TO PREVENT GAS EXPLOSIONS.

TO PREVENT GAS EXPLOSIONS.

一个命题为克利夫兰建筑包含ing more than 20,000 cubic feet of space with an appliance to stop the flow of gas when the surrounding heat reaches a certain temperature seems reasonable. The project is in the form of an ordinance prepared by the building code committee which has been co-operating with Building Inspector Allen to revise the building code. The ordinance in part says: “Except where specifically exempted by a letter from the commissioner of fire directed to the commissioner of buildings, every building of the first, second and third grades, of a size exceeding 20,000 cubic feet of space, including basement or cellar, in which natural or artificial gas is used, shall be equipped with a mechanical device that will enable the fire or police department to shut off the supply of gas to such building from the outside of vestibule. Such mechanical device shall also have in connection therewith an automatic attachment which by action of the heat at the meter would automatically shut off the supply of gas from the building. These devices shall be located, in any case, as near the outside wall and entrance of the building as possible and at a height above the sidewalk or grade of not less than one and a half feet, nor more than four feet. The device provided by this ordinance shall be so constructed that the gas cannot be turned on again from the outside of the building after it has been shut off, the shut-off valve proper to be in a metal box under lock and key. The chief of-the fire department shall assume custody of keys to be in possession only of properly designated members of the department or other persons. The devices shall be installed under the approval of the fire chief and shall be required to operate automatically as well as by manual power.

The ordinance is conprehensive for it further makes it the duty of the division of fire to notify all owners of buildings to install such devices, and the fire chief is empowered to require immediate correction of any violation. It also would be made unlawful for the gas company to connect and supply gas to any building coming under the provisions of the ordinance unless such devices have been installed.” The trouble with schemes of this kind is that a monopoly of installing the shut-offs may be given to some individual controlling a patent for this particular appliance. We do not say that the Cleveland ordinance has this in view, but it is just as well to go to the bottom of the thing before it becomes a law so that property owners and others interested may escape falling into a trap. It is well known that where ordinances of this kind are proposed it is not difficult to discover the joker so it may be well for the Cleveland authorities to read between the lines before inflicting extra toll upon their already overburdened taxpayers.