Chapter 178. For the removal of snow and ice from the sidewalks, crosswalks, and gutters in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 178.— An Act For the removal of snow and ice from the sidewalks, crosswalks, and gutters in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, and for other purposes.March 2, 1895. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,District of Columbia.Removal of snow from sidewalks. That the owner or tenant of each house or other building, or lot or lots of ground in the cities of Washington and Georgetown, and in such other part or parts of the District of Columbia as the Commissioners of said District shall from time to time designate, shall, within the first four hours of daylight after every tall of snow, cause the same to be removed entirely from off the paved sidewalks opposite such house, building, lot, or land, under the penalty of one dollar for each lot for every such neglect, toPenalty.Removal of dirt, etc. be paid by the said owner or tenant; and such owner or tenants shall, under a like penalty, within five days after notice so to do by the Commissioners, clean off and remove, or caused to be cleaned off and removed, all dirt, sand, gravel, or other refuse matter that may fall or be washed upon any paved sidewalk or alley inside of the cities of Washington and Georgetown.
Sec. 2. That in case the sidewalks are covered with ice the ownerAshes. etc, on ice covered sidewalks. or tenant of any building, lot, or lots of ground in the cities of Washington and Georgetown shall promptly cause the paved sidewalks or paved portions of the sidewalks opposite his, her. or their premises to be strewed with ashes, sand, sawdust, or some other suitable substance that will insure or contribute to the safety of pedestrians, under the penalty of one dollar for each lot for every neglect, to be paid by the said owner or tenant.
Sec. 3. That in case the owner or tenant of any house, lot, building,Removal by Commissioners on failure of tenant. or land shall neglect to comply with any of the provisions of the preceding sections of this Act it shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to cause the removal of snow and ice, or any dirt, sand, or gravel from all paved sidewalks and alleys in the cities of Washington and Georgetown wherever there has been a failure on the part of the owner or tenant as aforesaid to remove the same; and the cost of such removal, by order and under the direction of theCollection of cost said Commissioners, shall be assessed as a tax against the property to which the sidewalks in question belong, for the purposes of this Act, and the said tax so assessed shall be carried to the regular tax roll of the cities aforesaid and shall be collected in the manner provided for the collection of other taxes. 810 Sec. 4.
That it shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the DistrictRemoval of snow, etc., from cross walks and gutters. of Columbia, immediately after every fall of snow on the crosswalks or in the gutters, forthwith to cause the same to be removed from the said crosswalks to a width of ten feet and from out of the said gutters to the breadth of one foot in the said cities, respectively; and the said crosswalks and gutters shall be kept clean and free from obstructions, and in case the crosswalks are covered with ice it shall be their duty to cause such crosswalks to be liberally sprinkled with sand or sawdust, or such other material as will insure safety to pedestrians.
Sec. 5. That it shall be the duty of the superintendent of publicRemoval of snew, etc., from sidewalks, etc., public parks. buildings and grounds in the District of Columbia, immediately after a fall of snow or sleet, or as soon thereafter as practicable, to engage such assistance as he may deem necessary, when funds are available, and proceed to remove from all pa veil sidewalks or crosswalks which may be used as thoroughfares-around, about, or through the public parks within the cities of Washington and Georgetown all accumulations of snow or sleet to a. width sufficient to accommodate winter pedestrian Ice, etc., to be sprinkled with sand, etc.travel; or in ease the same be so congealed as to make removal by ordinary methods impossible, he shall cause such paved side or crosswalks to be liberally sprinkled with sand or sawdust or such other material as will insure safety to pedestrians who, in the lawful and legitimate pursuit of their respective avocations, find it convenient to Inspection.pass around, about, or through said public parks.
And it shall be the duty of the superintendent of public buildings and grounds, personally, or by deputy or deputies, to visit each public park in the cities of Washington and Georgetown as soon as possible after any snow or sleet storm, as aforesaid, and carefully inspect the work as herein Provided for. Sec. 6. That section three of the Act of Congress approved JanuaryProtection from fire.Vol. 24, p. 365. amended. twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, entitled “An Act for the further protection of property from fire, and safety of lives in the District of Columbia” be and the same is hereby amended so as to read as follows:
" That it shall be unlawful to issue a license to the lessee or proprietorLicenses for hotels, etc., unlawful unless fire escapes, etc., provided. of any building in the District of Columbia used as a hotel, factory, manufactory, theater, tenement house, hall or place of amusement or other building used for a business for which a license is required, unless the application for such license is accompanied both the certificate of the Inspector of Buildings that such building is provided with fire escapes, stand pipes, ladders, lights, alarm gongs, and descriptive Penalty for failure to provide fire escapes, etc.notices as required by sections one and two of said Act.
That on the failure or neglect, after sixty days notice, of the owner or lessee of any building used as a factory, manufactory, tenement house, or to the trustee of any building used as a Seminary, College, Academy, Hospital or Asylum in the District of Columbia, to provide fire escapes, standpipes, ladders, lights and alarm gongs as required by sections one and two of said Act, such person or persons shall be liable to a tine of not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars for each day he or they shall fail to provide the same, such fine to be collected by prosecutions in the Police Court in the name of the District of Erection by Commissioners.Columbia.
And in cases of default of lessees, trustees or owners in putting up said fire escapes, said Commissioners are hereby empowered, and it is their duty to cause such fire escapes to be erected, and they are hereby Cost.authorized to assess the cost thereof as a tax against the buildings on which they are erected and the ground on which the same stands, and to issue tax lien certificates against such building and grounds for the amount of such assessments, bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum, which certificates may be turned over by the *Provisos*.Liability for damages.commissioners to the contractor for doing the work: *Provided also*, That the lessee, owner or trustee, as the ease may be, of any such building, who shall fail to erect fire escapes as in said Act provided, shall be liable to an action for damages in ease of death or personal injury resulting from 811 fire in buildings not provided with fire escapes as required by said Act, and that such action may be maintained by any person or persons now authorized by law to sue, as in other eases of injury or death by wrongful act: *Provided further*, That as to any building which the commissionersFireproof buildings. shall determine to be fire proof, they may in their discretion require the erection of lire escapes.
" Approved, March 2, 1895.