THE FIRE ESCAPE. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 157, 31 December 1898, Page 6

THE FIRE ESCAPE. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir — Numerous suggestions having been made re means of escape from fire in large buildings, I claim your indulgence to yen tilate my plan. For ornamental purpose, a cornice or moulding runs round the buildings generally, about 3ft below the windows on every story. That projection could be made say 18in or 2ft, being abundance ol room for any one to stand upon. Then there should be an iron bar running the whole length of the building, and projecting from the wall about 6m below tlie window. By getting out of the window on to the projection, there being solid standing room and something for the bands to grip, an escapee could travel to safety. A better plan, but more expensive, would be- to let stanchions into the cornice, and a top bar, the rest being trellis work— p iQ nly of scope for ornamentation. It would look like a series of balconies to each story. Say, under every sixth window there lays a light but fclrong ladder, hooked at both ends, so that in the excitement no mistake could be made, let the ladder be only long enough to reach the next cornice below, and so on to v the ground Ladies and children, without the use of the ladder, would be perfectly safe until assistance came, as they could lie down. Of course, it would be imperative that full instructions should be placarded prominently in each room of every hotel and boardmg-house. Thanking you, sir, in anticipation, — E am, etc., F.S. Wellington, 30th December, 1898.