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18 Sec. 31. Fire escapes. It shall be the duty of the owner of every factory, workshop, mill, saw -mill, place where the manufacture of goods of any kind is carried on, hotel, school building, college, hospital, orphan asylum, mercantile establishment and office building of over three stories in height, or where as many as ten persons are employed, lodged, entertained or instructed above the second story of such building, and theaters and public places of amusement, regardless of height, to provide for the safe exit of the occupants thereof in case of fire by the erection, construction and maintenance in good condition of fire escapes of the most improved modern design and of fireproof construction. The owner of any building upon which a fire escape is erected shall keep the same in good repair and properly painted. No fire escapes to buildings hereafter erected shall be constructed over. any sidewalk or street. Fire escapes in new or old buildings shall be easily accessible from the inside of the building in which they are placed by means of unobstructed corridors or passageways, and shall in every case have the location approved by the building inspector. All doors leading to fire escapes shall be labeled "Fire Escapes1f in letters three inches high, and so lighted that the said door and the label thereon shall be plainly visible at all times when the said building is occupied or used, and such doors shall be provided with locks not requiring keys. All exterior fire escapes shall be constructed in accordance with the latest regulations of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. An exterior fire escape will not be required in fireproof buildings where each story above the first has at least two means of exit remote from each other, one of these opening to a street or fireproof passage leading to a street, and the other opening to a yard or other space deemed safe by the building inspector and of sufficient area to accommodate all persons in the building. Two means of exit remote from each other shall be provided from each story of dwellings when over three stories in height. (Id. Sec. 49,.(23.) This ordinance shall be in effect from the date of its passage, and all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Adopted by the Council May 5, 1947 Ayes: Mr. Adams, Mr. Gleason, Mr. b ash and Ir. l n. Noes: None President AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND REENACTING SECTION 24 OF CHAPTER 7 OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY CODE OF 1915 ENTITLED "WALLS". BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville that Section 24 of Chapter 7 of the Charlottesville City Code of 1945 be and the same is hereby amended and reenacted so as to read as follows: Sec. 24. Walls For the purpose of determing wall thickness as specified in this section, basements and sub -basements shall be considered as stories. The exterior or division walls of all buildings hereafter erected within the corporate limits shall be of sufficient thickness to support the load to be carried; but in no case shall a brick, stone, concrete or hollow block wall be less than twelve inches thick except panel walls, non -load bearing and in dwelling house class. Walls, for warehouse class only (excepting party and fire walls, for all buildings of other than the dwelling house class) not exceeding four stories or fifty-five feet in height, shall have the up;er two stories not less than twelve inches thick, increasing four inches in thickness for ellch two stories or fraction thereof below. For all walls of buildings of the dwelling house class the upper two stories shall be not less than eight inches thick, increasing four inches in thickness for each two stories or fraction thereof below, excepting that gable walls shall not necessitate an increase in wall thickness. Panel walls in skeleton construction must be of masonry laid in cement mortar or masonry cement if approved and shall be at least eight inches thick where the vertical distance between girders does not exceed ten feet and shall be increased four inches for each ten feet or fraction thereof that the said vertical distance exceeds ten feet. Curtain walls must. be of masonry laid in cement mortar or masonry cement mortar if approved and shall be not less than twelve inches thick, increased four inches for every additional section of three stories or forty-five feet. They shall be anchored to the framing at each floor level, anchors spaced not more than six feet apart horizontally. • C C •