The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-25
SOLICITOR DJVALL'S
FIRE ESCAPE OPINION
Fire Chief and Building In
spector Arbiters of Erection.
DETAILED REPLY TO BUTTON
Lengthy Answer to a Communication
Regarding Authority of Chief of Fire
Department in the Matter of Ordering
Additional Facilities for Escape in Case
of Fire.

Mr. A. B. Duvall, the City Solicitor,
has submitted to the District Commission
ers an opinion upon n communication OF
the Chief Engineer of the Fire Depart
ment relative to the condition of two
Pennsylvania Avenue hotels, with certain
legal advice requested by the Chief En-
gineer.
Il am of the opinion states Mr.. Du-
vail, that under the act of Congress APP
proved January rs, 1887. entitled An act
for the further protection of property
from fire and the safety of lives in the
District and the act OF Congress amend
atory thereof, approved March 2, 1895, the
owner of a building mentioned in said
acts of Congress cannot be compelled to
provide and cause to be erected and at
fixed to said buildings iron fire escapes
where the building is less than fifty feet
in height Section of the first mentioned
act relates only to any building fifty
feet high or upward
Il am also of the opinion" continues
the City Solicitor, that the Building In
spector and the Chief Engineer of the
Fire Department have the right to desig-
nate the location of fire escapes in con-
formity with the act of Congress at any
time before the building is used as a
hotel or factory. The Building Inspector
and the Chief Engineer of the Fire De-
partment have the power TO determine the
number of fire escapes to be affixed to a
building.
Fire Escapes on Buildings.
after the building is completed and
one or more fire escapes affixed thereto,
as located by the Building Inspector and
Chief Engineer of the Fire Department
they are authorized to require additional
ones when in their judgmnt the public
safety demands additional oTes. An
apartment house or a fiat is a tenement
house within the meaning of said acts of
Congress. The relocation of a fire escape
once located by the Building Inspector
and the Chief Engineer may be enforced
when in their Judgment the public safety
so demands This may be done under sec
tion 4, article 2, of the police regulations,
taken in connection with the aforesaid
acts of Congress.
Hotels and Theatres.
"a license issued to the owner, lessee
or proprietor of a hotel, theatre, hall or
place of amusement may be revoked when
1t is shown to the Commissioners that
such building is not provided with fire
escapes, lights, alarm gongs and descrip-
tive notices of the means of escape. The
amendatory act of Congress, approved
March 2, 1895, declares that it shall be
unlawful to issue such a license unless
the application is accompanied with a
certificate from the Inspector of Build
ings that the building is provided with fire
escapes. lights, alarm gongs and descrip-
tive notices; such license issued with
out such certificate is in terms declared
by said act to be unlawful.
THE owner or occupant OF a building
may not be required under said section 4.
article 2. of the police regulations TO equip
his buildings with fire axes, fire extin-
guishers or fire extinguishing appliances
when in the judgment of the authorities
they may be necessary for the better pro-
lection of life and property. The police
regulations appear TO be addressed to
condition dangerous TO the safety OF
buildings"