The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-27
SAYS. RICHMOND
IS UP-T0-DATE.
ORDINANCES AMPLE TO PROTECT
LIFE AND PROPERTY. AS
sEnTs cITY OFFICIALS.
BECK AND JOYNES TALK
BELIEvE THAT LAWS HERE MAKE
HOLOCAUST LIKE THAT IN
NEW YORK I'M
POSSIBLE.

Richmond runs no danger Of any
such holocaust a. that which claim
ed more than 14l lives in New York
Saturday. In tho opinion Of Fire Chief
,Joynes. Of me Richmond department.
Every precaution Is taken In
Richmond to safeguard the lives or
persons from fire." said Chief Joynes
Monday. I'VE have FIRE escapes on
every large building in the city and
more than q dozen are now In course
of erection on other buildings. Our
inspectors make reports twice
month. and thus we keep pretty we'll
posted ~ to conditions.
The Richmond building ordinance
IL very comprehensive and enables
VA to carry out our work as 1t should
he. Bad smoke pipes and defective
fiues in general are receiving special
attention at the hands OF our in
spectors. More than 1900 OF these
pipes have been altered to comply
with the ordinance within the past
year. Our inspectors are also pay
Ing attention to substitution of iron
shutters and parapet walls are other
safeguards against IRE to which We
are directing particular attention"
Parnpct walls Effective.
1T is the belief Of Chief Joynes that
a parapet wall In the south section
Of Richmond College saved that end
of the building from destruction by
FIRE when the north end was destroyed
last Christmas morning. He also be-
lieves that had the Larus tobacco
factory In the East End business dis
trict been equipped with a parapet
wall II would not have been damaged
as II was. by the fire In that section
recently.
Chief Joynes says he has definitely
ascertained that the fire in the old
Richmond and Allegheny railroad Of
fees on Cary street several days ago
resulted from the fact that the hole
In the wall for a stove pipe on the
second floor was covered with q piece
OF paper pasted over it.. Sparks from
the stove In the room underneath. II
appears. ignited the paper and caused
parts of 1t to fall to the floor, thus
igniting the mass Of old records and
rubbish stored on that floor.
Might Not Have Occurred.
Had that opening in the wall been
properly protected said Chief
Joynes. "the blaze would not have
occurred
Chief Joynes,, when asked IL any
business or manufacturing establish
ments practiced the custom of lock-
ing doors on their employees during
working hours. as reported. said that
he knew OF no such instances. He
added. however, that his inspectors
would hale offenders or the law into
the police court without delay II they
discovered any such cases.
1t In reported that at least one to-
hacco factory has q custom OF lock-
ing doors on their employees so AZ
to prevent them from slipping out
during working hours
Richmond ID Up-to- Date.
Building Inspector Beck Is also
confident that Richmond lie much bet
ter safeguarded than New York In
the way OF fire escapes and general
protection against nres. He says tina,
30 far a. he understands them the
building laws of New York City APP
pear to be particularly loose and he
10 gratified that Richmond has up
to-date building laws. In the course
OF time Mr.. Beck hopes to have q
special inspector In his department,
whose sole duty shall be TO look after
FIRE escapes and to recommend erec-
ton OF new appliances whenever he
sees At.