Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-02-14
Ordinance.

Ordinance.
An ordinance to Compel the Erection
Of Fire Escapes Upon Certain Build
ings Within the City of Missouri
Valley, Iowa, and Prescribing PEN
alties for violation Thereof.
Be it ordained by the City Council
of the City of Missouri Valley, Iowa.
Section l. All buildings within the
corporate limits of the city of Missouri
Valley, Iowa, three stories high or over,
and all opera houses, theatres, hotels.
public halls, lodge rooms, museums,
lecture rooms, puolic libraries, school
houses and buildings wherein crowds
of people are invited TO assemble for
any purpose. and hospitals and con-
vents, shall be provided with stairway
fire escapes as provided by this ordi-
nance. Provided, that on buildings
two and three stories high and used as
business houses, and upon buildings
constructed of incombustible mater
ials, and iE which no combustible ma
terisls are stored, the construction of
fire escapes other than herein pre-
scribed, may be constructed in man
ner satisfactory to the chief Of the lire
department and committee on fire and
lights, as evidenced by their permit in
in writing. shall be excepted as COM
pliance with the provisions Of this or
dinance
Sec. 2. 1t shall be the duty OF the
owner, or any person in charge of any
house or building mentioned in the
previous section, upon the passage of
this ordinance, and within Sixty (6o)
days after he shall have been notified
in writing so to do by the chief of the
tire department Of the City of Mis-.
souri, Valley, lowe, to erect or cause
to be erected and completed, stairway
fire escape upon such buildings as
herein provided, and at all times to
keep the approaches thereto, within
said building, free from all obstruc-
tions, and the window or the door
from the building to the fire escape,
easily opened. and proper signs direct.
ing to the fire escapes.
Sec. 3. All fire escapes shall be per-
manently and securely attached to the
buildings. Stairway fire escapes for
three story buildings shall be made
with one landing for the third story
and one for the second to be at least
the full width of the window or door
and not less than (24) twenty -four
inches deep, said landing to be built
and supported sufficiently strong to
support at least five hundred (5OO)
pounds weight to the square foot, and
the stairway shall be fastened to the
landing. Stairway fire escapes for
buildings four stories or more in
height shall have landings not less
than fourteen Q4) feet long, being
three feet long by three feet six inches
deep at each end, and the balance Of
the landing being twenty -one (2D
inches deep to allow room for the stair
way. Said landings shall be built and
supported sufficiently strong to sus-
tain five hundred (5oO) pounds to the
square foot. In case, however, where
1t is more convenient to fave continu.
GUS or zigzag stairways, smaller land
ings may be used. but such smaller
Landings shall be built and supported
sufficiently strong to support the
weight Of five hundred $500 pounds to
the square foot. All landings to be
made of five-eights 20 inch perfor-
ated cast iron and framed all around
with two ~ inch angle iron, supported
by five (5) heavy wraught iron brackets
made of two (2) inch by !one-half (1f)
inch wraught iron, bolted through the
walls with nut and washer inside, ex-
cept in case of small landing when
three (3) brackets only may be used.
All landings shall have double gas pipe
railings of not less than one (1) inch
pipe and shall have one and one fourth
100 inch gas pipe posts with globe
fittings spaced not more than four (4)
feet apart. Stairs between landings
shall be made of not less than four (4)
inch by three-eights ~ inch wraught
iron for side stringers, bolted securely
to the landings, with not less than five.
eights (55ss) inch by five (5) by twenty.
one (2D inches perforated cast iron
steps bolted to the side stringers so as
to form about an eight (s) inch rise.
The stairs shall have q single gas pipe
railing with three or more standards to
support the same. All fire escapes to
have metallic ladder extending from
the top story landing to three feet
above the top of the building, curvine
over the roof, and drop ladder o,
hosting stairway from the second
story landing to extend to the ground
All buildings over three stories high tc
have stand pipes with hose valves q,
top story landing aud on the roof, and
with double SiAnese- automatic valve
at the bottom. For warehouses and
other buildings where there is les.