The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-03-16

OF TIE L1aI6LATTvH COMMITTEE
observation-disclosures BLUNr's PLAN or
TENANT HOUSES.
The committee Of the LegislAsure appointed to e.
anime into the construction Of the tsnesnt houses q
New York, the number Of families occupying them, and
the general condition Of such ensents and their
pants held their Arst meeting Friday 1t r. n, ct
the Mayors flee. The committee comprises John NJ.
Reed, Of New York. (Chairman); ". J. Saea, Of Rich
mond county; Eli Curtis OF weschestsr county; Angus
tus J. Dugspne, of New York, and John landlord, Of
Kings county. The following is the preamble and
luton pased by the legislature the 9th instant upon
which the committee was appointed
Whereas, complaints have been made to the manner
in which buildings known tenement houses In the city
o. New York have been made and are nov being con-
structec, that they ofren up TO great height
and wi proper regard the strength OF the founda
ton walls tina. the several buildings are cut up into
apartments which have very little ventilation; that the
halls passage ways through said buildings are narro
and constructed proper to insure the safe
the ives of The enAnts that these houses mostly
leo with the poorer class Of person hundreds Of whom
egress in case of fire or any sudden alarm
cept thror gh . single passage way; therefore
Resolved That committee consisting Of Eve
exami, alton Of the manner in which tenaut
houses constructed in the city OF New York.
and the to this Legislature and also If any
and what legislation requisite and necessary to
tmedy the evils and afford full protection to the lives
md health Of the occupants OF such buildings.
There full attendance Of the committee present
Friday.
The CHAIRMAN in opening stated that they had met to
upon the duties delegated to them and In the dis
charge OF those duties should be glad to gather nforma
ton from any touching the matters into the in
vestsaton of which they had been commissioned They
would have large amount of labor to perform in the
way of visiting tenement houses to gather facts as
TIER construction and actual In addition
this th-y shou hold stated sessions 70 hear the voun
tary ements O. landlords and builders as TO any sug
gesoDs they might have to make relative to atera ions
ct the tenant houses and bess plans lor puldn
Ex- Alderman BLUNT appeared before the COMMITTEES
and nearly an hour occupied in explaining the con
struc of houses which he had erected himself
in the aid upper parts of the city with comments
upon lie general construction of other tenement houses
and hs to the best material and plan to be
adopted for the constIuc ion of tenant houses He
charged that the present inefficient, overcrowded and
ph.athy ion OF houses of the city at
ibu able aim st entirely to spectators who took land
on lea erected ra tenement and TO large
returns for their investments allowed them to bs
crowced 70 their utmost capacity The law stpulAting
tina, he wall Of brick tenement houses should be II
inches thick had been produc i've of good, the
buildings were only run up two or three stories higher
atditiorsi from the extra thcgnes of
wall rs suggested the following az, in his view, the
strongest best kind of tenant houses-A three story
house l6 by SO feet (hree buildings to be erected on
90 feet frons); should have its walls inches
roorrs 70 be Occupied by enc family Of four per-
sens, with piszzss in the rear. Ample room and
light anc air. he insisted would BIS aoroe the occupants
OF such oodng and 1t rent from $40 TO ~ pr month
five story builcing lot rs by 80 should have II
inch walls and 70 feet high each story could have IL
rooms and four families on a floor. The ventilation
YOU be from the Sizes. In such tenemsn. the rent
would vary fri SO 10 IS per month Mr. Blunt pro-
missed to bring before the committee various plans and
Specifications showing the cost OF erecting tenement
houses in dereLt sections cf the city the rents they
brought in minute description of the of cash
EXTENDED explana ion Of improved tenant houses and
how cheap TENT, III rough ventilation, gas and Croton
water cop be furnished at good investment aud en-
sure ,he health and comfort Of the tenants
The title at O'Clock adjourned to 10 O'Clock
Satui day laorDiDg.
SOME ACCOUNT HOUSES SO So CHERRY STREET,
AND IS ROOSEVELT STREET.
This building is in the form Of the letter L. tie main
bulldog being so feet Cherry street. and running back
$50 feet the entrsnce the west side being alley way
feet wee and the east feet wde The space under
either alley way being occupied water clo-ets and
lighted by Of iron grangs a. intervals Of 10 feet
Tie building Roosevelt street is IS feet deep and
feet vic with alley the south side Of feet with
the same arrangements fer water closets Is The build
r fronting Cherry street ia divided the whole length by
a olick wall snd presents font Of as0 feet 81
ley and laid of into divisions alphabetically from
N inclusive, and numbered from to 10 in each
division, beirg five stories high. Each family oc.
fcupy two rooms. Tie front Is occupied by two
liquor establishments, and in the rear of the
blast TIE branch building Roosevelt street is four
stories high, and numbers from to IL inclusive each
number containing from no to three rooms each The
building has "a vacant and the residue is
occupied by 3i6 persons, divided follows-Men 81
rs, children $780, OF the adults with but soil
,ary exception from Denma.k), the inmates are al
Irish.
The lateral wing building on Roosevelt rect Ia oc-
cnpied by 45 perscna divided folows-Men IL w0.
men IL, children 81 In this building SIX rooms are
vacant. ALI the Adults from Ireland The front Of
this building is also occupied q liquor store Tbs
don Ct the sinks &c. of the ain building Is quite as
good coud be ed after the rgors OF the
winter through which have just passed and insult
6ciency Of the accommodations for such . multitude
OF ptrs0ra TIE Croton water freely through them
and barring the damp and humidity Of the Underground
premises which must Of necessity be extreme they may
be said to be barely tepantsbe The condition Of the
branch or Roosevelt street wing requires immediate aten
on teipg wholly untensntable The ventilation of the
main building is, perhaps good be attained in
house OF Its magnitude and the modes of ingress and
egress IS good better and safe for escape from
similar building in the city The branch building
is altogether inferior in these respects, and is but lily
adapted to its present But passage entrance
way serves the whole building, and IN Of FIRE,
cspe would be difficult.
This entire building owned by man. and rents for
$500 per month, or -, 800 per annum.
Reception OF kOn. Edward Everett and Dr.
e. X. Kane, In Baltimore.
From the Baltimore SUP, March 12]
In accor dance with previous arrangement the Joint