Evening star., 1898-12-22
CORPORATION LAWS
Old Ordinances, \ Regulating Govern
ment at ths Capital.
fHEDIREcrORs9F CHIMNEY SWEEPING
Provisions Against Sport With
Guns and Fuecrackers.
AMIN AIS RUNNING AT LARGE

Ihat there is room for amendment of our
OLD corporation law is patent to any who
nave read the digests of such ordinances
made by Blrch, in 1898; Rothweii, in 1888;
Snehan. in 1853, and Webb, in 1861 To
! those especially who have grown up and
settled in the District since the war of
the rebellion, these works. containing so
much regulation subjects almost forgot
ten, seem to relate to some hitherto un-
heard-ot municipality, and that of a not
very progressive one,
10 note such is interesting to those who
have at heart the prosperity of the city,
for they can realize somewhat how the
present magnificent city was once only
such IN Its distances from settlement to
settlement, and how Slowly it grew before
the war when the laws were made only as
the necessity and convenience of the public
prompted. In the days when the water
system was represented by a few springs
and pumps, with now and then reser-
Volr TO hold an accumulation of water in
readiness for a fire. and when the finest
improved streets We're graveled and these
Iew IN number; there was in the northern
part OF the city much territory not recog-
nized by the public as being within the cor
Doration limits save for taxing pur-
PoSe', anu iuIIlDeTS OF the acts OF councils
of a general character by express terms
were made applicable only to the city south
of Massachusetts avenue.
Some of the subjects belonging to NUM-
clpai legislation, even before the act Of
1902 Incorporating the city, were antic-
pated by the federal authorities. The
building regulations issued by the commits
sioners, with the approval of Washington,
contained provisions which were made the
basis of city ordinances in later years.
The prevention of fire was not forgotten
in these, and the danger therefrom was
recognized by the regulations limiting the
height of frame buildings to twelve feet to
the caves. and there location being prohb
tied within twenty-four feet of brick
house.
The act of incorporation granted the
councils, among other powers, that of regu-
lating the sweeping of the chimneys, q sub
Ject which lately engaged the attention of
the District Commissioners. In those days,
the principal fuel being wood, foul Chin
neys We're not rare, and the alarm of
chimney af1re" was not infrequently given.
To Prevent Fires.
The first steps were taken by the coun-
ellis January 10 1SG. which led to the sub
sequent establishment of fire companies
This was q act Ito prevent and eXtin
guish fires" and il provided that the pro-
prietors of dwellings should procure and
keep leather bucket of two and half
gallons capacity, filled with water for each
story of their buildings, under penalty of
| 81 fine for dereiction, and appropriated
| $50 to enable the mayor to procure fire
hooks and ladders, to be kept in some suit
able place for use at fires That the citi-
Zens We're tardy in a compliance with this
law is apparent from the fact that the date
| for compliance Herewith was extended
from March to May l. and to October l.
An act WAS passed July ~, 1904, to es-
tablish fire companies, by which the city
was divided into four fire wards with
i'm q ta1 81 I
| H. Gllis. James Hdban. Nicholas Noss and
Griffith CoOmbe were the. directors. 1t is
matter of history that!these gentlemen
called meetings, i and companies were
formed.
AS it was then acknowledged that IAN
ounce of prevention is worth a pound Of
cure" and foul chimneys enhanced the
danger from fire. the hOuSekeeper neglect
ing to have his fues burned out making
! the chimney a constant menace to the
safety of property. The councils, there
fore by the act of May ~, 1907, took fur
ther action on fire matters by authorizing
a systematic sweeping of chimney f1ues.
By this act the mayor was authorized to
contract with some suitable person to SUI
perintend the sweeping of chimneys, and he
might be required, from October TO April,
to make bi-monthly visits. and the balance
of the year tri-monthly. to each house and
sweep the hues used in cooking, the fee
being 10 cents per story for each flue. A
fine of 81 was imposed on the Swecpmaster
for a failure to call and 81 on the house
keeper for refusing to allow the work to
be done; and should the chimney blaze
from the top, whoever responsible of
the two was liable to fine of So and, to
keep up the fees of the sweepmaster
fine of 800 was prescribed on any who for
hire or gain. swept a Hue.
One sweep boss was then thought to be
sufficient to cover the embryo metropolis
but by November, 1919, two sweep masters
were appointed one for the first and sec
ond wards (west of ID street wesD, and
one for the third and fourth Ohe balance
! of the city). Acts on the subject were
passed in 1sl3-14-'l5 and 10 containing, in
addition 10 the provisions preceding. the
requirement of a bond of $500 for faithful
of the fines of new buildings to the duties,
and imposing a penalty of s. on any one
who attempted to set a chimney on fire
The penalties in the first act were increased
TO s..
Wards and Sweep Districts.
The city was by the charter of 1920 di-
vided into six wards, but the sweep dis
trcts remained unaltered for several years
after. under the name of eastern and west
ern districts. Thirty years after. when
there were seven wards established there
were six sweepmasters appointed, one sup
plying the fifth and sixth wards
With the improved modes for cooking and
heating dwellings, and the substitution of
coal for wood, the necessity for sweeping
fues in the old way has become almost
thing of the past Indeed chimney