The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-06
BUDGET PASSED
I COMMON COUNCIL
Lengthy Discussion But No Ma
tcrial Change in Report OF
Finance Committee.
LADIES COULDN'T MOVE THEM
Fair Ones Failed to Influence the
Economical Watchmen OF City
Treasury.

ECollollllSul WatSlllllSu OF lily
Treasury.
Tile Common Council had lively meet
ing last night. attended IL a large and
unusual audience IN addition to thirty
members present. there were about fifty
women and us many young people from
The ST. Andrews School. all OF whom
were interested In the budget or that
part of it which pertained to kinder
gartens. However. none of the visitors
got any satisfaction out of their trip,
for the Common Council went to business
with pretty well defined purpose to pass
the budget just as 1t came from the
Finance Committee. and it came very
near to doing that thing. Only one minor
amendment got through, although a
dozen or more were offered, and n great
deal of time was spent in discussion.
The ordinance allowing the Richmond
and Chesapeake Bay Railway Company
TO cross certain streets with viaducts
for its tracks was passed and n great deal
of other important business was tranact-
ed
The Common Council met with a much
larger audience than usual. A large dele
cation of ladies was an unusual feature
OF the meeting. as was also a delegation
of students from the ST. Andrews
School.
The rol-call showed thirty members
present more than quorum. and the
Council proceeded to business. mes
sage from the Mayor vetoing the ordI-
nance exempting the American National
Bank from the erection of fire escapes
on their building at Tenth and Main
Streets, in which he not only sat down
or that ordinance, but incidentally dis
cussed the general subject of sky-scrapers
and fire-escapes.
Mayors Veto Message.
The mayors veto message in full fol.
lows:
To the Honorable. the Common Council
of the City of Richmond:
Gentlemen,--I have returned without
NY my approval an ordinance entitled "An
tional Bank building. located on the
southeast corner of Main and Tenth
Streets Streets; from the requirement of a fire
,,soa r, WHICH q was passed by the Com
ed by the Board OF Aldermen January ..
Council February 3, 1866.
Approval of this ordinance is withheld
for the following reasons
The discussion of the ordinance in COM
mittee and in the two branches OF the
Council revealed the fact that the pro-
posal to exempt this building from the
operation of ,he ordinance requiring fire
escapes was based on two facts.
Isl. That 1t is not practicable to put
Z Tire escape on the exterior of the build
ing, which would be workmanlikc. ac-
c-ssible and effective
md That the construction of the buld-
lhS Is such as to Plan and material, that
no fire escape is needed.
a. AS ~, to , the first propostion The plan
inent and the Two next floors above are
used FOR banking purposes. and that
three is series of office rooms, one be-
hlnd the other. with no space between
them. with long. narrow corridor en-
side Of if" tho b r9at 10 re hrre on the cas-,
either noor cross hall giving access |
IRON the east corridor to the western |
windows. a cross hall on each floor, Civ |
ing access to. the western front of the |
building, would, by the small necessary
socrihce of space, give access to an ex- |
Yer ,erlor IRE escape on the western wall Of
the building; but such a structure ex- |
lending to the great height of the build
Ing, and necessarily sloping from one
end of the building to the other. would |
building. with frontage of only 20 feet
e INCHES ,s, ei, has ~, depth of IA feet and
side of the building is impracticable be- |
cause it would necessitate windows in the
east wall which would expose the entire
building 10 fire originating in the adjoin-
ing building on the east, and would, be- |
sides, overriding The adjoining property
and would be subject to the consent
of the owners of it.
Almost Perpendicular.
because the building is only 26 feet wide
by lsi feet high and the escape would !,
IN addition 10 this difficnity. there would td
be only two means of reaching the rear
sft FRI r. escape gn Ist through the room
might be locked; and, secondly, through !
the windows at the rear end of the long, |
single corridor on the east side of the |
building, but this would not be practicable, |
because the windows at the rear end OF |
this corridor are so high above the stair |
way Landing at each level that It would |
each landing, by which the tenants could
reach the window. and through the vim
dow. the escape.
As 10 the second proposition: There
is narrow and tortuous stairway at |
the rear OF the building, which extends !
from rom the top TO the bottom This would
end OF the building only
In the front of the building there is an !
elevator shaft which would. In case of
veyance OF smoke and fire from any low
point 10 the highest points in the build
Ing Adjoining this elevator shaft is
At THE SECOND STORY, counting
counting from the alley at the rear, This
s saiisT,a ought % be extended AT Any
sA61RIFICE or THE NECESSARY
sPAGE. TO THE TOP; OR TENTH.
STORY, AND, IN ADDITION TO EX-
TENDING, THE STAIRWAY. IT OUGHT
70 BE SEPARATED FROM THE EIE.
NAToR SHAFT (WHICH 1T ADJOTNS)
BY A FIRE WALL EXTENDING; FROM
THE MAIN FLooR. no THE ROOF.
There are seven floors for office use
with twelve rooms to- each floor, ,nakinp
q total Of 81 rooms. II is reasonable to to
supPose that when the building is fully
occupied ths rooms would average three
persons each. ard this would give total
Of 252 people on seven floors. with no
means Of egrfsss but the narrow and tor
tlops stairway in the rear end Of the
building. as the front stairway STOPS
AT THE THIRD FLOoR-counting from
me basement and rear. The only possible