The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-10-04
TIE TENEMENT HOUSES OF NEW YORK.

Amendment to the Building Law-Why Tenc-
ment Houses Are Not BEING Bnilt-Property
Owners on the Rampage. and the Next
Legislature Looked TO for Relief.
Last winter there was quite lively time in Albany
respecting the building of tenement houses The discus
sion did not take place any and would proba.
bly, even then have been omitted II whole families had
not been burned to death in the lathe and plaster edces
termed tenement houses Those events Of too
horrible nature to be lightly passed over. and the
people, through their represenat, in tho Legislature
at Albany, demanded that better class OF buildings
should be erected and greater security provided for life
and property Tho law relating to buildings and the
keeping and storing Of combustible materials the
subject Of much discussion. and received many impor
tant amendments. Section 80, which refers 10 the
building Of tenement houses, almost entirely re-
modelled and several very excellent alterations in the
style of building inserted. The following is tho
section referred to-
srcrIos 81 las amended in 1871 An dwelling houses
York to contain or be occupied by tour more families
proper opening, leading the all the
s sa p as. % to nd
neroof FIRE escape that shah te approved Of b the SUI
front and rear tenement house be erected on the
sane sm lot UNLESS nn the sid houses; and each q them
houses Intended be occupied by four families
ssf Be s II BRICK a not s' .
ss fr be- Ts With rSs
between them All stairs shall be Of stone iron and in
SSnes, purpose. Ss aT.s
S f s sh Sc OF o S Or
hereafter be built all recepiaccs for fuel when placed
material ms and AZ me- ho@s,s that sha
Eadinss stall have power ' in s deermnine The method
q son.trnc"s halls ana s,arwsSs the height o. ssins.
houses. such mentioned hi, secon built,
which may hereafter he built shall have hay straw,
s VOID ss
for By law II al dwelling house. already erected in II.
as. shan have power 70 d.s5mas VIA. ai,sra,ioas
az 0a e .s ss' snd Ss n @
lie shall cause notice to be served on tho owner
sr san % T S s. be noea
sss be on The and shall have AL the
teraons set forth in said notice within the time specified
m 5 ss iSe al. to
UPON apply 10 the supreme Court for an order 70 proceed TO
Expenses Incurred carrying
sS e OF s s tn
pcaon shall be made hereby authorized to grant such
make TIE eecua and enforce such lien IN accord
As will be seen from the foregoing section the hall
partitions from foundation roof to DO OF brick
twelve inches hck stairs are be OF iron stonc
and the eccpaces for fuel bs OF IRE
proof material Such were few OF the means by the
adoption OF which II was hoped TO preserve the lives OF
those who reside In tenement houses Strange
TO say however up to date not housc has been
mcncei in accordance with the above regulations since
they tccame part OF the laws Of tho State During the
1865 thcre we're ala tenement houses commenced
this city, aud 249 completed and this year. as before
stated, not single tenement house has been
menced accordance with the official regulations The
for this that builders spectators and others
Interested In tenement house property say that TO
build . house In accordance with the law
would entail an additional expense Of nearly
sevsnty-avo per csnt-an outlay, they could
they 10 be reimbursed Rents have already been put
up high Is Is possible 10 get them without driving
the tenants away. and as they very modestly claim
cent from their property, statement which. II true
would OF course justify them refusing TO erect build
ipgs at additional expense OF sevenynve per cent
their ORIGINAL outlay and from which they could not
hope 10 receive any additional return.
Tho nine thousand and odd tenement houses which
this city contains at present amply SUFFICIENT 10 ac-
statements OF Interested parties that the Building law
OF the Legislature driving large numbers OF people TO
seek home outside the limits OF New York Is therefore
untrue, Of the encment HOUSES are at the pre-
partially unoccupied This owing TO tho fact
that the rents exorbapty high, and the owners are
II saij In the receipt Of at least from forty 10 NIFTY per
cent their original outlay and not ten or twelve as
they claim.
II Is stated that an association has already been
formed for the purpose Of bringing this matter before
the State legislature at Its next session. and every
effort will he made to have the Law modified. Builders
and experts that tenement houses built according 70
section No 90 would be almost free from DANCER and
even IL fro did break ont the inmates OF tho house
would suffer but Itte bodily harm in consequence OF
comparative safey from c the houses would he better
In a sanitary point Of view than are the majority OF
those which have been built the cheap and nasty
plan. Altogether 1t seems apparent that last winter
The Albany egsators did q good work when thev
amended the Building law, and II il TO DO hoped that
their 0uccessoI, vii not spoil IL