River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-07-15
No. 600, A.. published June 10, 1909.
CHAPTER 394. LAWS OF 1909.

AN ACT to create sections i636-1S0 to
1636-2O1 inclusive, for the regulation
of the construction OF apartment houses
tenement houses, and boarding and lodg
ing houses In cities of the tirstFclass.
The people of the State of Wisconsin, repre-
scented In Senate and Assembly, do enact
as follows:
Section l. There are added to the stat
bered sections I636-1SO to 16S692Oi in
Section i6S6-1so The provisions Of
cities of the first class only, but all or any
of the provisions thereof shall apply to
and be In force in any city OF the second or
third class In which the common council
thereof shall by ordinance provide that the
same or such designated part or provisions
thereof shall so apply and be in force In
Section, 1s36-1S1 %. An apartment
or tenement house, In the meaning of this
act, is any house or building. or portion
thereof, which Is rented. leased let or hired
out to be occupied as a home or residence
Of three or more families living independ-
emily and doing their cooking or having
facilities for doing their cooking upon the
premises, and having common right In the
stairways. yards and water closets or some
(2). A lodging or boarding house is any
house or building or portion thereof In
which six or more persons are harbored, re-
ceived or lodged for hire, or any building
or part thereof which Is used for six or
| more persons not members Of the family, 20
sieeg In or occupy as a lodging lying It,
4 j.
rooms occupied or designed to be occupied
as q family domiclle
| az. A yard is an open unoccupied space
on the same lot with a tenement, lodging or
| boarding house, between the rear line of the
house and the rear line Of the lot.
| (6). A court is an open, unoccuRied space
than ynT On f6s SHps wth
| court entirely surrounded by house or
building is an inner court. A court bounded
building and on the remaining side by lot
| line Is an inner lot-line court. court ex-
tending to street, alley or yard, Is an
| outer court. court with one side on a
| lot line and opening to street or yard or
| both is an outer lot line court:
| co.. A shaft includes exterior and In
| terlor shafts. whether for light, air, Gle
| vator, dumb-waiter or any. other purpose.
/ vent shaft Is one used solely to ventilate
| or light a watercloset compartment, bath
| room or passageway.
| (7l, A public hall is a hall, corridor, or
| passageway not within an apartment,
| (S). A stair hall includes the stairs, stair
| landings, those portions OF the public halls
| getting from the entrance floor to the root,
| and the enclosing partitions.
CO.: A basement Is 9 story partly l. but but
| the level of the lot
(10). A cellar is story more than one
| half It's height below the level Of the lot.
(11). An attic Is an enclosed portion or
| building above the top story and Is not to
1 be construed or counted as q story.
(12l. The expressions "hre.proof and
! In used, means a construction of walls,
| piers, partitions, floors, roof and stairs In
| which no wood or other infammable ma
| terial Is used In which the several struc-
! tural parts are made Of hard, incombustible,
fire resisting materials and In which all
| structural parts of steel and Iron are thor
| oughly protected from fire by an ample COW
erIng Of such fire resisting material. fire.
| proof tenement, lodging or boarding house
IL one of fre-proof construction. But this
definition shall not be construed as pro-
| hibiting, elsewhere than In stair halls or en-
| trance halls the use of wooden flooring on
| top of the fire proof floors or the use OF
(1Sl. Where a grade in the street or lot
| adjacent to a tenement, lodging or boarding
house varies, the mean or. average grade OF
such street or lot shall be considered the
| grade Of such street or lot
/ (14) A lot line Is the boundary line on
either side Of the proposed building premises
to be indicated as such on the lot diagram,
| and a lot Is such building premises open
and unoccupled by any building.
Section 1636-1s2. Before the erection,
| construction or alteration, except minor re.
repairs Of any apartment house, tenement
| house, boarding or lodging house, or any
| part Of such building, or the excavation or
! any cellar therefor is commenced, the owner owner
| or builder employed by such owner or lessee
| in connection with the proposed erection or
operation, shall apply to the building nSL TIM IN.
application for such permit shall sta,e the
| eTect site to be occupied and indicate by
diagram the dimensions thereof and location
| of the building thereon, and state the ma
| terials to be used, the dimensions and estl-
| mated cost of the proposed building ana the
probable time to be occupied In the compile :,
tion. The application shall be accompanied
| by detailed statement of the specifications
| full and complete copy OF the plans or
such proposed work and such struc,1,1fral de,
| tail drawings of such proposed building as
the said officer may require and a written
statement giving the full name me and resi- 81.
each Of the owners of such proposed build
ing. also the name and residence OF the
| architect and contractor. Said statement
H1io annproved he kent on Aie in the Office Of
the city building Inspector, and the erection,
| construction or alteration OF such bulldlng
shall not be commenced OF proeeShu n11 S Wrn
| been so filed and permit Issued by such
| building Inspector, and when proceeded with,
| fine erection construction or alteration OF
such building shall be carried on In accord
| once with such approved detailed statement
| of specifications and copy OF plans ana NOT
| otherwise If the detailed statement OF
specifications and copy Of plans indicate
| That the building contemplated VIII NOT IN
eli respects be In accordance with the re-
triirements of this act, the building inspecs,
| FOR shalI refuse to Issue @ permit until said
| sneciflcations and plans shall have been
| made to conform In every respect with the
reqrirts;m 0n SSs az ls Every apartment
honse tenement. lodging or boarding house
| hereafter erected, fVe stories or more aDoveo
cellar or basement, shall be OF hre-prooh
construction.
nronS a. we'll as flre-proof tenement, lodg-
Ing or boarding house hereafter erected:
| three stories or more In height, exclusive or
cellar. the floor of the FIRST story above the
cellar shall be Of dre-proof construction.
all non-Hre-nroof as well as freproof tene-
| ment houses hereafter erected shall De con
| etr1cted as In this section specified. In
| every apartment house, tenement mouse,
| boarding or lodging house hereafter erected,
| which either Is occupied or 10 arranged 70
| Se ocruuied by more than two families ON
| snv fioor or which is four stories and cellar
| IN HEIGHT the stair halls shall be conetruct.
| "a Of fre-proof material throughout. :, In
| Apartment, tenement houses and Doar0ing
| stories and cellar In height, and which also
| are not occupied or arranged to De 0ccu-
! nioA bv more than two families on any hoorl
| fKn stair halls shall be made OF hre-proor
| or open mill construction. Enclosing par.
Htions shall be either nre.proof OF nlleo
| SECTION 1686-1e6. All shafts hereafter
| eorfstructed In apartment houses, tenement,
| lodging and boarding houses, shall be con-
I Rtructed hre-proof throughout NO eie-
vator shall be built IN the wen-noie OF a .ne
pryES ection 1ese-1s7. Every apartment
| house' tenement, lodging or boarding house
hereafter erected, exceeding two stories "a
height and every such building nerea ass 20
| and publication of this act is not PROVIDED
with auf3cient iron fire escapes shall nave
| on the outside thereof. one or more 0ps ~
iron Gre escapes consisting gcs 81 IN tene
ment houses shall open directly rom ron, az
| i..-S 80 rOoy, ofher than bathroom OF