, 1874-03-09
TIE EIRE ORDINANCE,

THE FIRE ORDINANCE
4 syBtem Of compulsory chimuey-swooping, as
proposed In an ordinance now In tho hnndB OF a
Council committee, can only bo advocated by
tlloao who would increase tho hordo of public |
parasites already 80 groat az to be barely endur-
ablo by this tax-riddon community. ANY ordi-
nnnco requiring moroly that chimnoys without |
discrimination should to cleaned at. .statod inter
vala is not only MI act Of nagrant injustice to |
housoholdors, but one that will fail to diminish
smoke from most bituminous coala will form
such deposit OF SCOT In fucs that 1t may ignite,
under certain atmospheric aud other conditions,
at my time and simple bruahing-out onco a
year will not pcrcoptibly diminish the number Of
" "chimneys on fro" (2.) Tho accrotious or SCOT
from tho combustion Of anthracite coals, which
form the fuel for moro than haf of oil the CHM
noys in Chlcago, cannot 10 mado to burn. It
Bad to DO impossible to got the inside OF o duo
on fro whore thls fuel only Ia in uso. What lit
Ito SCOT there Is from hard coal forms powder
almost impalpablo that drops Of lis own nature
to tho bottom of tho chimney whom cold, whore,
IN tho form Of fne ashes, 1t can be le-
moved at tho lowest aperture without other
trouble. In tho anthracite regions Of Eastern
Pennsylvania. whoro no other fuel Is uHod, tho
cloauing OF 4 chimney by brushing out it's cptiro
length is unknown. It is this unequaled quality
Of cleanliness TINT l1as givon this coal It's rank Us
the ploasantest fuel oil over tho world. a. Wood
Is now SO little usod as fuol In Chicago that Its
consideration, in this connection, is not impor-
taut Its SCOT ls not inla1nmabe, and it is rarely
that tho stacks Of planning mills or chimnoys
whore wood is used tako nro.
The greatest danger III chmneys ID in tho too
commonly defective methods Of their coustruc-
tion, which no sweeping cau avert. flue built
too small for tho smoke it is Designed to tako OF
may cause fire by becoming oyorhcated, while
ono too largo (Which, howoyor, is seldom tho
caso), by rotartling the upward movement Of tho
smolso with itB suspended Hoot, causes 30 largo
an accrotion that When iguitod 1t will burn long
and dangerously. For now buildings, there
should bo law enforcing the construction Of
independent fuea,-i. e., each Aue to run direct
to tho roof without othor inlot thau from ono
fire. Tho expense OF this system will not seem
onorous when tho great safety it gives, and tic
taken into account.
Tho old system Of inspection by firo.wardena
will give ample protection against " "chimnoy8
on lro," if honestly administered, aud is MI that
should 10 required. With their power to in
spcct chimnoys at any time and enforce tho
cleaning Of those dangerously foul at nil times.
an we'll as to order the rebuilding or abandon
mcnt Of all iaproporly-construeted nues, VIC
| will hive much greater immunity from fro and
| "falao alarms " than through d inv compelling
each householder to pay au auuual tax OF 25
conts per story per fuo for socnllod cleaning, to
| 20 to Homo ward d-bummor who should be earning
| au honest living.
10 the Police Court records Of Chicago show
one instance whero builder las beou fined for
improperly constructing permanent iluo7 Is
| it probable that tho furnace which burnt tho
Congregational Church, or tho lue that
fred Farwoll Hall, would have been defectively
constructed IL tho contractors for those works
lad hal the example Of 9100 Ano before their
cyos for such criminal nogl;gence2 Let our
Council enforce tho good laws NO have rathor
than mako now ones with apparently tho sole
aim Of aquandoring the last dollar TINT our Do
pressed building interests will bear, Mayo,
Nodls last official message to tho Council be-
fore going to Europe recommended tho passage
Of 40 ordnance making compulsory tho erection
in high buildings Of fixed wator-pipcs, to helt
tho Ti,o Department in upper floors and roofs
There was not dissenting voice to the utility
efficiency, or practicablity Of this plan, but it was
kicked about from ono committee to another
and has como to naught, simply because thert
Was 10 uaouey in it.
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