The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-08-20
Building Regulations in Paris.

| The Paris correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune writes: Safety in large city from
small or great fires must begin in the con-
struction of the buildings. 1t Is to this
point that the ordinances of the cities OF
the Old World are directed. and no one
thinks of violating them. Take for exam
ole the way building is done in Paris,
where one can reside for months and
scarcely hear an alarm of fire, much less
see cOnflagratiOn.
Ifthe owner of lot determines to im-
prove it, he makes his plans, or ha- his
architect, as here, make them for him. He
must then submit them. with specitica-
tions, to the proper department of the
Government. If the location of any fiue,
or any of the materials proposed to be
used, or any defect in any part of the plan,
would be likely to cause fire, an order is
made to change the plan or the materials
so as to insure the greatest possible safety.
Then, rs the building progresses, a Gov
ernment Inspector visits it constantly, with
specifications in hand, and no sighting
on the part of owners or contractors Is tol-
Grated for a moment. These regulations
have been in force for generations. Kings,
Emperors and the Republic alike enforce
them. Hence, when the Commune held
Paris for weeks, nobody feared they would
burn it down. The little they did burn
they were obliged TO saturate with petro-
leum before they could effect their pur-
pose, and then the fire went out.
When a fire occurs there, both owner
and tenant are held to a strict accountable
ity for damages. They must show that
they are not directly or indirectly TespOn-
,ible for it. Moreover, the owner is liable
to parties on either side of him if they are
damaged by fire originating on his prem
i>eS. Hence, each owner lnsureS not only
his own bulldi lg, but the one on each side
Ofhim. This is no great hardship, for tie
cost of insurance where such care Is eXer-
ciSed in the construction of buildings Is
merely a nominal sum. Weare quite sure
there is more capital repl esented and more
business done Ill insurance i'll single
block on La Sale street than i'll all Paris.
There was probably more loss in this city
last Tuesday than Paris has suffered by
fires mot started by the Commune or by
mObs) in the present century. Hence our
last and future great fires-and it is im-
possible for us as the city is now built TO
escape several of them-muSt be charged
to our own reckless folly.
With the exception of the wooden build
ings and shanties erected contrary to law
olllCe Jut great HIt vi 1911. CHICdSO mist
take the chances on the immense number
of fire-traps now in the city but there
will never be better time to begin to build
on the Paris plan than the present. Grad
ually the city would then approach a con-
ditiOn of comparative safety. I'm the mean-
time, it should do the best it can to guard
against future fires. Make the fire limits
the boundary of the city; establish a
broad avenue around the main business
section; make water cOnduits from the
river on either side for half a mile; reOr-
ganize and strengthen the fire department ;
in fact. do everything that can be done to
put out the fires where they are sure TO Oc-
cur; but let us profit by the experience of
European cities, and build in the future so
that in a generation or two Chicago will be
as secure against fire as Paris, Rome, Ber
lin or Vienna.