The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-06
MUST HAVE FIRE ESCAPES.
CITY ORDINANCE REaUIRING THEN
WILL BE ENFORCED.

Fire Chief Mcguire Sends Notices to
Owners of Ten of the Principal
Fire Committee and Instructed to
Docket Those Who Fail TO Comply
With the Ordinancc-The CHER
VIII Also Report in Future to the
OrdInary-Gives His Views on the
Matter of Fire Escapes and Shows
There Has Been Laxity in snvan-
nah.
Dealers in fire escapes will have a chance
to do business in Savannah before many
days have passed. Owners Of a number OF
buildings in the city will have to conform
to the law and equip them properly with
adequate means for escape in case Of fires.
Fire chief Mcguire says they viii have
TO do il speedily. or be reported TO the au-
thorities and in his position he is backed
up by the Fire Committee of Council.
Ten Of the principal buildings in the~city
were the first to go down on the fire chiefs
list. He sent out notices TO their owners
yesterday that they should have escapes
put in. Among those served are Messrs.
John Lyons Mohr Brothers, B. II. Levy &
Bro, Guckenheimer & Sons, f. A. Well
d. Co. Garfunkel & Sons, and the man
agement of the Planters Hotel and the
Provident building.
These notices Will be followed by others.
Chef Mcguire says there are many build
ings in Savannah that should be supplied
with means for escape, and Il is his pur-
pose TO see that the provision is made. He
has long recognized the necessity. he says,
and, backed by the Fire Committee, he
will SEQ that the city ordinance. which is
reinforced by a state law, is observed.
Speaking of the matter yesterday, Chief
Mcguire said: For several years I have
endeavored to have buildings in this city
supplied with proper and necessary fire es.
capes. The ordinance of 1891, introduced
by Alderman NJ. w. Dixon, was dead let
ter. The Fire Department went to the ex-
pense Of printing a lot of notices and
copies of the ordinance which were served
on property owners. but no attention was
paid TO these notices.
In my 1897 report l called the attent'on
of the authorities TO the fact that it was
impossible TO enforce the ordinance.
went on record at that time. stating hat
the ordinance could not be enforced, nut
ting the notice to Council in such a light,
as | thought, would impress it with the
importance of taking immediate action.
AT the suggestion Of Alderman Krous-
koff l prepared new ordinance modify
ing the Dixon ordinance, among Other
things making IL The duty Of the fire chier
20 report violations. Mr.. Krouscof pre-
scented the ordinance In It's original form,
bat it was amended by striking out the
words fire chief" and placing the duty or
reporting violation UPON the Fire Commit
tee Even that ordinance has been a dead
letter, and 50 far as know,
little, if anything, has been cone
toward protecting the lives Of cur
people as provided for by the ordinance
Il am glad to say that the present Fire
Committee approves of my efforts in
this direction said Chief Mcguire,
and 1 hope that within the next
few months the public will be accorded the
protection they are entitled to under the
law Under an act of the Legislature It
Is made the duty of the head Of the Fire
Department or Fire Marshal in all cities
in Georgia. where a fire escape ordinance
is adopted, TO make a report TO The ordi-
nary of the county once a year, giving the
names of al parties who have been mott
fled to erect fire escapes, and who have
failed 10 comply with such notice within
the time specified by the state law. 1t
was only recently l learned that persons
who failed 10 erect fire escapes after be-
ing properly notified were punishable in
the state courts well as in the Police
Court. l have issued notices to-day to own
ers of ten of the principal buildings, which
require to have fire escapes. In December
l will mSke report in accordance with the
state Jaw. The Fire Committee directs
me TO docket the owner if some action Is
not taken within the next 10 days. l sin
cerely trust that every owner of such
buildings win recognize the Importance of
complying with this law, and l hope it
viii not be necessary for me to put any
one on the docket"