Chapter 45. for the further protection of property from Are, and safety of lives, in the District of Columbia
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CHAP. 45.— An Act for the further protection of property from Are, and safety of lives, in the District of Columbia.Jan. 26, 1887. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Protection of property from tire, and safety of lives, District of Colombia.Hotels, etc., over 50 feet high to provide fire-escape and standpipes. That it shall be the duty of the owner or owners, in fee or for life, of every building constructed and used, or intended to be used, as a hotel, factory, manufactory, theater, tenement-house, seminary, college, academy, hospital, asylum, hall, or place of amusement, and of the trustee or trustees of every estate, association, society, college, academy, school, hospital, or asylum owning or using any building fifty feet high or upwards, used for any of the purposes herein above mentioned, to provide and caused to be erected and affixed to said building iron fire-escapes and combined stand pipes and ladders, or either of said appliances as may be approved and adopted by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia.
Sec. 2. That in all hotels, factories, manufactories, workshops, schools,Hallways and at airways to be lighted. seminaries, colleges, hospitals, asylums, balls, or places of amusement, or other places mentioned in this act. the ballways and stairways shall be properly lighted when occupied at eight; and at the bead and foot of each flight of stairs, and at the intersection of all hallways with main corridors, shall be kept during the night a red light: and one or more Alarms.proper alarms or gongs, capable of being heard throughout the building, shall always remain easy of access and ready for use in each of said buildings, to give notice to the inmates in case of fire; and there shallNotices. be kept posted in a conspicuous place in every sleeping-room a notice descriptive of such means of escape; and the building inspector and chief engineer of the fire department shall have the right to designate the location of the said fire-escapes and standpipes in conformity with this act, and shall grant certificates of approval to every person, firm, corporation, trustee, and board of school trustees complying with the requirements of this act, which certificates shall relieve the party or parties from the liabilities of flues or damages imposed by this act.
Sec. 3. That every person, corporation, trustee, onboard of school directorsPenalty for not complying. neglecting or refusing to comply with the requirements of the first section of this act, upon receiving thirty days’ notice of the same, shall be liable to a tine not exceeding one hundred dollars, to be collected as fines are now by law collected; and the building inspector and chief engineer shall cause to be erected upon said building said appliances as in their Judgment may be necessary, and the same shall be charged and held as a lien against said property and collected the same as other improvements made by the District authorities; and in case of fire occurring in any such building not provided with said appliances as may be required by the building inspector and chief engineer of the fire department, and in accordance with the requirements of the first section of this act, the person, persons, trustee, trustees,Liability for neglect. corporation, or school directors who or which neglected to provide such building with said appliances as Aforesaid shall be liable in an action for damages in case of death or personal injury being caused in consequence of such tire breaking out 366 in said building; and such action may be maintained by any person or persons now authorized by law to sue, as in other cases for injuries caused by neglect of duty.
Sec. 4. That all acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed. Approved, January 26, 1887.