The Indianapolis journal., 1891-03-21


1t provides that if solid buttresses are en-
ployed with a sectional area of 800 or more
square inches not less than eighteen feet
apart, four inches may bo deducted from the
thickness of the walls. Walls in buildings
over five stories high must be increased
four inches for the sixth and seventh and
four inches for each additional story.
1T WAS NEVER ENFORCED.
The ordinance contained provisions re-
quiring fire-walls. solid cornices. nine
inches of brick inclosiDg fues, sufficient
support for ioists and girders and ample
exits for theaters. halls, schools. churches
and factories In fact. it contained every.
requirement that could be devised to insure
safe and reliable buildings. The great
weakness of the ordinance was that it pro-
vided no special means for it's enforce
ment. no system of building inspection.
The architects thought this was beyond
their province and left it for the Council to
devise. The Council passed the ordinance
practically as it was drawn up by the
architects and it has remained dead let
ter ever since. The only way to en-
force it Is by indicting those who
violate 1t, and, as this is every body's busi-
ness. nobody does it. The only thing like
building inspection in Indianapolis is the
work the chief of the fire department does.
He views all new buildings and some old
ones. and notes their facilities for figh ting
fire. Building permits are issued at q pure
ly nominal cost, and no questions asked.
So far as known, there are only two copies
of this ordinance in existence. Nobody
knows just what it's provisions are and an
examination of the structures that have
been erected since its passage would demon
strate the fact that nobody cares.
The new charter, In very general terms
gives the Council power to regulate the
construction and inspection of buildings,
and among the duties assigned to the De-
partment of Public Safety is that of the
inspection of buildings. Under these pro-
visions the Council may create the Office of
inspector of buildings and give him as
many deputies as 1t may deem necessary:
but. as the work would come in the Depart
ment of Public Safety, that board would
make the appointment and be responsible
for the execution of the ordinance. 1T is
q matter of deep regret" said Adolph
Scherrer. architect, member Of the Board of
Public Works. and one of the trainers of
the ordinance, that the building law has
not been enforced. indianapolis Is just
entering upon new era of building. and
it would not surprise me if the retail busi-
ness portion of the city was almost en-
tirely rebuilt within the next twenty years.
The public safety demands that every
building should be honestly con-
structed, and to insure this we need
q rigid system of inspection. In
this respect Indianapolis is fifty years
behind the times. In all the Western cities
the work OF regulating the construction of
new buildings is considered one of the most
important functions of municipal govern
ment. Then our ire limit should be es.
tablished anew. 1t zig-zags all over town.
and has so many queer crooks and turns
that In some places it is possible to con-
struct frame bullulng in a thickly built
business section. And we should not only
forbid the construction Of new frame build
ings within these limits. but the mainte-
nance of old ones as well. A fire. trap Is
worse when it is old than when it is new.n
SYSTEM OF INSPECTION NEEDED.
after all our work on that building or
dinance." said James B. Lizius, with a
regretful smile, lit has not amour ted
to q row of pins. We left it
to the city attorney and the Council to fix
the proper penalties and arrange for it's
proper enforcement. This was never done,
public sentiment died out as the Bowen
Merrill fire passed into history, and things
have been gliding along since in the same
old way, with people putting up any sort
Of building they please. Ii the Council
takes mp the subject again. there are some
minor particular in which the ordinan CO
should be amended, but the great point is
to have it enforced. and the experience of
all other cities has shown that the only
way to do this is by complete system Of
inspection"
Yes; have some pretty emphatic ideas
on the subject" said Sterling r.. Holt.
chairman of tho Board of Public Safety.
Every body knows that the old
ordinance is violated every day; it is
impossible to enforce it without men who
know something about building for in
spectors. / am in favor of a complete sys-
tenn of rigid inspection. If the Council
passes new building ordinance and pro-
vides rs with the means it will be rigidly
enforced"
As everybody understands, the weakness
of the present ordinance lies in the fact
that 1T does not provide for inspection or
for system of fees for building permits
that would sustain q force of inspectors.
In both Kansas City and Omaha the office
of building Inspector is second in lmpor-
tance only to that of city engineer 1t is
always filled by competent builder, and
he usually has from two to five inspectors
whose business 1t Is to not only closely
watch the construction of new buildings.
but to periodically inspect all the old ones
in the city and condemn any structure az
soon as 1t becomes unsafe. And there no
building stands after it 10 condemned, un-
less it Is possible to so repair il as to make
it SAFE If so, this is ordered done at once;
If not. the building must come down at
once. They have graded scale Of fees. A
permit for q structure to cost 81 100 or less
costs Sl0 with an additional dollar for