Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
Detroit's Death Tran.

Thorough Investigation" into the
circumstances Of the holocaust ct De-
troit has been promised by the city
authorities, In accordance with the
usual rule In such cases, the rule that
requires the post-tragedy ascertainment
Of fAets that should have been known
before the happening. Four different
city departments are affected by this
inquiry, which Is designed TO disclose
the conditions In which Q cabaret was
burned with the destruction Of q score
Of lives. These are the police depart
ment, which granted the restaurant
license to the promoter Of the establish
nnent: the recreation department. which
granted the license for dancing: the
building department, which approved
the permit for the remodeling Of the
place when 1t was opened last year,
and the fire commission, which per-
mitted the building TO open after It's
investigation was supposed to have
proved that the place was safe.
It would seem from all descriptions
of the establishment that it was about
as unsafe O place Of public assemblage
and entertainment as could possibly be
imagined. The means Of exit were
totally inadequate in the event OF 0
sudden general movement for the
doors. There were no fire escapes. The
materials Of construction were highly
infiammable and the decorations were
especially 80, consisting Of flimsy mate
rails coated with wax to cause them
to glisten. The windows were boarded
up to prevent daylight from entering 30
as to heighten the illusion Of night
life" within. It has been indicated that
the electric wiring was defective and
that for some time previous to the
catastrophe smoke. or rather an odor
Of burning insulation, filled the place,
indicating that there was q slow burn
Ing of the conducting cord.
This place had been In operation for
q number Of months without any inter-
ference by the police on the score OF
the safety Of the establishment. None
OF the city departments appear to have
made o sufficiently thorough inveSti-
CATION of the enterprise and the
premises. Naturally the suspicion arises
that there was some influential ''rea-
son" for such immunity from super.
vision ana check. Now, with at the
latest count nineteen dead and thirteen
others likely to die from the hideous
happening Of early Friday morning,
everybody In Detroit wants to know
why the law and the regulations were
50 slighted.
Responsibility for such hideous occur.
rences rests squarely upon the NUM-
cipal authorities allowing the main
tenance of places Of public resort and
entertainment under license in which
conditions are permitted that would not
be tolerated elsewhere. There are thou
sands Of these night clubs In operation
in this country at present, many Of
them in transformed dwelling houses.
Most Of them are more or less beyond
the line of legality Of procedure and
operation, being resorts Of q shady
character, where lawbreaking Is com.
man-places, indeed, maintained for
the very purpose OF lawbreaking. Prob
ably the majority Of them are fire-
traps just like that in Detroit. If the
ordinary rules Of safety were enforced
by city governments, there would be no
difhculty whatever about closing these
dens Of death.