FIRE AND WATER ENGINEERING
It will be noticed that the distinguishing feature of the Long Beach hotel fire was the total lack of fire protection. The building was of frame. There was no firefighting equipment. There was no pretence at a private fire brigade or any fire drill among the employes. Water also was lacking, although, with the ocean to draw from, by means of a fire pump tank, hydrants and hose, there should have been no need of complaint on that score. The proprietary of the hotel must have had unlimited faith in the protective power of Providence. But, where all necessary and perfectly possible human precautions are not taken, Providence does not undertake to work miracles—on behalf of the hotelkeeper.
Chat Coney Island suffered as it did from last Sunday’s fire was due not to any want of ability on the side of the fire department or to any lack of fire-protective equipment—as was the case on previous occasions, but simply to the fact of a huge collection of frame buildings erected on no system, but, as it were, chucked on the ground anyhow, so long as they were money-getters. Now well-defined reports have it that, on account of the owners of the ground being unwilling to grant long leases these shacks are to be lebuilt as they were before the fire—if possible, rushed up so as to do duty before the present season comes to an end. That is to court a repetition of the disaster—not improbably on a lai gvr scale, with loss of life added as on a former occasion. Surely there should be some authority somewhere, either in the city hall or in the hands of the State at Albany to put an immediate stopper on such an insane project.
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