The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-21
Provisions Of the New
Building Ordinance
One Of the Most important Ordinances That Has Ever Come
to the Attention Of the Fargo CouncI---f Passed
1t VIII Mean Many Changes

The proposed building ordinance for
the city Of Fargo promises to be one
Of the best ordinances that was ever
introduced in to the city council. IT il
complete In every detail and is practic-
ally the same as that which governs
many Of the best cities throughout the
United states
The ordinance has been prepared by
the National Board Of Fire Under
writer's OF New York and represents the
interest OF the people. The present
ordinance is inadequate for the city
now, and will grow more so when FAR
go grows larger.
Some of the salient points in the new
ordinance are as follows:
IL requires that every new building
that Is to be built shall conform To
the code, Furthermore there shall be
structural detail drawings of the work
as the building Inspector of the citv
shall require.
The definition of many different
kinds of buildings are given in the
code. What constitutes a hotel, a
dwelling, an apartment house and
business block, as well as factory
buildings are properly defined so that
there can be no question regarding
them should any controversy ever arise
on the point
There are rules regarding the exca-
yations and the requirements for the
same. The article also includes the
protection and guarding OF the exca-
walton against the loss OF life or limb.
as well as providing for the REQUIRE
ments to be met when holes in the
ground are dug down farther than a
certain stipulated distance.
Special attention is paid to the sani
tary conditions Of apartment and tcne-
ment houses. Every room, with the
exception of water closet compartments
and bath rooms, shall have at least one
window opening directly in the open.
IL is stipulated that the windows shall
be of certain size SO that the light
and ventilation cannot be cramped.
even If this should be the desire by the
owner Of the building. Above rooms
must conform to the requirements of
the other rooms.
In the apartment houses there shall
be at least one room containing not
less than 100 square feet of floor space
and each other room shall contain at
least seventy square feet Of floor space
No ceiling shall be less than nine feet
from the floor. All of these require
mentS tend to make the rooms at least
large enough so that they will not be
unfit for habitation.
In no apartment house shall there
be stored any materials that will be
dangerous to life or health. No bakery
or place for boiling IA. will be allowed
in any apartment building, unless there
be fireproof walls between the places
and the parts used for residences.
Every dwelling house arranged for
and occupied by two or more families
above the first story shall be provided
with an outside stairway to the base
ment. Large buildings having a space
of $500 square feet shall have at least
two stairways, remote from one an
other.
The ordinance provides for many
kinds of fire appliances, fire escapes,
as we'll as fireproof shutters and doors.
In certain buildings there shall be hose
provided and other appliances which
can be used to extinguished the fire in
case blaze should be started.
There is a great deal said In the
ordinance regarding the materials to be