The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-01-22

immsdA,,s attention are reported the owner
neglect aAd refuss comply with tho rsquiremsnts Of
the Law in forthwith making the safe and secure.
Again too nach time 10 gwen to these to make
such repsin. As the Law now stands Immediately upon
report being made 70 this department citing building
to b ussafe dangerous condition. the owner or
owners a aforesaid nst be served with notice
tanning description q the premises deemed unsafe
requiring tho be made safe and secure
70 immodisisy certify his or their refusal 70
secure o. remove the same; and IN Of refusal
Assso 70 do Or hs or their refusal or neglect 70 60
cure or remove the same. survey thereof has 70 be
made and jury trial had upon the complaint, and
precep issued 81 the Court commanding this depart
this time the lives Of passersby danger
and the law In this particular should be SO amended
give ~ . ~ sDs CHI
condition and The costs Of such proceedings shouldafe
made lien upon the property. be
OF the number OF tenement houses Examined BY the
inspectors since June lst 1882 721 reported BY
were iueS IL III these and 50 far a. Was practicable
served upon the ownes Of said buildings respectively
In 900 cases the requirements Of the Law complied
with. and the buildings furnished with proper reproof
fire escapes leaving balance OF not vet pro-
vided with those necessary appiancea In my last
report here forty remaining unprovided
with escapes these structures belonged almost entirely
nonresdens or were parts Of unsettled estates thus
rendering the service Of notices in the manner required
Tins. Since that date, however, a number Of
the proper. parties to notify have been found,
cases sse REQUISITES Appliances were placed Sp
on the buildings leaving twentyfour not
yet put In these twenty -four the necessary
legal proceedings are In progress to effect compliance
with the provisions OF the and being determined 70
enforce these provisions to the extent OF the power
Of building requiring Ore escape disregarded the com
mands Of the notice served upon him, caused him to DO
arrested upon warrant issued by Of the police JUS
n nd he Ia rudo
answer the charge Of msdemeanOI should the result
of these proceedings have the desired effect shall In
every case whore the circumstances require It, take the
same steps 70 insure speedy and complete conformity
10 the law.
in addition 10 the 900 buildings furnished With fire
under Of the law the owners Of 40 tene
ment houses have voluntarily placed thereon suitable
iron ladders bridges thus making the entire number
OF this class OF dwellings furnished with those life saving
fixtures amount to 1,169.
The matter OF tenement houses has lately very prop
eriy ELECTED much attention rom the puoc ana severe
which 80 many lives were destroyed have awakened
both TO the dangers that surround the people who live
Ia these houses, and when 1t is considered that nearly
500 900 human beings make their homes in them their
safety should certainly excite reasonable degree Of
anxiety These dangers so loudly complained OF and so
severely condemned have not grown up in our
munity in short period they have existed for many
years and 4 the public notice Is attracted to them only
officers whose duty s to report such matters, but
rather from want Of sufficient authority vested In the
department The attention OF this department since
assumed its management has been particularly d.
rected 70 this class OF buildings, and the means
BEES. adapted to protect the lives OF persons
by my previous reports that have called the attention
Of the proper authorities to the insecurity Of life in
the necessities OF the and constant opposition
the part OF those interested In this kind Of property
out tle progress mas oeen made ana the metnods o.
be- II was not until the year 1850 that re escapes
were directed 70 DO placed tenement buildings,
and then only upon such buildings as were to be erected
after the passage Of the and built contain
than eight families. In 1851 the act amended
70 embrace all buildings which contained moro than
eight families but thls much pdeded amendment failed
to receive the signature OF the Governor In 1862 how
ever the law was changed 80 as 10 compel re escapes
TO be placed upon all tenement houses standing alone
and over forty feet In height and which were built TO
contain or occupied by moro than six families above
OF these re escapes on tenement buildings, and their
practical value s often tested, Is illustrated by the
fact that on the 1 night o. the e, iSs sixty
roof OF the i've story house located No. l95
south street. while the dre, whom other
Of 1886 ladders and scutes were dispensed with in
this class OF buildings and stairs and bulkheads sub
an 70
This regard worry important change and IL be
regretted that u only applies 70 buildings to be erected
hereafter and does not reach tenement buildings built
previous to June l. 1855 not content nor should
the public be satisfied with the present means Of
without instances whore ' lives have been lost
In buildings furnished with everything required
law and some plan Ian should DO adopted and
houses as 10 Others After personal investigation am
convinced that the only safo and method is BY
constructing the hall partitions from foundation TO roof
Of brick not s than twelve inches thick with sufficient
ventilating ues for carrying OF smoke and preventing
cS q a1
ing all stairs TO be OF stone iron and In where
the lower part OF the building Is used for business pur
poses of kind the first tier Of beams above the store
floor should be Of iron with brick arches. In such
building life would be secure health promoted and fires
these points IN view and will submit them 10 the Legs.
lature at an early day IN accordance with request
from the Committee on Public Health OF the Assem-
bly,. II this plan should accord with the judgment
Of the Legislature, and should II be followed in the
erection OF tenement houses, IL would OF
apply only to buildings TO be erected hereafter.
There arc at present very large number OF ene.
mcnt houses In this city in a very dangerous con-
dton in case Of fire and i very much to be regretted
that provision OF this kind cannot reach them also.
The only remedy FOR these existing evils compelling
the owners TO strict observance Of every requirement
set forth In the law, with such amendments may be
secured hereafter and devsing by which an
alarm be sounded In these houses in case OF fire.
During the oi year sis tenement houses wore com.
happy 70 state are generally of far superior character
TO those erected in former year, and have been
s'ruccd with greater regard for the safety health and
comfort Of those compelled TO occupy them. Suhstan-
tal hreproo fire escapes put every building re-
curing the same and exempt by law from such
appliances arc provided with slarways leading to the
roofs
In addition to the amendments already suggested IN
practice OF brildng front and houses six
stories high city lot should be prohibited, unless
built proof throughout and the buildings that now
may hereafter be erected TO contain be occu-
pied by than three families should be provided
with non-combusible wood houses u in the cellars That
the sale storage OF inammabc materials should be
prohibited in these bindings IL sowed only In such
manner aud in such quantities as to prevent, beyond all
possibility, any danger 20 life and property.
STORING cosBUsuBIES M
On this subject the Inspector OF Buildings says
rne
and specially charged With the duties OF regu
latng and enforcing all that portion OF the Law in relation
TO the keeping and storing OF gunpowder, fireworks and
other combustble materials In the city Of New York. and
required examine all stoves and the pipes thereto,
boor kettles and also all chemical apparatus which In
their opinion may be dangerous causing or promoting
res and also the places where ashes may be deposited
and upon finding any of them defective or dangerous
said commissioners shu direct the owner occupant OF
said premises, respectively, either by printed or writ
notice. alter remove amend the same In such
and within such reasonable time a. they may
deem necessary. These provisions, although not AZ
stringent Judgment dictated they should be, wore
drawn BY me and euerafted into the present Build