Inferno! Fourteen Tragedies of Our Time

by Hal Butler

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0880294590
• ISBN13: 9780880294591
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Dorset Press
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Famous Fiery Tragedies

Inferno!, by Hal Butler Probably nothing creates more fear than an uncontrolled fire (`Introduction'). This 1975 book tells about the fourteen major fires that occurred in North America from 1871 to 1958. Effective building and fire codes has reduced these tragedies, but not eliminated them. Fires can create a tragedy wherever people congregate in large numbers. That is why there are fire drills in schools and offices, and warnings in theaters. You can find books on many of these tragedies for more details. Some of these tragedies could have been moderated by the application of new fire laws to old public buildings. Chapter 1 tells about the Great Chicago Fire in October 1871. Almost all of the buildings were built of wood in this rapidly growing city. The drought and heat of summer was unusual. Buildings along the river prevented access to fire engines. Then a fire started in the O'Leary barn (p.6). A strong wind spread burning embers. The fire destroyed 18,000 buildings (p.14). But the people of Chicago quickly recovered. More people were killed in the tiny lumbering village of Peshtigo Wisconsin that same week (Chapter 2). Superheated air killed and burned (p.20). Forty other towns were destroyed or damaged (p.30). The worst theater fire in American history occurred in Chicago's Iroquois Theater in December 1903 (Chapter 3). It had no sprinkler system (p.34). The fire created horrors (p.42). Twelve people were indicted for manslaughter (p.43), they had no excuse (p.44). This led to new laws all across the nation to make theaters safer (p.47). On a warm day in June 1904 members of a church went on an excursion to Long Island (Chapter 4). After leaving the pier a fire broke out in a storage compartment (p.51). The Captain made a mistake (p.53). Safety equipment was useless (p.55). The paddle wheels killed some who jumped overboard, others drowned. Four hundred perished when the upper deck collapsed (p.59). Eleven were charged with manslaughter for the 1,030 deaths, but only the Captain was tried and convicted (p.66). Chapter 5 tells about the earthquake and fire in April 1906 San Francisco. This most destructive earthquake destroyed property , the greatest fire in the history of this country burned the remains. The failed private water company was replaced by a municipal water system (p.82). Chapter 6 tells about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of March 1911. The disregard for safety rules and inadequate fire exits doomed 145 people, many were forced by the flames to jump from the 8th floor. Manufacturers opposed a sprinkler system and fire exits (p.95). New legislation improved factory working conditions everywhere. In December 1917 a French munitions ship loaded with 5,000 tons of TNT collided with another ship in 1917 Halifax (Chapter 7). The terrible blast destroyed people and homes (p.101). A wave surged into the city to kill more (p.102). Fires erupted from the destroyed buildings (p.104). The official statistics said 1,600 killed