and thsy
would find themselves in what would be prs:.
tically another building in which there
would be no fire and where they would b
perfectly safe.
1t was very clearly demonstrated that this
constituted the only practical method o,
making high loft buildings safe for the large
numbers necessary 20 be accommodated On
every floor. Il was shown also that this
method offered the only means Of safeguard.
ing the lives Of people in department si0ra
and in such institutional buildings as hosp.
tails, asylums, homes for the aged and mira
the blind, the Imbec.e. etc, where the To-.
mates are practically helpless, and thereisH
unable to escape without assistance.
No sooner, however, had this new puneps
been evolved and injected into the stslaH
than the owners Of buildings, thinking thai
they would be put to considerable expense 70
make their buildings safe By its adoption,
began 10 demur and 20 offer every obstrse.
tion to the passage Of the laws as Originally
proposed. They were altered and distorted,
until finally when they were placed upon the
books they resulted in allowing the buiidin.
owner 10 invest his money in all sorts o.
alternative measures, which cost more money
and did not accomplish the result originally
intended.
For instance. smoke proof towers we're e.
couraged, and during the last two years hua'
dreds Of these monstrosities have teen tackled
on to buildings These are never used in or
binary service, would fail and be a source
of danger in emergency in high buildings,
and not only cost a great deal Of money 70
erect, but are a continuing source OF si'
pense, as they occupy valuable rentabls ares.
Then sprinkler systems were ordered
These do not always operate as expected for
Of the many working parts of which they are
composed there are almost always sone
which are out Of order. They never goFA
till fire has gained considerable hesdvsy'
and meanwhile the occupants OF the building
have attempted TO make their escape BY 10
inadequate exits. he sprinkler does n''
put out the fire till there has been consider
able heat, gases and SMOKE generated, whs'
may sutfocate the people before they can ~
cape, and would at all events cause psni.
among them. These are only examples o.
what was done at the time
In this present attack upon these avs
there Is a determined effort 10 ehminsa
from their enforcement buildings from iE'
TO five stories in height, such as exist In TOO
older portions of this city. For ins2nes'
there IS a law to eliminate from these ouha.
ngs the installation Of fire alarm systems
they have a sprinkler system, or at the ep'
ton Of the Fire Commissioner, no matter
how many hundred people might occupy tie
upper floors
II Is proposed also 20 allow an increase o,
the occupancy of floor 100 per cen. beyoi'
the capacity Of the exit facilities If there .
"a sprinkler system.
As these laws SO far nave operated sslg
tactorly when properly interpreted, It VIZ
be unfortunate n they are altered IN NI
way now, or until they have been very care
fully tested by the lapse OF a reasonso..'
length of time, in order 20 determine de''
nj 20 Ior