Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-29
MAKE PEACE HERE ORDER FIRE ESCAPES
Gomez Declares Washington District Government Will En-
Place to End War; force Law Rigidy
REPUDIATES Ell DER MADER0 NOTICES TO BE SERVED
Authority He Says Speak OF Several Buildings Will Be
for Mexican Insurrectos Given Warning
LAYS DOWN REBEL TERMS OFFICIALS HOLD CONFERENCE
ed by Junta
tureswi Be Considered Obey Regulation.
District Government Will En-.
force Law Rigid|y.
NOTICES TO BE SERVED
Owners of Several Buildings Will Be
Given Warning.
OFFICIALS HOLD CONFERENCE
Many Occupants of Structures Have
Shown Great Unvillingness to
Obey the Regulation.

| A rigid enforcement Of the fre-esca pc
law as it now stands. giving favcrs tc
no one, is the policy to be followed by
the District government, according to q
| statement today by Commissioner Ru-
| dolph. after a conference with Building
| Inspector Morris Hacker. To follow tina,
policy, it is explained by the Commits
sioner. would be to follow Mr.. Hackers
practice in the past.
| incidentally it became known todaH
that notices to erect fire escapes he
served on the owners of some of the
largest and best-known buildings in the
city within a day or two. Commissioner
Rudolph called on Mr.. Hacker followins
the receipt Of a letter from Representa-
| tive William Rorland of Missouri
Representative Borland stands strongly
for fire escapes and plenty of them. His
letter follows:
You are no doubt aware of the at
tempt that was made during the closing
days of the session Of Congress to amend
the fire-escape Law of the District Of Co
tumbla by excluding so-called freproof
buildings from this provision. felt OBJ
lfged to oppose this find that the law
was passed some five years ago after
ample consideration. and that one year
later it was amended so as to exempt
freproof buildings used entirely for busi-
ness purposes.
Sentiment Of Congress.
"On both Of these occasions the debates
show that the sentiment of Congress was
distinctly against exemptinx from the
provision Of the law buildings used for
the lodging Of human beings or the build
ihSs In which q large number of persons
were continually employed Since that
time we have had a terrible warning i'm
the heartrending disaster which has just
occurred In New York. trust now that
the law as enacted by Congress will be
enforced in the District. as these fright
ful disasters come. like lightning out CT a
clear sky. without warning. With slight
" varying circumstances they may occur
here as well as elsewhere.
we DO not any Of us feel that the life
OF even one poor girl should be weighed
ior an instant against the few hundred
dollars which it would cost property ovn-
ers to obey the law, Of which they have
mad ample notice. I believe YOU wifi
agree with me that an immediate and
positive enforcement Of the fYe-escape
Jaw law as, as enacted by Congress- nvs years
its modincation or repeal. I believe YOU
Will agree. also. that Il the CITY CT New
oIK had had law similar to this and
mad enforced 1t the lives OF those poor
/
Anxious to Enforce Law.
In speaking Of the conference afterv.rd
Commissioner Rudolph said:
''Mr. Hacker wants to enforce tb. n-..
ent fre escape law. and is doing 1t as
well as he can with the limited aid he
mas. He does not want to exempt fire
proof apartments. and cite. as one e~.
ample fire In a fireproof apartment in
New York which resulted in a foes ~
$i'oWo. The fire Tapped out Of one win
DOW into the windows of the floors
Many apartment house owners and
builders have put up strong arguments
against the law. which does not ex-
empt nreproof apartment houses from
the nre escape law. The records Of
the Commissioners hearings SHOW
some of the best known real estate
men in the District as arguing against
TINS phase of the law. and It is be-
ieved ny District officials that the
to be fought out in court.
There is only one inspector of fire
escapes in the District government. al
though attempts have been made to
ditional inspectors. The work is now
done by James P. Parry At present
Mr.. Parry has 2s4 active cases. That
number of buildings have been served
are still without them, or are Just
having them put on
The building inspector has found it im-
possible to take a bird's-eye view daily
with only one man attending to fire es-
capes, 1t is impossible to have every
building coming under the law equipped
with proper escapes at once.
Sixty Days of Grace.
Mr.. Parry has mapped out route to
cover. He inspects every building on that
route and compares its fire escape facili-
ties with the ideal as contemplated by the
present law. In case the building lacks
escapes notice Is sent to the owner
That has sixty days OF grace. When the
escape is not hung on the building at the
end OF that time 1t is possible to obtain
of ninety days. Mr.. Parry said today
that much time was lost by arguing with
owners in some instances. and that II
the law as at present written could be
enforced quickly and without the tur-
moil of argument and visits and many in
spections, the fire escape situation would
be cleared up quickly
The fire escape law. as served on all
builders and owners. requires that 1t
shall be the duty of the owner. entitled
to the beneficial use, rental or control of
any building three more stories in
height. or over thirty feet in height. con-
Structed or uSed, or INTENDED TO be used
as tenement house, apartment house
fiat. hotel. hospital. seminary, academy,
school, college, institute. dorrpitory, asy-
lum. sanitarium. hall or place OF amuse-
ment, or office building or store" to pro-
vide fire escapes that will be of real value
in fire. That section of the law does
not exempt fireproof buildings
Rule as to Factories.
The Commissioners, through the build
ing inspectors Office, control the fire es-
cape situation OF factories. etc, by a sec
tion of the fire escape law which says
that the owner or proprietor must assure
the safety of employees i'm any building
already erected or which may hereafter
be erected in which ten or more persons
are employed at the same time in any of
the stories above the second floor, except
three-story buildings used exclusively as
stores or for office purposes and having
at least two stairways from the ground
floor. each three or more feet wide and
separated from each other by q distance
Of at least thirty feet, from one of which
stairways shall be easy access to the
roof
Fire escapes must be put on build
ings OF this type, and a list OF every
one of them is in Mr.. Parry's hands
Not only do fire escapes come under
the law, but the Commi ssioners have
-, f1v,1 h. IT,