SUGGESTIONS FOR LAWS GOVERNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS.
的greatest risks Firemen are called upon to encounter come from the faulty construction of buildings. In nearly all large cities the erection of buildings is subject to some sort of supervision to provide for the public safety, but the laws authorizing such supervision are not sufficiently stringent, and, as a consequence, our cities are full of buildings so badly constructed as to imperil the lives of any who enter them in case of fire. The past two years has been fruitful of fatal disasters to Firemen, resulting from falling walls, the giving way of badly constructed roofs, or the falling in of floors that were insufficiently supported. No class of men is so much interested in securing proper buildings as the Firemen. The subject has been discussed very ably at the Conventions of Chief Engineers, and some valuable suggestions have been made by them. Indeed, some cities are indebted to their Chief Engineers solely for the fact that they have any building laws at all.
At the last annual convention of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Alfred Stone read an interesting paper, giving suggestions for the construction of building laws, which contains many hints that members of Fire Departments can use to advantage. We extract as follows:
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