Evening star., 1909-02-11
TRYING TO OBEY LAW
Commissioners Report to Con-
gress as to Fire Escapes.
REPLY TO A RESOLUTION
No Means of Proceeding Until First
Of Last July.
ONLY ONE INSPECTOR ON DUTY
Action as Regards Only Thirty-Five
Per Cent of buildings AZ
fected by Statute.
REPLY TO A RESOLUTION
|NLY ONE INSPECTOR ON DUTY

fected by Statute.
Responding to resolution of the House
OF Representatives calling for report of
| the extent of the enforcement Of the fire
escape law of 1906 the District Commits
sioners sent a report to Speaker Cannon
today pointing out that Congress made no
provision for carrying the law into effect
until two years after the enactment, and
then authorized the appointment OF only
one fire escape inspector. in response to
repeated requests by the Commissioners
for two.
I'm reply to request for the reasons
why steps have not been taken to enforce
the law against such apartment houses
as the Cumberland, Farragut, Brunswick
and others mentioned" says the report,
the Commissioners desire to state that.
while the fire-escape law was passed in
1906. no special provision was made by
Congress for carrying the law into ef-
feet until the 1st of July, 1908, at which
time one inspector was provided to exc
cute this work under the inspector OF
buildings. this after the Commissioners
had repeatedly asked Congress to author
iZe the appointment OF two f1re-escape
inspectors to carry the law into effect.
Requires a Joint Inspection.
THE operation CT the law requires a
joint inspection of each building by the
fire department and the building inspec-
tors office. and this has further delayed
matters, especially prior to the date of
the appointment of the fire escape in
spector. as 1t was impossible for the
regular inspectors Of the building de-
partment who were already much over
worked. 10 give continued attention to the
enforcement of this law.
up to the present time the law has
been enforced only against about thirty
tive percent of the buildings which come
under 1t. in spite of the fact that every
effort has been made with the means at
the disposal of the Commissioners to en-
torce the law as rapidly as possible.
Policy Being Followed.
"As the Commissioners realized that it
would be impossible to enforce the law
when first passed with the means at hand
in less than five or six years, they adopt
ed the policy Of enforcing it upon the
most dangerous buildings first.
Under this policy the buildings. hotels,
etc, taking transient guests and the
places of public assembly were examined
first. Then the combustible apartment
houses were taken up as nearly pos
sible in the order of their danger in case
Of fire.
THE freproof apartment houses and
office buildings have been left till the
last. as it is considered that they are the
least dangerous of the buildings coming
under the law. 1t Is hoped to reach them
all in the course Of the next year.
Information Called For.
The resolution passed by the House
asked the Commissioners to furnish 1t
with the following infornation:
within the District Of Columbia coming
within the provisions Of the above act
the number of inspections made OF such
buildings: the number Of notices sent to
owners or agents Of said buildings, as re-
quired by said act. and whether or not
Farragut. Brunswick, Stoneeigh Court.
Cairo. Connecticut, Ontario, kenesaw.
Iroquois. Alabama, Plymouth and Len
nox and other large apartment houses
have been equipped with fire escapes.
alarm gongs, fire hose, fire extinguishers
and other appliances for protection
against fire, as required In the above act;
what prosecutions. II any, have been
commenced against. violafors Of the law.
If any, and the reason why steps have not
such large apartment houses as those
mentioned, ii no such steps have been
taken"
Text Of Report.
The report says:
1.-THE approximate number Of buildings
within the District of Columbia coming
within the provisions of the act referred
to in the resolution is 5000.
THE approximate number Of inspec-
tions made Of such buildings between the
passage of the flre-escape law and Janu-
airy -, 1900, Is 6.S67.
''The approximate number Of notices
sent between the above dates to owners
or agents of said buildings as required by
said act is 1858.
THE apartments known as the Cumber-
land. Farragut. Brunswick. Stoneleigh
Court, Cairo. Connecticut, Ontario, Kene-
saw. Iroquois. Alabama. Plymouth. Len
nox and several other large apartment
houses have not yet been equipped with
extinguishers and the other appliances for
protection against fire required in the act
referred to in the resolution.
Prosecution of Violators.
Prosecution has been commenced
against every party who has 50 far failed
to comply with the law after due notifi-
cation The Commissioners submit q list
Of twenty-four cases referred to the as
sistant corporation counsel in the Police
Court for prosecution and the disposition
Thirteen buildings had complied with
the law by the time the cases were called,
and the cases were therefore dismissed.
.'rhe owner of two apartment houses
demanded a trial by jury, and the cases
are still pending.
1.-The owners of two apartment houses
were fined.
Three buildings have since been con-
verted into boarding houses, to which
the law does not apply.
Case Of Non-Resident.
"The owner of one building is nom
resident, and his address unknown, conse-
qucntly no service could be had on the
owner Steps are being taken to put the
building in question in compliance with
the law in accordance with the terms of
the act.
1.-The owner of one building has dis
posed of the same to the government, and
the building Is to be torn down.
':The case against the owner Of one
apartment house was called In the Po-
lice Court January 20. 1909, and con-
tfnued
THE case against one owner of small
apartment house was continued on GER
tificate from the owner that the house
would be put In complete compliance with
the law within thirty days"
NO CHOICE AT SPRINGFIELD.