The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-24
UNsAFE BUILDINGS.


Pszs Casualties and Their Causes--C srSlss.
owners and Unskiiied Architects Reasircd
Revision Of the Laws tho subiect-An
Appeal 70 the Legislature, &c.
The question OF the security Of buildings In arge CITY
Is Of vital importance, and which, unhapp!ly,
too many properly holders and builders this city eu
tlrely el5fH Il IS only some appalling calamity the
result Of their penury carelessness ncompetenoy,
whereby human lives sacrificed that make them
the most ordinary precautions OF having the
buildings which they erect safe I, is important that
large building in the midst Of crowded district
should be dre-proof; but tho danger to life from
Gre little when compared TO that from the building
itself There is generally " not always opportunity
for the inmates to escape from burning building, out
in OF falling house there Is little hope for any
person either in the building within reach Of tho
failing debris Il indeed terrible reflection TO look
at ave story building on crowded thorongniare
think OF the careless, spshod manner IN which i
has been run mp" There could not De more em-
Client engine OF destruction devised than an unsafe
building.
q fighfu calamity Of this kind took place 2, tpe
esan,sbm ar Mcssrs PHELPS Peck rave way ona
efernoon and down In shapeless mass OF runs
The house was stored with cotton and ID order 70 com
press that material INTO the smallest possible space
Jack screws applied the sides OF the building
The consequence was that the walls sprung and tho
entire edcc iumbled down About thirteen lives We're
lost The ruins covered considerable portion or
Fulton street. and the people were 20 frightened
at the calamity that for long time after any
I Unusual noise in a building sure to make The
Inmates boat hasty rcrest AZ an example Of
preyssd an amusing circumstances occurred IN Nassau
few days after the TALL Of Phelps Peck es
,ablishrsni we'll Known dining saloon a. the corner o.
OF type, which being boosted up 10 the third story
OF the building, gave way owing TO the breaking
Immediately the saloon. Al the same time . load
Of dumped the door OF tho adjoining house
that tho whole house tumbIing down about their
ears and such took place was never before or
other fursiturs overturned by the scared diners
in their caecrness 10 get out into tho street
also slug in loss Of nie ,oos place asou, esh, years
ago Fourth avenue tho vicinity OF Thirty fourth
street Tho front Of entire block q tenement build
ngs which bad lust erected, fell into tho street
Many persons Killed and wounded IN tho ruins In
this case the cause was poor material and the mis-
Al midnight, August Q. 1895. portion Of the rear
wall OF the 81 Charles Hotel on Broadway. fell over
with tremendous report The proprietor Of the hotel
Was partially buried In debris and falling bricks, and
received such coutusons and bruises that he afterwards
o. M ~ I ns a *.
water thrown upon the structure the day previous dur
Ing the Gre al the Eighth National Bank adjoining. and
I The iuefBciency Of the supports OF the building
| There have been many other examples OF the same
kind IN this cry, and Is high ZINE that some means be
adopted 10 check this terrible evil aud render human
l life secure In this respect at least
| cAupE rus INSECURITY
mes pgoes.Ss n from S The syaeS Of he owners Of
the property occasionally and less fSequenty from the
oareessns Of the builders Not aisw ssrucisss IN sh
sal practice OF giving out the work TO be done on conracs
| Again, the ignorance theoretical and practical, OF
placed a shcir disposal often n;srfers with the
real perfection Of apparently weiI built edlfees
greater or smaissr dimensions, has become
| general II occasionally happens that wrought
ssssrs 3. q -.
pounds for scononys saks VIII b. made Of cast iron,
and eventually prove 20 brittle :. y break N twain a.
but little attention has sssa accorded " the laying Of
proper loundssoaa In masy instances the breadth o.
.Ss. . s s $ ~ %
portion q tie ssriosa!s . ,.uis x,hoasA tss 90! o.
the lower portion Of tho city u known To be adepted 70
sSs :s g =. Sns
undsray the sdposs with sAls Of ssone foot thick
such H:s% IN . Ne s :, ~
ssssSsG The wrs.shsd cond,on Of our city snsons
ana not ssps 0u sroana ~oSras or The property
constantly changing hands in New York Is disposed OF
on ten fifteen twenty years leases. A. the expira-
ton Of the time specified the contract the building
expense may have been ayished upon its
plstion reverts to The owner OF THIS lot which II
stands Hence il can be easily dcdnced that few mon
anxious 10 make over to their landlord costly
structure and a. consequence o. ,his nnwngnes
construct II In accordance with the slightly altered
| quotation Not for all time, but for day III the
subsequent Of the premises not 20 have the
nero shsi strengthened there every probability that
Il will fall into ruins many weeks have elapsed after
| his coming into possession
1 THs Laws oS rts srbJIcr
| seem 20 be treated with marked indifference Ivy the
land owners architects Of thu city IL n true that IN
annual report 81 Ne Superintendent Of Buildings for
the year 1865 we grayely informed that Tested ny
by the experience Of nearly four years application the
existing building laws have proved invaluable 10 this
clay add the mechanical and building interests con
trolled by them - and further that "assnilatng the
Of aud builder, they have regulated the IN
q 10th .ne snoan s, ,Srnsr 81 ,.
excerpt best he acertained by glance at the list OF
casualties printed above, ~ also by pcrusal OF the
AIp Of yesterday In which ull details u the settling
| Of yet unfinished building in broadway were given.
This text the laws the subject concise and not
| liable 70 mis- onstruction and yet informed
old budings Which, when yielded 10 never ceases Until
| old structures are entirely replaced pece by piece
leaving generally cdince 81 most dangerous eharsc
1 teri Il dinicnlt 10 come any but 81 two
illusions, either that the laws on the question are badly
framed or else that they are opesy violated ny one
| THRorsn EnosDwsv,
L and purely superficial examination " many OF he
roader of the Necessity o. revision u the laws
subject II would be uses~ 10 parucuisrze the defects
noticeable In the construction ~ many Of the STRUCTURES
| but most important TO call the attention
81 legislators " the urgency % framing lsws which
shall casualties resulting from the negligence
svarce o. property holders % les frequent
Let an appeal no up for hundredh time the pro
per authorities and let have no more buildings In
whirh The mortar composed o. burned oyster shells
which The orders like pipe stems and the walls
| shells let Of tho admirable structures which
. ssH' .seS rsmssssS. contrast VIII The o.he, ra.s
board concerns bs taken model. for builders, and then
/ people promenads Broadway without m'sgisinss
/ iest 81 the imposing ediDoes shove them tumble
/ dos o on their beads