The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-26
wsIlc Arc pp,.sATE rnrlcEs.

Until wv very few years pas, ittie aen'ioh "'
beea rap. 10 the construction Of nui'cings n 'ns guy =
pToviv ~ for tho safety of tier occupants ~ 'as' -
Av In fact IN many fanc's buildings wore
~ in such AZ unsubstantia manner tha' 'ney "oro
sarcely able 10 Withstand the ordinary tests 70 Whe
they were suhiectod. u vas not an uncommon cfeum
-. :, 80 bonseg erected where eightinch walls were
sarr,. ID 70 height o. forty feet The result was that
u5., tnese vas became subjected 10 intense heat IN
ar s ~ a are they crumbled to the earth, oftentnes
,,,,,rc beneath their ruins The brave hrernen,
whose nves became sacrifice 10 the reckless
y,re ~ hese builders who utterly dlsrcgarded the
s. az life that coud not but follow from the unsafe
ronstrrcon &c such buildings. There have been many
improvements made in the construction Of buildings Ia
refafd % lie safety or their occupants since the act or
,So2 Va passed and INTO operation but there are
ri radical defects which call loudly Tor thorough re-
form IN our system OF buildings and until such s the
case tbe public community Liable TO BIO startled by
sgch earfa tragedies lately occurred in avenue A,
where several persons burned 10 death. Some Of
,be me / glanng defects in the construction Of
IlSRwE>r HOUSES
m. moi rcaairci 10 be remedied by the existing law
which v,n be spoken of hereafter In the first place
therc should be stone IRON stairways IN every
building that il occupied by than four families;
secondlv frrrogng in outside Sa IS very dangerous,
scause II the ae burns through the ceiling OF the FIRST
moor 70 extends the roof Mt once, FEEDING on the ath
and iurrcwine pieces while there is no opportunity 10
cx,jnguish ~ or course he plaster cmnot be put d.
rectly nnon an outside wall account OF the moisture
which such walls collect but ms conu De rcmeded by
rak ug Snoh wa Is hollow.
another case of danger from ire In tenement houses
he hai coal and wood bins are allowed 10 be
parea upon The first OF 81 the large tenement
honses and with those Materials IL an ncendary
wi,h.s 10 set IRE building there is other piae1
about ID that offers such advantages and the result Is
fhal the iames aud smoke ascend through the stair
ways smobefing any ono that might attempt 10 escape
IRON me destruction that threatens them
Again the present law provides That Ia party walls all
beams shall be separated from beams entering the wall
m an opposite direction by AT least inches Of solid
masoi work. which Ia insufficient separation in
Of fire. sufficient heat will penetrate four inches Of
masonry Dire 10 wooden supports Many buildings
are occupied upon he FIRST as hay and feed stores
while the upper rented 10 tenanA From
peculiarly nhamma0e nature Of the material stored in
Tho first loor escape from sagh buildings in case 81
nse would be almost impossible.
BROWN FRONTS.
Nor defects OF building confined alone 10 that class
are taken to render fashionable residences up town
nre proof, winch is all very well as far as
goes, but by putting wooden blinds only
from The heat in case Of fire the opposite side Of
che street. which is often sufficiently intense TO FIRE
buildings, and the Ere Is thus invited TO enter these
paIaai residences and destroy more property in
brief hour than would he required TO make them what
buildings the nerest shams, that have to be Emp
portcd nv surrounding buildings. In case OF fire the
servants In such houses would be at the mercy OF the
she reason that very few OF them have proper ire
escapes
WAREHOUSES;
Bhere are many buildings occupied for the purpose OF
storage that never intended to support great
weights. Az consequence, occasionally one tumbles
down, causing less loss Of life and endnnger
ing the lives OF passers by. such instance
socnred at Nos IA and 10 Front street. the 9th OF
December 1855, when building that occupied for
storing flour fell to the ground The weight was
sruAhng 10 preoipate the front walls contents
q the building into tbs street, destroying large amount
~ IN rlnN nnpn nnA ng
oeljousy This accident occurred at six O'Clock In the
afternoon. HABIT occurred few hours earlier In the
day the l0s9 OF life would have been much greater
There are numbers of such buildings in the city, and
ther liability 10 tumble into the street at any moment
here furnish pleasant subject for reflection in the
n,ands Of our citizens.
FIRE EscAPKs.
There 10 no subject, perhaps that has elected
attention OF late than has the method OF providing
escape from building in of fire, and none has
and ready relief from danger Imminent. TheAerriblc
saiAmtes that caused by the want Of IRE escapes
served few years rouse the public to sense OF
s danger 10 that respect and the subject az lated
n the public press until tho year 1892 whom act
passed by Abe Legislature o provide for the regulation
and inspection OF buildings, the more cfectua proven
Non OF flies and the better pres rvaton Of life and
properly In the city OF New York This act created
executive department for the survey and inspection u
buildings which charged with the execution OF the
law
An IMPROVEMENT.
This was certainly Improvement upon the state OF
mings which had existed previously, but still there were
found defects in the law that were sought to be remeded
regard 10 nre escapes, as follows:
& ANY par, q The ely Of New York
sr may be more than forty feet high, thai sha be
s story ana al a~sns houses Aa ahs s. oc
ccpsd Sy Or euli p contain egb, Or more families above
"a s or on each oan e IL aSs S
oni 70 rear and every such dwelling house sSaIi hsre
aeei thereon practcs IRE proof escape shall
Sudinss ~ the city Of New York and al rear
ron bridge provided that where any sch building shall oe
1. proof hroushoui where are two or more
Isl roo Che may y
mall have hay straw hemp OAK, wood shsvnss
material ord therein kept sale Except IN such qusn
Mites az be provided for by ordinances Of the Common
The act iorSsf provides Cor survey Of unsafe bud
ngs 20 be made by the department, aud II 1t IL found
That they do tho requirements OF the law the
0wners lessees shall be served with notice requiring
The premises TO be made safe and ia case OF refusal or
pegect TO secure the same, the said report shall DO
placed before court and jury trial shall be had TO
desermne whether or not the premises shall be madc
ie and just here may DO pointed out one * the most
serious
Law.
VI an unsafe building Ia Complained OF Il takes from
two three years according 10 the present law 10 have
the defect remeded from the many delays attendant
sn1n a py Jury cos are on record that were
been maze safe, because OF the laws delays very
rsady defence for the defendants In cases made
unconstitutional Those delays seem 10 be the principal
drawback In the way Of making the law eroctive
There are over three thousand alleged violations
Of law on die at the once of the superintendent Of
Building which according 10 the present law cannot
be disposed OF In less than two years when There should
be power somewhere 10 have ihem renedied Ia two
weeks. Ehsre Is too much law. II should be so
smn 70 be objective without the aid OF tedious
sea Ia ses'i power " As to a ss as Of
s:ls :s.ss s.',..' 'a' 80. =