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ELMIRA

CITY CHARTER.

ARTICLE XI.

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174. The said board of fire commissioners shall have power and it shall be their duty * * to compel the owners and occupants of houses and other buildings to have scuttles in roofs and stairs and ladders leading to the same; pel the construction of suitable fire escapes and means of egress from all theatres and places of amusement, hotels, churches and factories, and other buildings and generally to establish such regulations for the prevention and extinguishment of fires and the safety of occupants of buildings, as they may deem expedient.

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6. Duties and Powers of Fire Commissioners.-It shall be the duty of the fire commissioners, and they are hereby authorized to examine all houses, stores, buildings, cellars, yards and out-buildings within the city, and ascertain if they are in a dangerous state in regard to fire. The fire commissioners may direct the owner or occupant of any premises which they may find in a condition likely, in their opinion, to produce danger from fire, to forthwith remove from such premises any papers, boards, boxes, hay, straw, excelsior or combustible material of any nature, to provide fire escapes, fire extinguishers, or any other device, or make any alterations or improvements, which, in their judgment, may be necessary to put such premises in a safe and secure condition. It shall be the duty of any owner or occupant of any premises within the city, when directed by the fire commissioners, to remove from such premises any papers, boards, boxes, hay, straw or excelsior or combustible material of any nature, or to provide such premises with fire escapes, fire extinguishers or other device, or to make any alterations or improvements thereon, to forthwith comply with such order.

KINGSTON.

ORDINANCE NUMBER I.

12. Fire Escapes.- Outside iron fire escapes or inside fire stairways shall be constructed in or upon every building more than two stories in height, used as a hotel, tenement house, apartment house, lodging house, factory, mill, office building, hospital, asylum, school or public building. The number and location of such fire escapes and fire stairways shall be governed by the location of the building, its style of construction, size, constructed means of egress, number of inmates and the purposes for which used. When outside fire escapes are adopted they shall consist of open iron stairways of not more than 45 degrees slant with steps not less than six inches in width, and twenty-four inches in length, and protected by a well secured handrail on both sides. They shall be connected with each floor above the first, well fastened and of sufficient strength, and shall have landings or balconies not less than six feet in length and three feet in width, guarded by iron railings not less than three feet in height, and embracing at least one window or door at each story, connected with the interior by easily accessible and unobstructed openings. Drop stairs shall reach from the lower platform to the ground. Any other plan of outside iron stair fire escapes, substantially as above required, shall be sufficient if approved by the board. Fire escapes shall be kept painted and in good repair, and no person shall place any incumbrance whatever before or thereon.

NEW YORK CITY.

GREATER NEW YORK CHARTER.

Chapter 378, Laws of 1897.

Lights, precautions against fire and use of aisles in places of

amusement.

§ 762. All lights used in theatres and other places of public amusement, manufactories, stores, hotels, lodging houses and in show windows shall be properly protected by globes or glass coverings, or in such other manner as the fire commissioners shall prescribe. The owners and proprietors of all manufactories, hotels, tenement houses, apartment houses, office buildings, boarding and lodging houses, warehouses, stores and offices, theatres and music halls, and the authorities or persons having charge of all hospitals and asylums, and of the public schools and other

public buildings, churches and other places where large numbers of. f.persons are congregated for purposes of worship, instruction or amusement, shall provide such means of communicating alarms of fire, accident or danger, to the police and fire departments respectively, as the fire commissioner or police board may direct, and shall also provide such fire hose, fire extinguishers, buckets, axes, fire hooks, fire doors and other means of preventing and extinguishing fires as said fire commissioner may direct. In every building used or occupied as a hotel, lodging house, or public or private hospital or asylum, there shall be employed by the owner or proprietor, or other person or persons having the charge and management thereof, one or more watchmen, whose exclusive duty it shall be to visit every portion of such building, at regular and frequent intervals, under rules and regulations to be established by the fire commissioner, for the purpose of detecting fire or other source of danger, and giving timely warning thereof to the inmates of the building. In every room of each of said buildings there shall be posted a card, upon which shall be printed a diagram showing the exits, halls, stairways, elevators and fire escapes, and in the halls and passage-ways, signs shall be posted indicating the location of the stairs and fire escapes. In each of the said buildings there shall be placed and provided electrical or other alarms and time detectors, to be approved by the fire commissioner, by means of which the movements of said watchman may be recorded, and through which alarms of fire or other danger may be instantly communicated, by means of bells or gongs, to every portion of the building. Said electrical apparatus, and all other appliances placed or kept within any of said buildings for the purpose of preventing or extinguishing fires, or for affording means of escape therefrom in case of fire, shall be kept at all times in good working order and proper condition for immediate use, and any member of the uniformed force of said department may enter any of the said buildings at any time for the purpose of inspecting said apparatus or appliances.

TRANSACTIONS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM MARCH 3 TO 8, 1902,

INCLUSIVE.

The following was adopted and is hereby published as the general requirements of the fire commissioner of the city of New York established by virtue of section 762 of the Greater New York Charter, as to means of preventing and extinguishing fires in buildings of certain classes.

Hotels, lodging houses, public or private hospitals or asylums shall provide:

One or more watchmen whose exclusive duty it shall be to visit every portion of the building at regular and frequent intervals, for the purpose of detecting fire or other source of danger, and giving timely warning thereof to the inmates of the building.

A time detector, by means of which the movements of said watchman may be recorded.

Electrical or other alarms through which alarms of fire and other danger may be instantly communicated by means of bells or gongs to every portion of the building.

Provide means of communicating alarms of fire, accident or danger to the fire department, and maintain the same in good working order.

Iron balcony fire escapes (having one or more windows leading thereto from each room) having direct access to the ground, or rope fire escapes in each of said rooms.

Cards in each room with diagram printed thereon, showing the exits, halls, stairways, elevators and fire escapes.

Signs in halls and passageways indicating the location of stairs and fire escapes, which signs shall be illuminated at night with lights having red globes or coverings.

Metal buckets filled with water at all times, and hooks and axes for fire use only, to be kept where directed by the officer serving notice.

Electrical apparatus and all other appliances placed or kept within any of said buildings for the purpose of preventing or extinguishing fires, or for affording means of escape therefrom in case of fire shall be kept at all times in good working order and proper condition for immediate use.

THE BUILDING CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK,

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103. Fire escapes.- Every dwelling-house occupied by or built to be occupied by three or more families, and every building already erected, or that may hereafter be erected, more than three stories in height, occupied and used as a hotel or lodging house, and every boarding-house having more than fifteen sleeping rooms above the basement story, and every factory, mill, manufactory or workshop, hospital, asylum or institution for the care or treatment of individuals, and every building three

stories and over in height used or occupied as a store or workroom, and every building in whole or in part occupied or used as a school or place of instruction or assembly, and every office building five stories or more in height, shall be provided with such good and sufficient fire escapes, stairways, or other means of egress in case of fire as shall be directed by the department of buildings; and said department shall have full and exclusive power and authority within said city to direct fire escapes and other means of egress to be provided upon and within said building or any of them. The owner or owners of any building upon which a fire escape is erected shall keep the same in good repair and properly painted. No person shall at any time place any incumbrance of any kind whatsoever before or upon any fire escape, balcony or ladder. It shall be the duty of every fireman and policeman who shall discover any fire escape, balcony or ladder of any fire escape incumbered in any way, to forthwith report the same to the commanding officer of his company or precinct, and such commanding officer shall forthwith cause the occupant of the premises or apartment to which said fire escape, balcony or ladder is attached or for whose use the same is provided, to be notified either verbally or in writing, to remove such incumbrance and keep the same clear. If said notice shall not be complied with by the removal, forthwith, of such incumbrance, and keeping said fire escape, balcony or ladder free from incumbrance, then it shall be the duty of said commanding officer to apply to the nearest police magistrate for a warrant for the arrest of the occupant or occupants of the said premises or apartment of which the fire escape forms a part, and the said parties shall be brought before the said magistrate, as for a misdemeanor; and, on conviction, the occupant or occupants of said premises or apartment shall be fined not more than ten dollars for each offense, or may be imprisoned not to exceed ten days, or both, in the discretion. of the court. In constructing all balcony fire escapes, the manufacturer thereof shall securely fasten thereto, in a conspicuouз place, a cast-iron plate having suitable raised letters on the same, to read as follows: Notice: Any person placing any incumbrance on this balcony is liable to a penalty of ten dollars and imprisonment for ten days. All buildings requiring fire escapes shall have stationary iron ladders leading to the scuttle opening in the roof thereof, and all scuttles and ladders shall be kept so as to be ready for use at all times. If a bulkhead is used in place of a scuttle, it shall have stairs with sufficient guard or handrail lead

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