Fire escapes

to be used from without, consist either of simple ladders kept at convenient stations, or a series of ladders that can be joined together; of poles. with baskets attached; of ropes with weights at one end, that they may be thrown into windows; of combinations of ladders, ropes, bags, baskets, nets, ete. In most large American cities, fire escapes consisting of iron stairways or ladders are required by law to be constructed on all high buildings.