sioners, proceeding under this act to erect, repair or purchase joint bridges, in advertising for bids, letting contracts and requiring affidavits and bonds of bidders and contractors, shall be governed by the laws now in force or hereafter enacted, providing for advertising for bids, letting of contracts and requiring affidavits and bonds of bidders and contractors for the erection of bridges wholly within and by one county. 3255e. Ownership.-5. Each county shall be regarded as the owner of an interest in any bridge erected, repaired or purchased in pursuance of this act, and each shall have a voice in regulating the use thereof.

3282. Repairs-Fast driving.

Money constituting the free gravel road fund can not be used in making repairs to bridges or the approaches thereto. Board v. Mankey, 29 App. 55.

[Acts 1903, p. 410. In force April 23, 1903.]

3290a. Fire, means of escape.-1. That every building now or hereafter used, in whole or in part, as a public building, public or private institution, sanitarium, surgical institute, asylum, schoolhouse, dormitory, church, theater, public hall, place of assemblage or place of public resort; and every building in which persons are employed above the second story in a factory, workshop or mercantile or other establishment, and every hotel, family hotel, apartment house, boarding house, lodging house, club house or tenement house in which persons reside or lodge above the second story, and every factory, workshop, mercantile or other establishment of more than two stories in height shall be provided with proper ways of egress or means of escape from fire, sufficient for the use of all persons accommodated, assembled, employed, lodged or residing in such building, and such ways of egress and means of escape shall be kept free from obstruction, in good repair and ready for use at all times, and all rooms above the second story in such building shall be provided with more than one way of egress or escape from fire, placed as near as practicable at opposite ends of the room and leading to fire escapes on the outside of such buildings or to stairways on the inside, provided with proper railings. All external doors subject to the provisions of this section shall open outward, and all windows open outward or upward. No portable seats shall be allowed in the aisles or passways of such buildings during any entertainment or service held therein. The proscenium, or curtain opening, of all theaters shall have a fire resisting curtain of some incombustible material, and such curtain shall be properly constructed and shall be operated by proper mechanism. The certificate of the

chief inspector of the department of inspection of the state shall be prima facie evidence of a compliance with such requirements.

Section 8 of this act repeals the act of 1899, being sections 3290a-3290g, Burns' R. S. 1901, on the same subject.

3290b. Fire escapes.-2. In addition to the foregoing means of escape from fire, all such buildings as are enumerated in section 1 of this act, as are more than two stories in height, shall have one or more fire escapes on the outside of said buildings, as may be directed by the chief inspector aforesaid, except in such cases as the said chief inspector may deem such fire escapes to be unnecessary in consequence of adequate provision having been already made for safety in event of fire, and in such cases of exemption the said chief inspector shall give the owner, lessee or occupant of said building a written certificate to that effect and his reason therefor, and such fire escapes as are provided for in this section shall be constructed according to specifications issued or approved by the department of inspection and shall be connected with each. floor above the first, well fastened and secured, and of sufficient strength; each of which fire escapes shall have landings or balconies guarded by iron railings not less than three feet in height, and embracing one or more windows at each story, and connecting with the interior by easily accessible and unobstructed openings; and the balconies or landing shall be connected by iron stairs, placed at a slant of not more than forty-five degrees, protected by a well secured handrail on both sides, with a twelveinch wide drop ladder from the lower platform, reaching to the ground, except in cases of school buildings, iron stairs shall extend to a ground landing, and no telegraph, telephone, electric light poles or wires, signs or other obstruction shall interfere with the construction and use of any fire escape.

3290c. Plan of escapes, approval.-3. Any other plan or style of fire escape shall be sufficient if approved by the chief inspector, but if not so approved, the chief inspector may notify the owner, proprietor or lessee of such establishment or of the building in which such establishment is conducted, or the agent or superintendent, or school officer, or either of them, in writing, that any such plan or style of fire escape is not sufficient, and may, by an order in writing, served in like manner, require one or more fire escapes, as he shall deem necessary and sufficient, to be provided for such establishment at such location and such plan and style as shall be specified in such written order. Within twenty days after the service of such order the number of fire escapes required in such order for such establishment shall be provided therefor, each of which shall be of the plan and style in accordance with the specifications in said order required. The windows or doors to each fire escape shall be of sufficient size and be located, as far as possible, consistent with accessibility from the stairways and elevator hatchways or openings, and the ladder thereof shall extend to the roof. Stationary stairs or ladders shall be provided on the inside of such establishment from the upper story to the roof, as a means of escape in case of fire.

3290d. Hotels, watchmen, lights, bells.-4. Every keeper of a hotel, boarding or lodging house, or apartment house, containing fifty and less than one hundred rooms, and being more than two stories high, shall have therein at least one competent watchman on duty between the hours of nine o'clock in the afternoon and six o'clock in the forenoon; and in all hotels, boarding houses, lodging houses or apartment houses, containing one hundred or more rooms, and being four or more stories in height, not less than two such watchmen shall be provided and kept on duty as aforesaid, each properly assigned. And in all hotels, or lodging, or other houses as are mentioned in this section, the halls and stairways shall be properly lighted at night, and at the head and foot of each flight of stairs, and at the intersection of all hallways with the main corridors, shall be kept during the night a red light; and one or more proper alarms or gongs, capable of being heard throughout the house, shall always remain easy of access and ready for use in each of said buildings, or an electric alarm bell in each sleeping room, approved by the chief inspector, to give notice to the inmates in case of fire. And every keeper of such hotel, boarding or lodging house, or other house, shall keep posted in a conspicuous place in every sleeping room a notice descriptive of all means of escape.

3290e. Ropes in rooms.-5. Every owner, lessee, proprietor or manager of a hotel, or lodging house, situated in this State, which is not otherwise suitably provided with fire escapes for the protection of human life in case of fire, shall place, or cause to be placed, a chain and knotted rope, or other better appliance, in every room of said hotel or lodging house used as a lodging room, except rooms on the ground floor, said chain to be at least ten feet in length and securely fastened at one end of it to a bolt extending through the wall of the building over lintel of window, the other or lower end of said chain to be firmly attached to the knotted rope, which rope shall be at all times kept coiled in an uncovered box, placed near the inside of the window and exposed to the plain view of any occupant of said room in such manner as to be easily and quickly uncoiled; such rope shall contain knots not more than eighteen inches apart, and a loop on the end at least three inches in length, and shall be not less than one-half inch in diameter and of sufficient length to reach from such window to the ground. Such rope, chain, bolt and fastenings shall be of sufficient strength to sustain a weight of four hundred pounds, and there shall be plain directions how to use such rope or other better appliance printed and posted within six inches of the casing of the windows where such appliance or chain and rope is fastened. 3290f. Penalties.-6. The owner or owners of any building designated in this act, whether individual, firm or corporation, or the lessee or occupant thereof, or any school officer having charge of public property, who neglects or refuses to comply with any of the provisions of this act, shall be fined not exceeding two hundred dollars, and be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not less than one month nor more than two months; and in case of fire occurring in said building

or buildings in the absence of such fire escape or escapes, the said person or persons, or corporation or public officials shall be liable in an action for damages with a penalty of five thousand dollars for the life of each person killed, in case of death, or for damages for personal injuries sustained in consequence of such fire breaking out in said building, and shall also be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than twelve months in the county jail; and such action for damages may be maintained by any person now authorized by law to sue as in other cases of similar injuries: Provided, That nothing in this act shall interfere with fire escapes now in use approved by the chief inspector.

3290g. Inspector's duties.-7. The chief inspector of the department of inspection of the state is hereby charged with the enforcement of this act, and shall see that its provisions are observed and enforced, and for this purpose he or his deputies shall have free access at all reasonable hours to all buildings embraced herein, and the prosecuting attorney in each county of the state shall render all necessary legal assistance as may be required by said chief inspector in enforcing this act Section 8 repeals the act of 1899, sections 3290a-3290g, Burns' R. S. 1901.

[Acts 1905, p. 517. In force April 15, 1905.]

3290h. Theaters-Auditoriums-Halls.-1. That every building hereafter erected or altered to be used as a theater, opera house, or other building intended for theatrical or operatic purposes, lectures or concerts, or public entertainments of any kind, shall be built or altered to comply with the requirements of section 2 and section 4 of this act. No building which at the time of the passage of this act is not in actual use for theatrical or operatic purposes, lectures or concerts, or public entertainments of any kind, and no building hereafter erected or altered not in comformity with the requirements of section 2 of this act shall be used for theatrical or operatic purposes, lectures or concerts, or public entertainments of any kind until the same shall have been made to conform to the requirements of section 2 of this act. No such building shall hereafter be erected or altered until a copy of the plans of said building has been deposited with the chief inspector of the department of inspection by the person causing the erection or construction of such building, or by the architect who has drawn such plans, which plans shall include therein the system or method of ventilation provided for such building, together with a copy of such of the specifications of such building as such chief inspector may require. In case any such building conforms, in the judgment of such chief inspector, to the requirements of this act, he shall issue to the owner, lessee or occupant of such building or of any portion thereof used as above mentioned, a certificate to that effect. The certificate of the inspector above named shall be conclusive evidence of a compliance with the provisions of this act: Provided, That after the granting of such certificate no change is made in the plans or specifications of such ways of egress, means of escape or ventilation, unless a new certificate is obtained therefor.