The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-22
ALDERMEN TAKE ACTION.
Want to Demolish All Hotels That
Are Not Fireproof.

New York, March 21.-The following
preamble and resolution relating to the
Windsor Hotel fire was passed unani-
mously today by the board of alder
men:
Whereas, The terrible catastrophe
in the shape of the Windsor Hotel fire.
with the accompanying loss of life and
millions of property. has wildly called
attention to the public necessity for the
greater protection of the hotel-living
people; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the legislature is
hereby respectfully requested to pass
and the governor to sign a bill which
will give the commissioner of buildings
in the city of New York full power and
authority to investigate, and if neceS-
sary, demolish all hotel buildings in
said city not absolutely fireproof"
Assistant Corporation Counsel Otter
bourg urged that a law should be
framed and speedily passed vesting
power in interested departments in this
city to govern the citys hotels. He
called attention to the Greater New
York charter and said that while every
provision had been made concerning the
construction and arrangement of build
ingS of the city. there was no provision
bearing on the licensing of hotels. He
had in his mind the drafting of an
amendment to the charter, giving the
municipal assembly of this city power
to pass any ordinance in relation to
hotels and their management so far
as it involved public safety. He said
that when this was done, then the
matter could be taken up at leisure and
that any measure bearing upon the
subject could be presented TO the mu-
nicipal assembly.
The suggestion of Mr.. OtteTbourg was
approved and it was agreed to allow
the corporation counsel to draft such
an amendment and send it to the legis-
lature tonight. 1t is then understood
that regarding the license measure no
hotel man will be allowed a license I'M
til the departments in which power has
been vested have passed upon it.
Proprietors of ten hotels members Of
the Hotelmen'S association, called on
Commissioner Thomas j. Brady of the
department of buildings today, the OBJ
iect being to advise with him as TO the
best means of protecting guests from
fires. They said a bill should be framed
having for it's main object the confer
ring upon the building and fire depart
ments such discretionary powers as
would deal with each individual case
as it arose and not an ironclad law to
cover in a general way all hotels. 1t
was suggested as the idea of the hotel
men that the pest way IN Wnlcn nOIelS
would be protected from fire would be
vigilant watchfulness, and that this
should be insisted on by law.
Commissioner Brady said he believed
absolutely in fireproof buildings. To
this, he said, should not only be added
watchfulness, but other things besides
should be considered. Alarms should
be placed in each room, watchmen
should patrol the Railways at all hours,
and the hotels should be provided with
the most improved appliances for
fighting fire. He believed that power
should be vested in some department
which would see to it that these ap-
pliances were in order and to have men
for this purpose alone The right
should be given the department to have
men go through the hotels at all hours
during the night and day and see that
the employees were doing their duty.