The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-27
MUST Be FIXED.
Chief Wilmarth Amends His Or-
ders to Building Owners.
Comply With Provisions OF the
Law at Once.
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION
Tells How Fire Escapes Must Be
Constructed.
Statement of Bonded Indebted.
ness of the City.
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

The Office of Fire Marshal George o.
Wfiuarth is the busiest Office in the
city hall this week. II is crowded with
property owners from morning until
night and they all have to review the
height, breadth. length, depth and gen.
eraI construction of their buildings
Saturday evening the fire chief issued
orders to all the owners OF skyscrapers
in the city reminding them that tneS
should obey the law regardless OF the
many technicaIities and the shortcom-
ings of some of the different parts
relating TO fire escapes Inc orQerS
issued by Chief Wilmarth related 10
exits in the buildings in the city Since
the issuing Of the Saturday orders the
chief has added a few amendments ana
in part the orders tell the following
story:
you are hereby notified that every
building, public or private institution
school house. church, theater, puoHc
hall, place of assem- blage or place OF
public resort. and every hotel. family
hotel apartment house, boarding
house, lodging house or tenement mouse
three or more stories in height, shaII
be provided with one or more metaLlc
ladders or stair fire escapes attacheu
10 the outer walls. and extending from
OF suitably near the ground TO the up
permost story, with platforms. and or
such forms and dimensions, ana IN
nEOX1HlCE 10 one or I4pk = NAAANOsfS
above the first story as TO render &C
cess to such ladders or stairs from
each such story easy and safe Ana
also that all buildings more than TWO
stories IN height used for rnanuiactur-
ing purposes or for hotels, dormtorles,
schools, seminarieS, hospitals or dsy-
iums shall have at least one such r1re
escape for each thirty persons Tor
which working, sleeping or HVlng ac-
commodatfons are provided. above the
second story of said building; that all
public halls with seating room above
the first or ground floor shaH pc pro-
vided with such number OF said lad
ders or stair fire escapes as the nre
marshal may direct
Concerning the much fought over
rope fire escape system the law has the
following to say:
THAT Independent of and IN ad-
ditfon to the external iron fire es-
capes it shall be the duty of the owner
Of said buildings to provide and TO
cause 70 be securely fixed to bolt
near the window head inside Of at
least one window of every room on
the second floor and in each and every
room on a higher floor of such build
ing a chain not less than three-fOurths
of an inch in diameter and at least
five feet in length and a rope made OF
good material and not less than one !
half inch in thickness and OF sufficient
length to extend to the ground or
other place of landing; such rope in
each room to be carefully coiled and
kept near the sill of the window to
which the escape is attached
This Is where all of the trouble over
the rope theory has found its root in
the last few days especially since the
Copeland fire. II will be noticed that
the law only requires a half-inch rope
and does not say anything about new
patent friIls and devices for the safe
escape from a public building. The
law has the following TO say about the
posting Of notices:
That it shall be the duty of the
proprietor. custodian. superintendent
or person or persons having the
charge or control of public buildings
TO post notices in every room. hall and
public and conspicuous place in such
buildings, calling attention to the fact
that this section has been complied
with. and designating the place on
each and every floor OF such building
where such metallic ladders or stair
fire escapes or rope escapes are 10
Gated and may be found. said ladders
and stair fire escapes and ropes shall
be furnished, constructed and main
tanned at the expense of the owner or
owners of the buildings"
Then comes the orders about force
pumps and hand grenades. all of
which have been enforced to the letter
in this city The force pump has not
been received with very much favor
but the hand chemical extinguishers
have been used in almost every build
ing without an order from the fire
marshal-the owners have realized
their value and they have provided
themselves with them. Not only in
the large public buildings but most of
the residents in private homes have
kept these little chemical extinguish-
ers around the house for constant use
in case Of emergency. The width of
the stairways and the outward swing
ing of the doors is explained as fol-
lows:
That all public halls. lyceums. opera
house and other places of amusement
which are thrown open TO and used for
the profit of their owners or proprietors