The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-16
FIRE ESCAPES ORDERED UP.
building Owners Notified to Comply
With the Law.

The notices issued by Fire Chief Ma
guire in regard to the erection of fire es-
capes. includes large portion of the bus
mess section. and will change the COM
plexion of many buildings, il the require
ments are met
There seems to be no way of avoiding
the chiefs notices for the reason that his
action is in accordance with statute,
and in them the city ordinance requiring
the escapes is printed that there may be
no misunderstanding of what is required.
In issuing the notices, it has been the
effort of Chief Mcguire to thoroughly in
spect oil buildings where he thought safe
~ appliances were necessary, and then
notify the owners without favor or affec-
ton. 1t was, therefore, with good win
toward all and malice toward none that
he notified the property owners. The own
ers of buildings notified are: J. d. Weed.
owner of Lindsay & Morgan building; 8.
Guckenheimer, Sons & Co: Savannah
Steam Bakery Co.; Garfunkle & Son;
Lowell Sons, owners of S. Krouskof build
ing; Ludden & Bates: independent order
of odd Fellows Knights of Pythias; Neil
Barnard Street Schools; Herman Winter;
Meinhard Bros. & Co.; l. NJ Frank & Co.;
b. II. Levy & Bro; Savannah Grocery
Company; NJ. Ferst's Sons 4 Co; Pulaski
House; Planters Hotel Savannah Port
Society building; Board of Trade; Screven
House; Leopold Adler; Lippman Bros; ;
Og,ethorpe Club; Menhard, Appel x
Shaul; J. T. West & Co; John Lyons;
Andrew Hanlcy; Jackson Metzeer & Co;
Estate - Nv ErnOpb & I
Collatt; The Great Atlantic and Pacific
Tea Company; Foye & Morrison; Metro
politan Clothing Company, Falk
Clothing Company; Daniel Hogan;
j. d. Weed & Co.: Il. Lowell Sons;
Savannah Carriage and Wagon Company,
c. Koshorn, president Savannah Turn
verein; b. NJ Garfunkle, J. N. McGillis
Savannah Press; NJ. J. Doyle, Walthour
& Rivers. agents of block bounded by Con-
gress Barnard, st. Julian and Whitaker
streets; Palmetto House; Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company; West
ern Union Telegraph Company; Neidlinger
Rabun q Nell; Savannah theater; Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards Armory; II. H.
Livingston; Savannah Steam Laundry ;
John Sullivan. Is Congress. west; ]. G.
Butler; Savannah Furniture Company; l.
Epstein & Bro; Joseph Rosenheim &
Sons; EclSman e. Netsburg; II. d. & VIM
baltimore; Mohr Bros. NJ. Dreyfus; A.
K Wilson; J. r. Shuptrne; District Mes
senger and Delivery Company; Savannah
Bank and Trust Company; Morehouse
Manufacturing Company, Georgia Hus-
sars; Masonic Temple; general superin-
tendent Central Railroad.
The objection has been made that fire
escapes deform buildings and give them
an uutidy appearance. But the escapes
are not to be erected in many cases where
the owners can arrange two outlets
which is all the ordinance requires. Near
ly all the buildings mentioned have only
one egress and In case of fire there would
be no alternative for those who might
be caught except TO get out on ladders,
or in case the conditions are too unfavor-
able, to resort to the extreme by jump
ing.
In the fire department Mt present there
are no nets for receiving people vaulting
from third and fourth story windows and
for such work the department is wholly
unprepared. Ii is the opinion that the
conditions among the business houses of
the city, and especially those in which
scores of girls and other employees are at
work on the upper floors, with only one
narrow stairway leading from the place
demands the attention Of all interested
I'm the enforcement of legislation on the
question.
The point has been made heretofore
when attempts were made 10 enforce the
ordinance that the ladders on the outside
Of buildings furnished a means for thieves
to enter and were, therefore, q source Of
constant annoyance Ii Is a well known
fact, however, that fire escapes are al
ways constructed twelve or fifteen feet
from the ground and If a thief Is willing
to carry a ladder to get to the escape,
he would doubtless enter were it not
there. Moreover, II is said that the po-
lice records of the larger cities do not
show many buildings entered by climbing
the fire escapes and it is not thought the
annoyance would exist here.
Chief Mcguire says he intends pushing
the ordinance in so far as it relates to
him. Unless some arrangements Is made
and the names kept off the police docket,
the duty of imposing fines VIII fall 10
Recorder Hartridge.
The effect of Chief Maguires action will
probably be the signal for the coming of
fire escape agents and iron fence cons
tractors from cities where these appi-
ances are manufactured. The chiefs
move I'm enforcing the escape ordinance
is encouraging to the entire fire depart
ment, for the reason IL will aid the men ma
terially in handling bad fires, which prob
ably could not be extngushed I'm any
other way than by ascending the escapes
and reaching them in that manner. There
is no serious objection heard from the
owners Of buildings themselves, all Of
whom fully realize the necessity for fire
escapes.