The New York herald., 1868-05-11

Of the srohts Of buildings. The lower pest
Is an s@oe or bead s open, and inside OF tne samo
h" on strap or hook is attached to the ball and
p IN TINS descends tackle, to which car or psskeS
and or W pe az can m 6e e n
side OF the tube, and py this means can be carried
from a wnaow 20 window to any part OF the building
by one OF two men upon the sidewalk with perfect:
Another contrivance for the same nurnose consists
OF strong iron ladder, coiled upon an iron windass
under cover, upon the roof or building ana So
to the sidewalk, to enable the ladder TO be ns,t-
ly lowered and fastened to the curb, afordlg a.
certain and secure means OF access to any parI of
the highest buildings In the city.
These appliances were proved, however, by tho
ne addition Of ladders and scutiles as means Of %n
to the roof and by the act OF 1865 ladders an, sent
ties dispensed with, and substantial st..irs and
bulkheads were substituted i'll their stead thus fur
nshng a direct passage way to the roof at all times
and always ready for use. The law was not, how
ever made retroactive, as 1t should have been: and
thus the greater proportion OF tenants were LEFT az
insecure before, as has beei demonstrated by the
experiences of the past gear.
present, is however, only temporary, in that tcne-
ment houses constructed with strict regard to the
letter OF the law nOtorlOusly Insecure. SQanf
plan ought to be adopted by which the in
mates OF tenement houses may be rendered
secure in life, limb and property as the inmates Of
first class dwelling houses and there Is probably
feasible way OF comprising thus end except by rlgidy
insisting that all hall partitions shall be constructed
OF brick from foundation TO roof with walls not les5
than one foot thick and with sufficient ventilating
fines for the carrying of OF all smoke accumuiating
In cases OF fire. SuiOcation VIII thus be prevented,
and 1t has been demonstrated by rigid inquiry that
sufiocation is the main danger in these cases. The
no0r beams OF these halls SHOULD be OF iron and su
cently massive, the interstices being illed in with
brick, after the usual manner in hreproof buildings
All STAR structures should tneh DC u IRON iraiihe
work, and all flooring and stair steps OF iron
or stone. In all cases where the first
or basement story is used purposes the
floor OF the second story should be Of iron and brick
thus isolatng the upper stories of the building from
the lower by practically reproof PARTITION. These
improvements would yield practically nraproOf and
always ventilated stair IRON top 10 bottom,
which, even in the last stages Of the connagraton,
might be made safely available as a means OF descent
to the street. That the law will take this practical
turn at an early day s certain, Chough \ few more
additions to the already long list OF sullocated il
tenement houses may be necessary; and in ti.l
meantime shifts and eXpedlenIs are better than
nothing Inmates of tenement houses certainly
right to the ordinary security OF life, and
later this security must be extended.
The number Of tenement houses In the city 10.
enumerated at 1882, OF which the Eleventh ward
contains 2, l49 With an aggregate OF lu4 families,
81 466 persons, the whole tenement house population
the whole. Three classes Of lairs are occupied by
this vast aggregate-iirSt, Old sheds, stable lofts d.
apidated buildings too ricketty for repair and lofts
over warehouses and shops; secondly, cellars, in
which at high tide the wafer is sometimes foot
deep; and thirdly buildings erected for tenement
purposes and buildings metainorpnosed into tene-
ment houses from those formerly used manufac-
tories shops and the like. or the sanitary condition
OF these rookeries nothing need be said the facts
speak, for themselves with sufficient emphasis.
In such rookeres there be p ivacy or is liz
ton of families, and in fact this Is the case with
the better class Of tenement houses Some few
model houses have been erected, in which, to o.
limited degree, it Is otherwse but generally the Old
method Is pursued without substantial modification.
Things are more cleveriy managed in Paris, with
even greater economy OF space than prevails in New
York, where, II description went begging for words
OF sufficiently graphic cOorng 10 paint It's everyday
observations, description would still fail to put on
literary canvas tine details Of filth, squalor incOn-
venience and want OF privacy which pertain to tue
system. In Paris, however, with equal economy Of
space, different results are cOmpassed simply by the
application OF little science to the system Of build
ing for tenants, and this Is of the great points in
which New York Is fifty years behind the Depart
ment or the Seine. In Paris q site of apart
ments comprehends the convenience OF ordinary
privacy; and for all matters Of isolation, may
live as privately as If one occupied house of ones
own and were not in the least degree amenabIe to-
landlords. An application of few grains of geo.
mctrcal science and few grains Of ordinary inve-
tion to the tenement house system, present adj
mnistered, could not but result IN manifest improve
ments with eqHa economy of square yards; and 10
this phase OF the subject the Superntcndent
OF Building should take early occasion to cali
Nrftc 81 cnt'aiA a tall aiudy OF the Paris
yai q -if fht application 4f ls ,Ood points here
" ut siA t' Ghfuf and really ut no
tNi'-a Ni ffie Nie dlnnn nj for buildings
Hi M HolH te ltr as to render the
cti0L an ,niNhS.f .Fcn vitabe specula-