Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-10
BUILDING RULES
Many Important Changes Made in
Regulations
PRACTICES in 0 TIER CITIES
Research Made by the Authorities
Of the District.
OTHER DISTRICT AFFAIRS

l. IN
The new building regulations will 90 into
year, July 1 next.
Today the first proofs of the new regula-
tons were received from the District print
er. and the building committee has been
called to hear them read this afternoon by
the inspector of buildings. After the amend
ed regulations have been discussed by the
committee, and the corrections made If
any are found necessary, they will be sub
mitted to the Commissioners for their con-
sideration. AS the work Of the committee
has been very thorough. it. is not thought
the Commissioners will have anything new
to offer Upon the adoption of the regula-
tons. they will be printed in book form,
and an effort made to get them ready for
distribution and enforcement by the LIST of
July.
The new regulations are made up of the
best features of building regulations In
force In the principal cities of the world.
Several new clauses have been taken from
the regulations of Berlin.
Light and Ventilation.
A striking feature of the new regulations
Is clause concerning light and ventila-
ticn. Under the provision of this section
all new buildings are required to leave
ample space for the circulation of air and
the admission Of light. These spaces are
never to be built upon, and the committee
nope to prevent in this way the utilization
OF all building space, leaving to the oc-
cupants of crowded districts those great
requisites for health, light and air. This
regulation Is intended to apply to exist
or enlarged.
Great care is shown in the preparation of
schedule stipulating the different
strengths required for materials used in
construction CO ',1 and builders will be required
10 put down temporary floors for the pro-
lection OF Workmen. Both of these require
ments are considered noteworthy in that
heretofore the authorities had no control
ana mad no power to compel builders to
protect their workmen
ne use Of inferior materials in the erec-
I .ion OF buildings greatly affected their sta
ton Is to remedy IL is
PROJECTION to pedestrians is considered of
the utmost Importance in the regulations
and an amendment is submitted providing
that temporary structures shall be erectei
over the sidewalk when a new building is
peine erected or an old one torn down or
repaired. Ints section Is taken from the
New York regulations.
Safe Foundations Imperative.
Foundations for new buildings are treat
amendments proposed which will settle a
number Of vexed questions concerning the
depth a builder may be permitted to 20
adjoining an existing building and his liza
Dillty for the safety of the same Hereto
lore the regulations only stipulated that the
iouhoatlon shall be incombustible. Under
the new regulations the character of the
ground Is taken into consideration. and IL
the same be soft. piling will be insisted up
on to insure safe bed.
In connection with the safety clause for
the beneht of workmen, section Is added
providing that all scaffoldng must be Sc
curely put up. and with a carrying capac;ty
suihcient to support and carry safely, not
only the workmen engaged thereon, but
also the materials that are likely to be
placed thereon.
Fire Escapes on boarding Houses.
Without respect to height, all buildings
used as tenement houses. boarding houses,
colleges. seminaries. academies, hospitals,
asylums, halls and places Of amusement
shall be required to provide fire escapes
thereon. This regulation is broad in its
scope and 1t may be changed. Under its
provisions every boarding house in the CITY
must put up fire escape. 1t is well known
that there are boarding houses all over
the city, some in the very best localities,
and fire escape would greatly damage
the property as far as appearances go.
Many fires have been the result Of bad
wiring of electric wires and the new ree,-
iations regulating the introduction of cleo
trio wires in new houses are very stringent
The movement of frame dwellings within
the fire limits has been the subject of
announcer amendment, and if adopted no
frame building will in the future be al
lowed to be moved from one place to
another.
Want to Get Into Town.
Senate bill 1854, to authorize the WASH
fngton. Arlington and Falls Church rail-
road to enter the District Of Columbia,
was the subject Of a hearing before the
commissioners this morning. Messrs r.
II. Phillips, j. E. Clements and c. F. Cor
Dett appeared In the interest of the bill.
1t was represented that the road was al
ready built ard in operation between Ar
hngton, Fort Myer and the south abutment
OF the Aaueduct bridge. What the COM
pany desired was to get an entrance into
the District over the Aqueduct bridge The
company would willingly assume the en-
tire care and maintenance of the bridge.
and and would widen the roadway twenty-five
feet II the charter is granted. It was
necessary to get into the city At the pres
ent time a line of herdics was being MAIN
tanned, at considerable cost to the COM
pany and much Inconvenience to the pa
irons Of the road. The company was in
earnest, and the people of Virginia were
much interested in seeing the road pros
per BY the LIST of July the road would be
IN operation between the bridge and Falls
Church. There was no use talking about
ferry across the river. That would never
be built or operated. It was an engineer
ing impossibility. The bridge was ample
to carry road of the kind designed For
thirty years 1t had carried a canal, and
the weight Of few cars would be small in
comparison. The Commissioners took the
matter under consideration.
Excise Board.
The excise board today acted upon the
following applications for liquor licenses:
Retail, approved-Theodore Pitt, 521 Q
street northwest; Edward Reynolds, 3O33
NJ street northwest: Adolph Meinking, sol
@ street northwest; Susan knight, 116S
18th street northwest: Charles ]. D.etz,
1924 NJ street northwest; Patrick Rafferty,,
1896 M street northwest. Wholesale al
lowed-esse Smith, Reno; Haser & Co.,
3346 M street northwest; w. Y. Washing
ton, 2431 NJ street northwest: Everett Ellin
Canal road. They also rejected the whole
sale application Of Michael Moore, GIL Sd
street northwest.
Favorable Report.
The Commissioners have made a favora-
BILE report upon the bill for the relief of
John Fairfex.
Fahey Divorce Case.