The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-18

=
TiCES OF THE CRY AND COUNTY or Ngw York;
IN laying before you my second semi annual re
pert tf the nsujts OF my Investigations into thu
origin OF 6rsE In this city fo, the period embraced
between the at Of December, 1854, and the 3lst d
Nay 1856 think it necessary In the first place (.
call your ct tniion to certain inperfeo1ns Ia the
prime plts ayon which buildings are c,nstruc I'D
together with other alters more or less dire It's
CORRECTED sinh the dieasteys which have formed the
cities tie defects to which am about to direct youl
notice are very generally understood, and are
guarded against either by individual precsutiots OF
stringent police regul,tions. The cons quence Ia
comparative immunity from these calamitous vista
ticns, and feel assure taat it only necessary to
demons ate this fact you to lncuce you to take
some imus date actioa 10 tho matter.
As . gen eial pIopai ion, tien, sfirm tiat our
present system OF bu riding is in itssf one Of the
most fiuisfUl causes OF the numerous accidents by
fire, Ter Wi. New York enjoys such an unen Able
prs-emir encs. This assertion appies 81 veil to
our ts.suai stores as to ths hunblest class Of our
naty to ead totally disregard the moral oonsi-
bill npos GO upon them by ths acceptance Of duties
involving the security of such vast amount Of lite
and properly. Their only concern il to make a.
nucn as possible ont Of contrast, and they care
moi 10 how imperfect and dangerous manner they
execute their N0rk. There bong no inspection BY
the police authorities, and no foe for careless con-
stuction II ia not surprising that THESE men should
consult less general safety than their pock-
cts. II is the eysse, however as Is to be blamed,
ard not individuals. No properly governed city
leaves such latitude Of dangerous discretion, to
men whose private interests q apt to conflict with
tnoie Of the pubic.
The objections which suggest themselves TO the
present syste m Ct .buildlDg may be clssscd under
three carele.sness Of plan; I'd, careless
ness Of execution; 3d. the introduction Of hot air
furnaces ! propose " shov you how, In these
respects we neglect all the most obvious cor sidera
tions Of prudence and safety.
-
seem to forget that they have almost as great moral
Iespo, sibttty imposed upon the as the physician
or the su'Reco. Their business is not msrsly to
build fine sores and handsome houses, bat to build
will be safe in them. am sorry to cay that tue re-
suits OF the inqairies which for the last twelve
months have engaged my attention. have led me to
the conclusion thai, With 9 few honorable excsp-
s,ors, sais te.ponsnsy ID but too generally disre
When capitalist goes to an architect for plan
the latter a. foon a. he finds that the con tions Of
economy iwpo. ed upon him BY the grssping spirit
OF the ep<culAtor a.e incompatible with SAFETY to
human life, Is morally bound to refuse to execute
plan on sucn terms. Is this principle gener ally
acted uponf Far from It. There are architects,
Tor instance who. when asked TO make out dra wings
for ehowy block Of brown stone houses, allowing
only four inch Hue to each house, will make no
scIuple about executing the plans, although they
cannot be ignorant that they are doing that which
BIZ psrsps even S deal Of voa
<
ID. CoTelessness Of ETecution.-When the mason
is called in, instead Of sugg sstisg the danger Of
fiue thrs &C nstruc ed he eagerly accepts the con.
1t is cheap rather than substantial work thu is
expected OF him, and that he will not be very closely
overhauled either by tho architet or owner.
The earfer ,rer dered Indifferent by the same con-
sideiA IONS Is equally Careless He either allows
beam to rst in the fae or so close to IL that IL soon
becomes ctared, and offsrs ready point of com.
muI icasicn for fire. or perhaps he om,ts to put in
the pro. er READERS ar eund the chimney 1t eli.
3D. The u. eof Hot DIR Furnaces As fashion now
a-dsys ses ms 10 be q more important consideration
than health or safety tear that any arguments that
may use ur der this head will have bu. little weight
WITH indisieasi. Trey are neysrtoeess entitled
no house is considered fashionable unless II p0s;es
es the hit cir furnace amongst other modern i'm
provemenfs, few dwelliD 90 arc now withoutit. Tue
duced as il is but too genera ly the case In lath
AID p sttr wal is however, go evdsnt, tina. It is
urpfising that this practice should have come
INTO such gen raj use. Experience shoxs, that
the oLctntretion OF heat by this means
O. some periods Of the year. but m3re espe Tally 10
the very cold ~eatber, renders the wood work 10
the vicinity Of the pipe highly nfsmmsble. Ia
many cases charring gradually sets "a, and com
these facts, could mention several instances that
have fallen under my observation, but two will
suffice for my purpose. The fires which took place
" !te houses Of VI. swss, q % Lsfayet.e place.
since both esisinstsa IN tnis way, and curious to
say, occurred on the same day. The furnace o. Mr.
Swans had bsen In use - long - seven or eight
years, but tie wood work at last caught dre from
It, and the house was almost entirely destroyed.
The combustion Of the wood work Is merely qufs.
on Of time, but sooner later IL ia almost certain
70 take place. Tho common Argument with which
the suggestions Of prudence are nst-that becsuss
. thing h6s been long in use, no dagger 10 likely
70 re'ut from H. dies not hold good Ia this case.
The vulgar Illustration Of the fate Of the pit her In
IL progress to the well would be more strictly
applicable.
the only way In which Feat may be safely con-
Quoted thrt ugh building II in properly c:mented
eight inch fue, extending to the register. Nothing
but sap store or fire brick should be placed around
mittsd to come wthia eighteen or twenty inches OF
the ue or heaters. Il Ii In the power Of the builder
TO mako oil these matters secuIe, bat be must have
. certain attitude Of terms TO enable him TO do 1t.
II . builder 10 bound down to the rms Of tight
contact, he anrot be expected to supply more ex
pensive work than will losve him some margin Of
profit Ac ordiIg to the present system, where no
check OF are OF c)rsoquence restratns the greedy
option but either to accept the work on the terms
offered or reject 1t altogether. In fuch Instances
IL Is nfei,ess TO Ba7 that In nintty-Dinc cases
out Of hundred mans interests will prevail oyer
bis sense Of moral .onsibility. The capitalist
TO- in fact, TIE party who is mos. blAmea5le bu. until
proper legal restraints are imposed on his cupdity
there Is chance Of his recognizing the justice of
the sAiom sDat capital mas ieA duIcs as wen As It's
rghfs. The present competition amongst builders,
info, tunaely encourages this disposition on the
par. Of mcnied specuators, to screw estms:es down
TO the lows point. II Is not the good workman
or the honest dealing t;adesman who gets the pre-
ference, but he who can best hide with ornament
the wait cf att and who can make the most show
for the smsileet amount Of money. 8, far y this
passion for decoration at the expense Of subsntal
Workmanship carried, shst the inspection Of build
ipgs after erection is rendered imp ossible without
tearing down the only really creditaole part OF the
work. The tasteful bat finsy decorations Of tae
stucco plssterer, Ike the charity that covers multi
tude Of sins, form convenient coax for the detects
and imt e, fec.icns thst lie hidden beneath. ] d.
not wish 20 impute Intentional neglect to builders
for the purpose Of creating fresh jobs but some Of
the work that has fallen under my examination
would almo$t warrant that c,nclusio1. could
pO1t out mary blocks Of houses OF handsome
external appearance, situated in some Of the most
faeb,onsble localities In this city, which unsafe
from their found atoms TO their roofs Or modern
dwellings, seem in fact, built ensiiely for show, aud
not for stability. The Consequence IL, tina. when
A. ~, .0rs. t.ta 81 al Il.