Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-02
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Proposition introduced to Fix Fire
Escapes on Buildings.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL.
Proposition introduced to Fix Fire
on Buildings.
At the regular monthly meeting OF the
city council last night City Attorney Wads-
worth submitted two new ordinances, one
providing for the erection of fire escapes on
certain buildings and the other prohibiting
the erection of signs on public streets or
sidewalks. Both were passed to their second
reading and then laid over under the rules.
The fire escape ordinance provides that all
buildings three stories high or over and all
opera houses, theaters, hotels, public halls,
lodge rooms, museums, lecture rooms, public
libraries, school houses and buildings used
for places for amusement of any kind and
all buildings wherein crowds of people are
invited to assemble for any purpose and all
hospitals and converts shall be provided
with suitable fire escapes. The fire escapes
are to be permanent iron or metal ladders
securely attached to the building at least
eighteen inches wide and set six inches at
least away from the wall. At each story
they are to be provided with a metal bal
cony or landing at least three feet square.
The escape Is to commence three feet from
the top of the building and to extend within
fourteen feet of the ground. The fire es-
CdpSS III W uc pldCeu On lnt Slue VI SluSo
of the building where directed by the chief
Of the fire department. On buildings one,
two or three stories high and one buildings
constructed Of incumbustible materials and
in which no combustible material Is stored,
fire escapes satisfactory to the chief of the
fire department and committee on fire and
| water may be erected. The ordinance pro-
vides that owners of buildings must within
thirty days after being so notified erect the
fire escapes as ordered. The penalty for fail
ure to comply with the provisions of the
ordinance is a fine of not less than $40 and
not exceeding 500.
The ordinance dealing with the matter of
signs prohibits the erection, suspension or
extension of any sign over or across the
street or sidewalk or the placing of any
column, pyramid or post sign upon any side
walk or in any street or attaching any sign
to any telegraph, telephone, motor line pole
or other poles or posts. 1t further prohibits
the erection Of any wooden awning and pro-
vides that all cloth awnings must be at least
seven feet in the clear from the ground.
Business houses fronting on twelve-foot
wide are permitted to use a
thirty -six-inch space from the building line
for the display of goods. Those fronting on
sidewalks less than twelve feet wide are per-
mitted to use thirty inches for a similar
purpose. The ordinance provides that all
signs erected contrary to the provisions con-
tanned therein must be removed within ten
days after notice has been served. The
penalty for violating the ordinance is a fine
of $40.
The city attorney, to whom had been re-
ferred the matter of the tax on the poles OF
the American Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany, which had been disputed by the COM
pany, reported that the company claimed
that it did not own the 1873 poles from Main
to the Missouri river nor the wires upon
them, but that they were the property of the
Nebraska Telephone company. If this was
the case, the city attorney gave it as his
! opinion that under the city's contract with
the American Telephone and Telegraph com
pany the tax on these poles could not be col
lected unless such ownership by the Ne
braska Telephone company is an evasion in
tended to prevent the collection Of the tax,
Mr.. Wadsworth in his report said that
there are some circumstances connected with
the workings of the telephone company that
indicate such to be the facts, but whether
or not the city could establish this by proof
was a question he was unable to determine
Inc matter was referred back to the city
attorney for further Investigation.
inc Rock Island railroad was granted
permission by resolution to build a tempo
rary siding from it's main track across Tos.
tevih street to the clay bank, from where
1t is hauling dirt for the filling of its yards
The company intends using a steam shove
and construction train for the work and
agrees to remove the siding before December
1 or else suffer a penalty of $25 for every
day thereafter that it fails to do so.
The judiciary committee reported that NJ
w. George, the Chicago travelling man whc
| foil nn pnar1 Etrnnf onI hrnlya hi, 1~- Nu;n,
to snow being on the sidewalk, had Offered
to compromise for $500 his claim for 50, 500
The offer was rejected.
The offer of Henry Peterson to compro
mise his claim against the city for inju
ries caused by a fall while crossing FRS
avenue and Main street last winter for 500
was referred back to the judiciary commit
tee. 1t was the opinion of some of tn,
councilmen that the claim had no founda
ton and should be rejected.
City Attorney Wadsworth reported tina
the claim Of F. l.. Earl for damages b.
the overlooking of the creek could be set
tied for 500 and recommended that it be
1t was decided to reject the claim.
r. 7. Young was appointed deputy scale
and weigher.
The bill of Justice Terrier for poll ia.
cases was allowed.
The claim of Mrs. Harris for wearing ap
parel destroyed at the time her house wa
quarantined for smallpox was disallowed.
! AT the request of the Commercial com
mittee Mayor Jennings appointed the mem
bers of the council and II. A. Searle, job
3 Schoentgen, Fred Davis and e. e. Mayn
Y a committee to attend the meeting tonigh
at the Grand hotel of railway managers t
discuss the question of a Union depot. AL
derman Casper asked to be excused fror