The Washington times., 1906-03-24
Fire Escapes on Fronts of Buildings
Will Scrape off Every Bit of Beauty
Architect Haller's View of
New Law.
CITY ROWS OF IRON STEPS
All Efforts to Get Charm in Houses
Useless and Robbery Will
Be Made Easy.

1T IS obviously unjust To compel a
man TO defaces his dwelling with FIRE
escapes, and the proposition seems 10 me
like carrying a humanitarianism princi-
PIE too far"
In this terse manner Architect y. T
Haller, or the n. T. HalIer Company.
today roundly condemned the law re-
Gently enacted b. Congress requiring
"a buildings of ? certain class, three
or more stories in height. to be
equipped with fire escapes. Mr.. Haller
had no hesitancy in strongly condemn
ing the sweeping character of the new
law, stating that However we'll intended
the principle may be, in effect II would
operate to mar all the architectural
beauties Of buildings and make prac-
tically useless the effort OF architects
10 obtain charm In designs Of build-
.ngs
An illustration Of Architect HaIler's
statement is shown In the accompany
ing photograph of an apartment house
in the northwest section of the city.
the front Of which is defaced by a fire
escape The owner OF this apartment
made a strenuous protest 10 the Com
missioners against the Disagreement
but 10 no avail. They contended that the
fire escape was needed, regardless Of its
effects Oh the architecture, and it was
erected. the owner states, rather than
resist the law
Rows of Iron Steps.
The fact that buildings throughout
the city will be disfigured by this law, q"
continued Mr.. Haller. will clearly be
demonstrated when the fronts of build
ings on fine residence and business
streets present the appearance of a
network OF iron steps. Tine DETACHMENT
will be more pronounced in the poorer
sections Of the city where tenements
are located. Imagine fire escapes used
as repositories for ash and garbage
cans and decorated with family wash
that viii be the common picture.
Another effect OF the law. although
not significant 10 some at present, ."
said Mr.. HaIer. is that it will un-
doubtedly invite burglary Whenever
lire escapes are erected in front OF
buildings they naturally offer easy ac-
cess 10 burglars. Robbery, already of
tco frequent occurrence in the city, will
become an act comparatively simple.
and citizens will be kept in a state of
terror lest these evildoers, besides thee
thefts. do bodily harm The city will
become a mecca for this type of law
breakc- and no home Will be safe
gain-t their visitation.
A iaW Of this character is too radi-
cal IN purport to ever become popular.
and viii not stand the test in court
For a property TO erect fire escapes vol
unfairly is Oh thing. but to compel ii
by law is encTOaching upon constitu-
Iional rights"
Suit Takes Form.
The speakers reference to the courts
seems to indicate that the opposition
10 the law. already spoken of in The
Times. meant more than mere murmur-
1nCs of discomfort and that before LONG
an attempt will be made TO secure re-
peal of the law.
To substantiate this, Mr.. Haller stat
ed in conversation that client of his
firm, who at present is contemplating
the erection OF several buildings in the
Northeast section. had fully made uD
his mind to resist the law. and TO test
its validity in the courts. This falling,
Mr.. Haller stated. movement. which
has already gained considerable head
way. would probably be made to have
Congress repeal the law as unjust tC
the community.
Another phase of the new law, that
ed within ninety days. was freely dis
cussed by Architect Paul j. Pelz. archi'
tect of the Congressional Library
GEORGETOWN University. and other well
known buildings.
MI. PeIz said that while he had made
no critical analysis of the law. il would
appear that property. owners will be
placed at a serious disadvantage TO be
compelled TO meet the ninety-day pro
vision.
Will Hurt Iron Dealers
"Naturally. when property owners
seek 10 compl, with this law, there
viii be great rush 10 secure the re-
ouired fire-escape materials. and from
present Indications the supply on hand
VIII not nearly meet this demand. There
being only a limited number OF Local
firms 10 meet this call for iron. custom
ers will be compelled to look TO out
side markets All this will mean con
siderable money spent away from the
city. which might otherwise be kept al
home. if the time limit for this enforc-
ed construction was extended 10 feal
or more.
Relative TO this time allowance OF
ninety days. I'm which all buildings now
standing, coming within the law. must
be equipped with fire escapes. the law
empowers the District Commissioners
TO use their discretion in extending the
time. 1t is stated that the Commission
ers in a majority of the cases will be
asked TO exercise this discretionary
power.
Already the Commissioners have re-
ceived protests from a. number OF apart
uent-house op-gers against the frees
cape requirement: If the predicted
forcement OF the new law center into
3 determined opposition, the Commits
sioners will be little else than a board
OF review sitting to hear appealed cases