Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-24
FIRE SAFEGUARDS
AT D. c. JAIL URGED
Peak Says Smoke Would
Make Unlocking Upper Tier
Cells Hard Job.

In the event of fire in the District
JAN, such as snuffed out the lives OF
319 convicts IN the Ohio Penitentiary,
at Columbus. the lives of 500 men would
depend upon the resourcefulnes OF a
small group of guards, who would have
to unlock more than hundred ndl-
vidual cells.
Inquiry at the jail today disclosed
that prisoners lodged in cells on upper
tiers would have no hope for escape IN
the event of fire, except as guards fought
their way through smoke and unlocked
each cell.
The fire hazard at the jail is not
great, Col. William l.. Peak. the super
intendent said, but in the event OF f1re
the danger from suffocation would be
great, In dense smoke, which tnevi-
tably gathers under ceilings and presses
downward as it displaces colder air, the
task of unlocking cells along the upper
tiers would be formidable undertake
ing. Col. Peak said.
blankets are stored in the jail In sum-
mer in rooms not frequently visited.
Fire resulting from spontaneous COM
bustion, accident, careleSSness or IN
cendiarism would send dense smoke
billowing along the cell tiers extending
north and south on four floors.
Only two sets of keys are available
for each block of cells, one set in OPP
Grafton and one for emergency.
Urges Automatic Cell Locks.
Col. Peak said today that in the last
few months there has been talk OF IN
staIling automatic fire alarm systems IN
the Jail and other District buildings.
He advocates the installation Of an au-
tomato cell lock system, by which
guard could stand at the entrance TO
a tier and with one. simple movement
spring the locks on every cell in the
block. He said today he thought the
disaster at Columbus would center at
tention on suggestions made LOT I'M
provements here.
"Some additional safety devices are
absolutely necessary" he said, II the
lives of prisoners are to be sateguaroeo
in any possible contingency:
"It would be fairly easy for guard
70 hold his breath long enough, even IN
dense smoke, to dash to the entrance
to q cell block and swing lever that
would release every prisoner in the
block" Col. Peak said. Heavy smoke
suffocates in very few minutes. 1mag-
inc the anguish If a guard had. to ngnt
his way to each cell, especially along
the upper tiers, where the smoke gain
GTS nTSt. III WOulo UC ulPOooADAO w SF~~~
all the cells In time
fire was discovered in a storeroom
on the fourth floor of the jail at one
time three years ago, Col. Peak recalled.
Policemen Modified.
eve realized then that suffocation
presented the gravest danger. The nre
was soon under control, but dense smoke
gathered to a depth Of 10 feet under
the ceiling. We did two things stimuli
taneously-put in a call for every avail
able policeman and detective in WASH
ington and ordered the prisoners re-
leased from the upper cell tiers into the
rotunda, on the first floor"
Policemen were marShaled because
there was no place to take prisoners ex-
cept outside to uninclosed yards. ANY
disturbance of serious proportions ne
cessitating an emptying OF the jail
would bring into being ring OF steel
about the brownstone building.
1--WE have never had fire drills among
the prisoners" Col. Peak said, "but the
guards are instructed what to do. OF
course The building is practically FIRE
proof, but Improvements are absolutely
necessary.
"We must have a new Jail or mod
ernie the north and south wings.
These two wings ought to be torn down
and modern cell blocks fitted with au-
tomato locking devices erected. The
cells In these wings are dark and open
into the block instead Of toward the
light"
Overcrowded conditions are not in
evidence at the Jail, Col. Peak said.
About 500 prisoners were quartered
there today in accommodations that
may be made to care for 600.
One Of the needs made more pro-
nounced by the architecture OF the cells
Is fresh air, he said.