Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-02-05
Will Improve Great Bend

Chief Clyde Moore of the fife
departmnt sayes that all build
ings in Great Bend not having
fire escapes should be fixed and
at once. The s.a e Jaw N riga d
to this is very drastic and the
fire boys here do not intend to
take any chances. Practically
every lodge room, the ho,eIs, the
court house, the opera house and
other public buildings will have
to provide at lesat one or more
exits. The law in regard to this
matter is as follows:
Every building now or hereaf-
ter used, in whole or in part, as
a public building, a public or
private institution, schoOlhOCs.,
church, theatre, pubic ha |, place
of assemblages, or as a place OF
public resort, and every hOte',
family hotel, department house,
boarding house, lodging hOrs',
or tenement house, three OF more
stories in height, shall be pro-
yided with one or more metallic
ladders or stair fire escapes, Sc
curely fastened to the outside
walls thereof, extending from or
suitably near the ground to the
uppermost stories thereof, with
platforms of such forms and d.
mansions, and in such plOxlml-
Ity to one or more W ndows of
each story above the fist as to
render access to such ladies
or stairs from each such story
and easy and safe. The numbers
location, material and cOns!ruc-
ton of such escapes to be sub
ject to the approval Of the fire
marshal or chief of fire depar,-
ment of the city; provided, how
ever, that all buildings more thar
1.-TWO stories in height used for
manufacturing purposes or for
hotels, dormitories, schools, SEM
inarieS, hospitals or asylums shall
have at least one such fire es-
capes for every thirty persons
for which working, sleeping or
living accommodations are pro-
vided above the second stories of
said buildings, and that all pub
lie halls with seating room above
the first or ground story sha |
be provided with such numbers
of said ladders or fire escapes
as the fire marshal or chief of
the department deem necessary.
Independent and in addition
to the external fire escapes that
are required by the laws OF tn
state upon hotels or large board
ing houses for the accommodate:
of the public, as upon any lodg-
ing house, tenement house or any
public building in which rooms
are let to numerous families,
wherever any said building can
accommodate twenty or more in
dividuals and is two or more stOr
les in height it shall be the d.
ty of owners of all said build
ings to provide and cause to be
securely affixed to a bolt through
the wallnear the window head,
inside of at least one window in
each and every room on each and
every room on second floor and
in each and every room of each
and every higher floor of such
buildings, a chain not less than
three-fourths inches in diameter
and at least five feet long with
a rope securely fastened and
made of good material and not
less than one-half inch in thick
ness, and of sufficient length to
reach the ground or other place
of landing, such rope escape in
each room to be carefully coiled
and kept near the sill of the
window to which attached.
1t shall be the duty of pro-
prietOrs or persons in charge
of such buildings, where me.
es in every room, hall and public
and conspicuous place in such
building, calling attention to the
fact that this act has been COM
piled with, and designating the
places on each and every floor
of such buildings, where such me
talic ladders, fire escapes or rope
may be found. The metallic lad
ders or stair, fire escapes and
the rope escapes shall be furnish
ed, constructed and maintained
at the expense of the owner or