The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-03-29

Tenant H0uses.
ALDERMAN fuckers VIEWS or HOW TENANT H0UsHl
SHOULD BIZ ERECTHD-A SUBSTITUTE FOE B1ICK-
THE MODEL HOUSE IN nLIzAHnrH 0rRuEr-Ex
ANIMATION OF A GKNBRAL TENANT HOUSE AGENT
AND sUB-AGKNr-HUAANE SUGGESTION ON Escr
hENfs
The committee Of the State Legislature, Mr. John NJ
Reed, Of Kngs county, chairman commissioned to ex
anime into the condition of the tenant houses OF New
York net yesterday 10 NJ At the Office Of the Clerk
OF the Common Counci. City Hail. pursuant to adjourn
.nent Of the day previous
Mr.. Samuel Drevoort, OF New York, appeared In place
OF Mr. landlord Of Kings county who obliged to
ign his position the committee from Inability 70
attend. Mr.. Eli Curtis, of westchsstsr county was
absent. There numerous attendance Of landlords
ard others Interested in the subject under
by the committee.
The CHAIRMAN slated that the committee were now
esdy 70 bsar any statements suggestions any perso
might have TO make to the best plan to b adopted
the futu-e construction o. tensn. houses.
Alderman WILLIAM TuecxER first appeared before the
committee he had had great deal Of ex perienoe In
BUILDING ard had given the much thought ana
oDsiteaiion. There were many objections to the
tenant houses being put In the city. Ia the frat
place the bridrgs wsre placed t,o large lots and IN
the second place they were raeed too many stories
The passage for ingress and egrsss too contrctei
Fomesimes they were feet entrances. For
building twenty Eve front !hs halls should be
ess than vs tees and the stsirways three feet a. least
great TO tbs ntroduc Ion OF piae stair ways
vas in CAGE Of fire. the least possibility Of escape would
Il en- &c shoreed. This ihe especially whsre
the:s hsuse, whore way OF egrers ths
the front To. building twenty five fr mt should
Though suaa sunaisgs should msioly be dRcounte'
nsnced should be at least twenty five feet deep ard y
ee ed fiom the front eoiics As to veotillatioo
quite much should be taken TO have tns halls
ventilated any portion of the building. A no low
squats in tbs centre very judicous arrangement
whsn lot wss of sufficient capacity admit II. Such
N
SIX light ths stareases very useful In giving
ign. through the stsirwaya. PGcic and other build
ipgs ueraly vensila ed by means OF aperture
the ceiling leading into the chimney. This plan
right Re adopted in the structure Ct tenant houses
Tie CuAnMAS stated that It had besn represented TO
the committee BY agents the tenant houses and land
lords that there danger OF fire In them tina in
any of the eseing hotels OF New York the occupants
we're on the alert their own property being IN
MIR. Trctu suggested that tenant ho ase occupants
would apt 10 ts alert 10 the night time
should ire then occ1r especially near the lower
stairs cases the construction OF the halls and stairs
added TO the panic would cut off escape The way to
gulste this would be T. compel wife halls and easy
means ofeeresE.
The CHAIRMAN qursd What was the general net profit
of owners of tenant houses in the city.
Mr. TrcS seid this varied of conrse, but the
net cent On the Investment In his view not less
than fifteen per cent
Mr. prGANNx wished to know the AGerman's view Of
wha ehaud he to established thickness and height
walls for tenant houses
Mr TUostR ssd . wall wen put up might BE- raisei IS
feet with safety, eight inches thick He had ed
wall OF this thickness sixty feet and deemed it perfectly
SAFE Iers rule should be established rsgula ing
this mat ar The main thiHg to have the wallis pro-
perly constructed I. shameful TO the Himsy
reckless ner in which walls erected. No cell
ings should be less than eight feet in height Alderman
Tucker In conclusion spoke Of the tenant houses of
York "a Ut present occupied being great NUISANCE
In regard to health Occupants of these buildings
threw garbage and 10 the street and waer
many iveo in single house, landlords police
could prevent it. Aside from this he added they
occupied BY thieves ard prostiiues.
NJ ltv
the latter fact 1t
Mr. F. C. LrcKrr next appeared bsior, the committee,
and submitted sample Of me and rand compost which
he desired to susges. uluch cheaper material than
brck for the erection Of walls Its cost he stated
tws-irds that Of common brisk. The proposition
to lay the compost brick in such manner to have
successive sr chamber running through the WALL waish
would promote beyond any present plan, general vent
ation. This compost said had been tested BY Pro-
Henry and would sustain pressure Of IS 900 lbs to tbs
square inch. The sample With which the experiment
was msds was but eleven months old. The substance
qIired hal chess with age Tha best English brick
cured pressure Of only 600 pounds to the square inch
These bricks, (the sample enosn ten inches 10
he az ded. were ready to put into wall when ten
twenty days old In OF the Western ctHes, THU
kind Of brick be added, seeming ex nsvey intro
ducsd TIE pan he explained In conclusion, to vent.
late tbs ms OF house. 10 have In every room al
inteyals brick or two left out and thus have
connection vita The outer atmosphere.
Mr. GREEN, President OF the Wo1kipgnen's Home As
ISOLATION, Eext befoIe lhs commit The model
house IN tnZa.eth street. Occupied BY colored people
ssd lot built speculsior but simply to show
how gpoc house could be erected and at ho~ cheap
figure good and suitable and healthy apart nens could
be sagyced poor people. /. not originally cesgred
for the papcy clorsd people. but A. this class OF
New York ,pustion was ths most opprssss! II was de-
cid.c tn sov The the off. a. present lt not
yet decided whether !. would DO kept permanently for
their use.
rg aIy Improvements had suggested themselves that
might be made avalsoe in tas construction Of other
similar tsnsnt houses
builo T. snd It's arrangements for Croton vac; ami
tatior. made in advance the sufje Of careful
study hat SIN imp oy sment nsd thus f.- suggested
izeF be happy 10 state and lie doubted IL il Wa
not A. lec. strucsure, for its 'a'ge sze - could be
devised.
NJ Or, ea laid before the COMMITTEES the plans and
Specification OF the NOEL house shich be preioel
which retsiaei by the commi for future consul
ation draxibg up thei: recommended IN OF ths KIDD
OF houses 10 be reu ei to be efected hereafter
this city
Mr. H. j Fossox following Mr.. Green, said that he
had perenoe in the charge Of tenant
houses lie wished to correct frs. sta ement appear
ing in toe HERALD connection With tbs frat vsi. Of the
commit, &c the city, that hi brother Owned Cottage
row, which occupied by rag pickers
Mr.. S8I.A sad the com nittee we're thus informed.
Mr. FoIsoM sAid it was 90. His orotaer owned the
houses soiscent.
The CiiRnAN-The connmit.e e vi cd these premises
and four .tem without any upon Cottage
row. Ttere we're rag pickers thee
Mr.. FoIsoN-Then they were there by msrepresenta
tons, a. his sgent instructed not to admit rag
picters.
Mr.. Folsom was questioned a. lie 9Th a. 20 The pre-
pises Of his brother LEFT In his charge lie confessed
they filthy, but alleged thai this not hs fault
He employed at IS monta 70 let the spartmse Is
ard collect rents. The net pts BY rent from hts
buildings ten per cent To tne Suggestion that he
probaby care not venture through them himself
on account OF their filthy state aud the
CANCER Of disease, he said this no. tbs
reasop bat his tine hsd necessarily 70 be oc upied else
where. Mr.. Folsom said that the chief obstacle expe-
iepcec In keeping houses the perverseness Of
tsnsnt coupled with the want Of power OF the landlord
70 tec them Il affidavit IL made against tenAn 7,
he pee emit counter affidavit, aud thus delay pro-
ceedines Dir. Fol recommended the passage OF bill
Whereby lncioros could get rid Of tenants at nominal
expense dollar As It at present. the necessary
e1pense get rid of tenant rom three to four dol
Jsrs and the tenant opposed high as six dollars
Mr. Merdel Alexander the agent Of Mr.. Folsom, the
party last appearing, was next called before the com
mites.
z Soms MIA ion ensued between the committee as to
the psopipty Of swearing Mr.. Alexander, and 1t was
final deciced TO take his statement under oath.
Nj. AI4xssDIR who. mean while, was capital living
counterot Ct Uiish deep, was accordingly sworn, and
sta Ell that he had cnarge Of the tenenenh ad-
toI log Cottage low In Thid street. bet