Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-30
DISREGARD OF
PUBLIC SAFETY
Citizens Amazed by Situation at
Police Court. :.
LONE, MARROW STAIRWAY
Sole Exit for the Public in the Event
Of Fire.
PROTEST FROM THE JUDGES
What is Required by Regulations
Plans Result Of Competition
Among Architects.
PROTEST FROM THE JUDGES


e,i.;,o. ~, ho .;.,.. D.,,..
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regard shown by the people responsible for
the omiding Tor pupiic safety, not to speak
OF PUBIC COMFORT. In TINS building, Where
from hundreds TO thousand or more peo-
pie gather daily, there Is one lone public
stairway. three feet six inches wide, which
is the only passageway for the crowds from
the sidewalk to the two court rooms.
Every day since the sessions have been
ho,d in tho n.r h,,ild;,a +haro no. hoon
heticed congestion on the stairs. Al
though there have been no heavy attend
ances at the courts, it was evident that the
..H "
nien's VI an oiuii"i' cur. oa''
The sta1rways run up three flights and
are OF the UNIFORM wldtn OF three Ieet SIX
the District branch of the court, where
the largest crowds gather, every one must
climb one fight of stairs, and to get to the
United States court they must mount
three flights The width of the stairs is not
sufficient to allow a person going down to
pass a person coming up without bending
sideways, and two persons of ordinary size
on the same step would block the passage
way completely. There is no extra provis-
ion at the first fight for the great crowds
which must use that passageway, for II Is
the only entrance to both courts. 1t is
usual to make the first flight much wider
than those ABOVE 10 meet '''e sie''e'
In Case of Fire.
om 80 tho oo,r+ have called attention
=. e. .;t,,.+ion that would result in case
Of a, fro in the building. This stairway
,broa foot six inches in width is absolutely
the onlv exit from the building for the
nublic When the courts are in session
49, ,ro seldon less than 500 people in the
building, ana oiteln 'h ,sh.t a loss Of life or
times tna .. nusi to MANY persons would re-
seseie -, they rushed for the one passage
NV at a call of fire seems certain Inc
~ are escapes for such cases of emer-
no nIe T,,.o nr;vate stairways, each about
senc!. W orc used by the officials. but
Two Zee. W., .harato are kept locked they
as the uooa -. cticallv useless at time Of
WIZ o,,cy
ei w. =; resnonsible?' is the question
~ nv taan On the lips Of many persons
that n mas ueS ,,se the building, such as
VINO lIequiHy nolice officers and 9TH
ia Nv 81 IfsnoIlv II is finally put up to the
eis ;nspectors Office where the
.nl. ,7ere apnroyed. When the building
plans Were apb Sufficiently to show the
hau ~ " ~ sta;rwavs both judges dis
onrared that those passageways wouio
be too small to take care OF the tft their
E1,rf
ha tried and first shown to be insufficient
1900: - peou1ations Suggested.
seyera, ner
In discussihs .n.s tnot the building
sons have susses..u h;s oIvn reeula-
inspector mas ~. h,,;,d;no IN
lions in permitting the oou. .braa
be erected with the one s'oii ""'
feet six inches wide. The regulation
;. :. ol.;mad the stairways vio-
WnIcH, !; ;oniuSed with others under the
late 10 haaJing.
seMsaa ,,,at;ons for the public safety in
20 and other pubIc places of amuse-
Inca ia az assen,hly in the District of Co
luTnnla. o.,o, 70, referring to stairways,
~. on nnsl,,iations sav
ene IN i1e s,airways shall be composed of iron,
Al SC. .,"- ;,,oo,,, hustible material The
risers shall be not more than seven and "a q
nan 1Hcne a, nei M M window shall be used
IN n anv stairway for entrance or exit. All
stairways must be constructed with secure
handrails or brick dividing walls sufficient
in construction 70 pIever,, , aec shais hs two
OF neasy Sres 90 Oh f,oor of an auditorium.
start;nc NOT less than five feet wide at the
s,rs,e se gallery and increasing one foot in
, uRRYh Gov each one hundred seats in the
WIZ, baIow"
saieiios
Not Of Required Width.
l., &c r,ost iiharal incarceration 1t
Even III 40 me- -. 49, that III.
Is declared, this sectlon orders ina. tue
stairways in the new court building wnicn
10 a ..nublic place of assembly," must be
=; ,,,;a.h IYndor +h;s REGULATION
nve 1eet III "iuen' onuei 'is ,
then, the stairways fa1i, by 1uii 1901 and
half, of being the required width.
but the regasot tbs mnoar co,,rt room as
gallery. within the meaning of the law,
the lower flight OF stairs must De widened
one foot Tor every MV ssaes IN .ns .o s,'r
n;shea 'oc cnntain about 900 seats at least.
That would require. stairway eight feet
in width from the entrance floor to the
floor above.