The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-18

buildings in the state would be
equipped with all such means of exit
/ in case of fire as might reasonably be
demanded. Provision is made in it for
the equipment of the buildings in ques-
| tion with one or more outside metallic
ladders or stair fire escapes. The num-
ber and location of them on any par
ticular building is left to the discretion
of the heads OF the fire departments in
the cities and towns. except that there
] shall be at least one such fire escape
for every thirty persons that the build
ing accommodates.
But this law goes considerably fur
ther. Tt provides that independent and
in addition to such external fire escapes
that local fire chiefs may insist shall
be placed on buildings, it shall be the
duty of owners Of such buildings of or
more than two stories in height to pro-
vide and cause to be securely affixed to
a. bolt through the wall near the win
dow head. inside of at least one window
on each and every room on the second
floor. and in each and every room on
each higher floor of every such build
ing, chain not less than three-fourths
of an inch in diameter and at -least five
feet in length, with rope made of
good material and not less than one
half inch in thickness, and of suf-
ficient length to extend to the
ground or other place of land
ing, such rope escape in each
room to be carefully coiled and kept
near the sill of the window to which
the escape is attached. Maps of the 10
cation of the metallic fire escapes and
the rope escapes must be placed in each
room and any violation Of any pro-
visions of this law subjects the owner
of a building of the sort in question to
fine OF not less than IS or $500.
Then comes the last and most inn
portant section of the law. 1t explicitly
directs the chief of the fire department
in all cities and towns to visit the
buildings in question at least once
every three months and make investi- |
cations to see that the proprietors of
them are complying with the law in all
of it's details. He is to report viola |
tions of it to the local city attorney or |
the prosecuting officer of the COM |
munity. From the manner in which |
the guests of the Copeland went to
work and tried to make ropes out of |
blankets and sheets which served them |
poorly in their efforts to get from their
rooms without injury it is quite evil
QGHl Ef1dL LIlS nOLGl was not provided |
with fire escape ropes as the law de-
mands. 1t is unnecessary to state
where the responsibility for this condi-
ton of affairs exists. The law states it
explicitly. But it is reasonable to sup
pose that if the Copeland hotel was not
to put in these rope fire
that no other large hotel in the
city has been compelled so to do
There ic fG 0F 10 Il
ing the office of state fire marshal and
providing that such an official shall /
have supervision over the fire chiefs
and marshals in the state for the pur-
pose of seeing that they do their full
duty in making hotel proprietors and
those of other large buildings live up
to all of the provisions of the fire
escape and other fire laws. Such plan
may be good one. Although it is in
conceivable how a fire chief can be lax
in enforcing such laws On his own
initiative, nor is it understandable why
such an official should need proddfng
up on matter as important as this
0nn