Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-04
MUST PUT UP FIRE ESCAPES
Chief Tsmplston Preparing to Enforce the
Law Passed Last Winter.
SOME OwNERs PROTEsT on rAE ExFENsE
Two and Possibly Four OF Public
school Buildings Come w.4hin
the Provisions OF
the Law.

Chief Templeton OF the Gre department
is preparing to enforce the law relative to
the construction Of nre escapes on public
and other buildings. enacted at the last
session OF the state legislature, and which
went Into eject July 4. The law makes
Il the duty Of the chicf OF the IRE de-
partment to carry out It's provisions and
see to II that they are enforced. Chief
Templeton has laid the matter before the
city council committee on are and LIGHT
and Il e expected that the committee will
report at the meeting Of the couhcii to-
night
The state Law CLASHES the buildings
which must be provided with IRE escapes
AZ follows: Hotels or lodging houses OF
three or more stories in height; tenements
or boarding houses Of three or more stories
in height. occupied by one or more fam
lilies or aggregating twenty persons or
more, provided that q mansard roof or
attic. when used for sleeping rooms, shall
be counted as one story: buildings used as
opera houses, theaters or public halls OF a
seating capacity exceeding 800; public
school buildings, semlnaries and colleges
more than two stories IN height; hospitals
and asyiums Of three or more stories In
height; manufactures, warehouses and
buildings OF all characters OF three or more
stories in height.
The act makes It the duty Of the chief
Of the IRE department TO notify the owners
Of buildings, as classified In this list and
which are not provided with IRE escapes
to comply with the law within sixty days
from the service OF the notice, and failure
to comply with the notice will subject the
owner Of the building to a nne Of not less
than $50 and not more than 800, and q
further fne Of s25 for each additional week
Of neglect to comply with the notice.
Some object to Compliance.
As yet Chief TempIeton has served no
formal notices. but has personally called
the attention Of owners OF buildings which
will have to be provided with IRE escapes
to the recently enacted law. In most In
stances he has been met with a willing
ness on the part Of the owners to comply
with the law. but in a few instances the
owners lave protested against what they
term the useless eHpvuse tns law 'Cvntem-
plates putting them to.
In August, 1890, q city ordinance was
passed compelling the erection Of IRE es-
capes upon all buildings within the corr
porAte limits Of the city Of Council BLUFFS
three stories high or over, and all opera
houses, theaters. hotels. public halls. lodge
OUnAnn A480uALBH A00AAAo1 H0lAAg
libraries, schoolhouses ana buildings used
for places for amusements OF any kind. and
all buildings wherein crowds OF people are
invited 20 assemble for any purpose. and
eil hospitals and convents- ~
For 8 while the ordinance was enforced.
but in q short time became q dead letter
and many buildings which the ordinance
contemplated should be furnished with IRE
escapes are still without them. Under the
state law, however. there Is no escape and
It IL made obligatory on the chief of the
IRE department to enforce It's provisions.
sshooI BuiIdinss Come In.
Chief Templeton has called the atten-
tgon Of President Sargent of. the Board OF
Education to the law and the school dis
trict will be required to place escape
upon tho Bloomer and washington Avenue
school buildings and possibly upon the new
High school and Pierce Street school. The
new High school IL two stories and q
basement high. as Is the Pierce Street
school. and there iB q question whether
these buildings will be construed as being
more than two stories high. The Wash
Ington Avenue and Bloomer schools are
both three stories In height and clearly
come within the provisions OF the law.
Chief Templeton gave Il as his opinion
yesterday that the new High school should
be provided with fire escapes. even though
II might not strictly come within the pro-
visions Of the law.
Among the larger buildings In the city
which will have to be furnished with es-
capea, according to the law. are the Og-
den house. woodWard's candy manufac-
turing plant. the Merriam block. the new
Wickham block on Broadway. the Beno-
shugart building on Pearl street and sew
eral Of the implement warehouses on Main
street.