The New York herald., 1868-05-11

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So,,Sasn e,sus vi m1e iaIniiies snoua pe provided
with fire escapes. This applied only to buildings to
be built after the passage OF the act, and
retroactive. In 1851, however, an effort was made
to carry the provisions Of the law back to
all buildngs-n other words, to render them retro
active but the.act framed for the purpose failed to
become a law, and the matter went over for after
Se and IN Il iSa as seR was s taken
should be engrafted on all isolated tenement houses
OF over forty feet in height and which built to
floor. Where however, two or more buildings of
equal height adoined the same were exempted
Thus stood the law until 1861 when 1t was amended
to read as folows:-
"Al dwelling houses in any part Of the city Of New
York already erected, or that may hereafter be built
that now are or may be more than forty feet high
that shall be built to contain be occupied by six or
more families above the first noor and all dwelling
houses that shall be built to contain be occupied
by eight or more families above the first story shall
have stairway, connected with proper scuttle or
other opening leading to the root, and all the rooms
on each floor shall connect by doors from front 10
rear and every such dwelling house shall have
placed thereon practical nreproof fire escape, that
Survey and Inspection OF buildings in the
city OF New York. and all front and rear
tenement houses on the same lot shall be
connected by an iron bridge; provided that where
any such buildings shall be built freprocf through
out, or where there are two or more dwelling houses
adjoining ana OF equal height and with nat roofs the
same may be exempt from the requirements of plac-
ing thereon nreproOf fire escapes.r
These provisions were, however, found to be inad-
equate, and In 1861 the law was again amended and
IL was required that all dwelling houses erected ut
that time aud thereafter to be erected to contain four
or more families above the first story should be pro-
vided with practical 1reproof escapes to be approved
by the superintendent OF Buildings, and as the law
now stands II requires fire escapes TO be placed
all buildings intended 10 contain four or more ami-
lies above the first story One would naturally think
that II would need less than seven years with doz
en- practical Illustrations OF the unsafcness OF tene
ment buildings, to have brought about the
enaciion .,,G,c Of law by which suitable pro.
have beeH but she fact ana
nevertheless, as fact that II has taken years OF per-
sistent agitation to compass even the most reason
able reform IN this respect and the further important
TACT stands that the wholesome provisions OF the act
have been pertlnaciously resisted and its workings
embarrassed by every conceivable evasion and pro-
crastination on the part OF landlords In fact, no
device OF law could be invented which could pos
siDly work so effective reform in this matter, per-
maps, as 10 make the owner liable Tor all losses
accruing to tenants through accidental fires
and especially liable for all damages to per-
son. An act OF this kind would leave the advantage
IN the hands OF the tenant where perhaps, In order
TO secure ordinary safety to person and property, it
II was not until 1860 that any marked reform In
the building OF tenement houses began. During that
year Sl4 tenement houses were begun and 2ie were
completed. These erectOns were generally far supe-
rior IN every respect to the structures OF former
years, being constructed with decent regard to the
an aea ae 1 pn
where the law required It, and those by law exempt
from these appliances were provided with suostan.
tal stairways leading to the roof The practice OF
building front and tenement houses on the same
lot has, however not as yet been abandonedthouen,
as might be supposed the probabilities OF escape from
the rear structures in OF fire are very slender
indeed. To 0bviate this difficulty II has been sug-
gested that these rear structures should be built
wholly hreproof, though better means Of obviatng
II would be to have the law 80 modelled that no rear
structures FOR tenement purposes should be erected
a. all. There are now not less than SIX hundred or
these rear structures I'm the two or three leading
tenement house wards, and most OF them
are provided with no more than the ordinary
appliances in case Of fire, which happening,
irightful casualties could not but result "
may be suggested in this connection that all rear
structures should be provided with non-combustible
wood-houses, In the cellars and that all storage Of
combustible materials IN buildings Of this class
should be strictly prohibited.
throughout the length OF whole streets on the east
sac and In the tenement house districts the prac-
tice prevails Of letting easements for grocery
stores bakeries and the Ikea system which In the
history Of fire investigation has been demonstrated
70 pe fruitful source of connagrations In these dis
tr,cts: Two conrivapces IL the way OF 1re escapes
tnvsn,e particular notice and desc Both were
and han 10 answer the demands OF ne law OF lsoo
systom ,Ne come into something like genera use one
simnlv % "micn possesses many excellent featee
nndpr 81, a. small iron tube or hollow bead, fasteLeV
unuer Tie cornce and extending across the entire