The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-03
|N0 FIRE ESCAPES
ALDERMEN HAVE SPIRITED DE-
 BATE ON ORDNANCE.
Measure Lost Because Proper Number Failed to vOte-Members of
 Council Accused of Per- aOnnl NI1fiYeA.

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 Owners of buildings in Montgomer, will not be put to the expense of erect ing fire escapes.
 Lacking two votes of the nine nee essary to pass an ordinance. the meas
 ure introduced in the City Council tc insure protection of people using build ings of three stories or more in height was lost in the legislative body last night. By its condemnation. of the measure. the Council refused to make used for public purposes to eqip them with the safeguards to protect human life.
 Pending in the Council Chamber fo- more than two months, switched from committee to committee. brought up In debate several times in Council meetings and finally passed by a ma jority of the votes cast. the measure was yet lost. owing to the number of votes required by law for acts of It's kind.
 The appearance of the question in the Council last night was the signal for a general discussion in which nearly every Alderman present took part. The fight over the ordinance lasted through che better part of an hour. A substi- tute ordinance. Introduced by Alderman Hudson, excluding lire proof" build lngs, of stone and concrete. and hav- ing two or more staircases. was pro- posed, and that had to be fought but separately.
 CoDIplicating matters, the question was raised as 10 the eligibility of cer- tain members to cast their ballots in the contention, because of their being directly interested by the passage of such an act. City, Attorney c. F. Mc- Intyre was called upon to give an opinion to the Council, which he did from the floor. taking the position that owners of buildings were privileged to vote upon the question.
 Several times during the controversy Ao s.E I. lI@AA the First National Bank building were mentioned, with direct allusions to members of the Council who held in- terests in those structures.
 The fire escape ordinance was orig finally introduced in the Council short ly after the fire in the Gay building on Commerce Street, two months ago. In that confiagration the lives of several persons were saved only by heroic ac- tion on the part of members of the fire and police departments. The or dinance as framed called for the erec- tion of fire escapes on every building of more than three stories. used for public purposes in Montgomery. It further provided that landings or plat forms must be erected for these es- capes opposite every floor.
 Further provision was made in the capes In ali building permits issued by the City Engineer: Presenting minority. report. Alderman Hudson wished to rresent substitute ordi- such as the Exchange Hotel and First National Bank building" and other buildings of concrete and steel con- struction with metal stairways. were excluded.
 twill you tell me-" asked Alderman Sullivan, when the Alderman -at-Large had concluded, who told you the Exchange Hotel Is fireproof?"
 why. the architect, for one" replied A
 whats his name?" pursued the AL derman from the Sixth Ward.
 Why, Smith. or, or,-I declare have forgotten ms name, but he told me, reiterated Alderman Hudson.
 "Who built the First National Bank 
 Alderman Hudson was not sure.
 Speeches In favor Of the fire escape were made by Aldermen Sullivan. Hol- loway and Cox The San Francisco and BaltimoEe fire proof buildings in the fires in those cities. were cited as
 Alderman Holloway then moved that inc minority resolution, excluding fire proof" buildings from the ordi- nance should be laid on the table By ioss YeasICox, Grifith, Holloway. Jones. Ruth, Ryan, Sullivan-1
 Nays-Foster. Coins. Hudson; Lop- man, hOe1eTB tb6OSSt @H' ~ d. Immediately following the vote. Al, derman Sullivan rose in the CounciA chamber and sprang a sensation. Ao- vote on the minority report amending inc ordinance, all members of the leg islative body who had interests at stake which would he arected py tne voting This motion should include. he said. all persons owning buildings, or having interest in buildings over tnreO stories in height. ,o no,, way to their feet to reply. but Alder ,ms5 Strluss, from the chair. took np- on himself the onus of rejoiner. He did not hold life che" '-' ne sald, put r1 s,re u escapes on buildings. which are recognized as being Immune from conflagrations. To do so Wouia m erely mean the marrtng or the beauty Ut ,n .Sa cItv to no purpose. He was act uated, he maintained. by a feenn9 oi pride in the appearance or the ciiy' more than an interest he nad III Ine Exchange Hotel. or any other ouiiu hz zklderman Sullivan made spirited reioinder. He brought up the 1ac5 hat a rule of the City Council Lorodd anx ,take in the passage of an ordinance 'ron, voting on that measure lie ,aIied for a recount on Alderman | motion to table the mlnorl- strenuous objection to this on par iamentary grounds was made oy AI- Herman Foster and others. Numerous | ,oints of order were raised, and after nuch discussion, an opinion was asked | 'or from City Attorney c. P. Mcintyre. |
 MT Mcintyre held that the owners | if nublic buildings. inasmuch as they | vere affected by the ordinance in only | he same degree as other people us- ng it, were privileged to vote.
 The amendment proposed excluding buildings of concrete or stone con .truction, known as fire proof" build m nc and having two or more metal Itsirways. was then voted upon and ost, the vote standing seven yeas and even nays, as follows;
 Yeas - Foster Hudson, Lobman, 2oemer. Strauss. A. L. Tyson J. c. Ty-
 Nays-Cox. Griffith. Holloway. Jones. Ruth, Ryan. Sullivan-7.
 The amendment as first proposed. In luding all buildings of three stories 1T over. was then voted upon, and was arried to 5, but was declared not to ave passed, as 1t lacked two votes of he nine required for the passage of n ordinance Following are tn )se yho voted for and against fire esca pc protection for the buildings of Mon =
 YeascCox Griffith, Holloway. Jones, Iuth. Ryan, Sullivan-7.
 Nays-Foster. Hudson, Lobman. trauss, J. c. Tyson-0.
 Aldermen Roemer and A. L. Tyson were excused from votin"