Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-11-18
FIRE ESCAPES FOR WILlMAR

Five Buildings In City to be Equipped
with Safety Appliances in Accord.
ance with Law.
Notices have been served upon the
proprietors of the three-story build
ings in Willmar which come under the
state law and city ordinance, requir-
ing them to place upon their build
ings the proper fire escapes. Thirty
days are specified as the time limit for
complying with the ordinance and it
is understood that arrangements are
in progress whereby these escapes will
be constructed and soon placed where
they belong. The five buildings in
this city required to use these safety
appliances are the Merchants and Gen.
trail Hotels, the Glarum House, the
Seminary boarding hall and the Ruble
Block.
According to the ordinance passed
last April by the city council such
buildings must be "provided with one
or more metallic ladders or metallic
fire escapes, extending from the first
story to the upper stories OF such
buildings, and above the roof and on
the outer walls thereof, in such loca.
ton and numbers and of such materi-
al and construction as the city council
may by resolution determine - The
ordinance further reads: "After such
determination by the city council, a
certified copy of such resolution shall
be served upon the owner or lessee of
any such building requiring him or
them to cause to be placed and con-
structed upon any such building
such metallic ladder or fire
escape, within thirty days after the
service of such resolution Section
2 reads: SIN case such owner or les
see, or either of them, so served with
such certified copy of such resolution
as aforesaid, shall not, within thirty
days after the service of such resolu'
tion upon him or them, place and con-
struct such metallic ladder or fire es-
cape upon such building as required
by section one of this ordinance and
in accordance with the terms of such
resolution, he or they shall be sub
iect to q fine of not less than ten dol
lars or more than one hundred dol
lars, and to a further fine of fifty dol
lars for each week of such neglect to
comply with the terms of such reso-
luton after the service of the same"
The resolution was passed by the
council short time ago and ordered
that fire escapes be placed on all
three-s story buildings in Willmar oc-
cupied and used for and as hotels,
lodging rooms and sleeping compart-
ments. 1t provides for one metallic
ladder or fire escape for each and
every ten sleeping rooms above the
first story, to extend to the upper
story and above the roof and on the
outer walls. It must be not less than
six inches from the walls. The rounds,
rnngs or steps must be not less than
eighteen inches long, the rails or sides
to be constructed of not less than 2
inch gas or metallic pipes, the bottom
OF each said rails to be provided with
threads of suitable size to allow at
taching and coupling of fire hose used
by city, holes also to be drilled in
sides or rails at regular intervals so
as to permit of forcing OF water
through and into the rungs OF the lad
der. The escapes must be placed so
as to be easy of access and shall be
provided with platforms or landings
with railipSs around at all stories
above the first. A red light must be
kept burning near the exit to the plat
forms on such FIRE escapes.
Not long ago a representative from
q twin city house visited the city with
an object of furnishing these build
ings with the required fire escapes.
At that time measurements were taken
and figures submitted, but the propri-
etors of the buildings looked upon the
estimated cost as being rather steep.
However, as the thirty days. limit will
soon have been reached, it is under
stood that some arrangements will be
made by which the law can be fully
observed. A committee representing
the fire department has been urging
the matter upon the hotelmen, and al
though for q time there was some
hesitancy on the part of owners to 60
10 the required trouble and expense in
Citing up their buildings with fire es-
capes, 1t is now thought that it will
be accomplished within very short
lime.
The law passed by the last legisla-
lure, known as the Armstrong fire es-
cape law, went into effect the first OF
To protect the lives OF
hotel guests from fire it provides that
here shall be more than one means OF