The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-14
REPORT Of TIE SUPERINTENDENT Of euItoiXss.

From tho Evening Telegram. Feb 1871
Tho annual report or james NJ. McUregor. superin-
tendent OF Buildings, lrst refers TO the amendments
OF The law passed at the last session Of Tho legislature
Al the solicitation OF the SUPERINTENDENT and states that
they have been uniformly complied With with beneficial
results, especially the provision requiring all buildings
Of public character to have their halls doo and stair
ways unobstructsd and SO arranged to facilitate
ssress III Of Ere acctdout. The amendments in
references to IRE escapes upon tenement houses aud as
to frame wooden buildings afforded ample precau-
tious against the dangers sought be provided against
The Superintendent INKS. however that the provision
requiring houses 10 have floor beams with
br.ck eween might bs stricken out, as less
cumbrous aud expensive material would % equally i'm
pervabe TO the action Of IRE He suggests, TOO tpat
thero should be- restriction 10 the localities
wherein tenement houses should ba erected as unsghty
proximity TO elegant dwellings, dsprcca,n; the value OF
property. There wore l736 new buildings commenced
aps o inc sa 0sas oss oman
or these $50 FIRST class l56 second class and o44
third class or tcnement houses, OF which 2S5 were COM
menced prior to the time the law went INTO effect or
and storebouscs 100 begun, 1873 brick facto
re 90 brick stables and IL church edces. There were
33i wooden buildings completed tnearly all IN Harlem
Twelfth wuro,. ii ak,nga to, of O. ITO Of that class in
the city oi winch 03e were built durug the past hvo
years None can now be erected any part OF city
Without permits from ,hs Bulldog Department ibere
452 buildings altered add l64 sets Of plans and
spe;iieatons Tor new buildings we're submitted and
year. There 426 complaints acted upon for viola
tons OF tho law. Mr. MoGrcgor expresses the hope that
ifapy amendments had to tho law during the pres
ent session Of HI Legislature most radical change
should be made In Tia! portion relating to the
prosecution OF suits for the removal OF viola.
tons and rscites vexalous delays incident 10
the present process The number Of unsafe build
iugs reported May, 1862 .wero l,osa Of which
81 were reported last year, aud OF these only Is re-
named to be taken down Since Nay, 1862 when tho
department was oeanzed % OTIS cases nave been acted
upon, ais new buildings have been erected and COM
peed, 2776 old buildings RACED altered, i2 Corpora
ton ordinances AND 1868 building law violations re-
moved, 1854 com plains received and examined, Lao
fires attended and reported, loss unsafe baiitings re-
msyed ra,ailed, Isis plans aod specifications exam
inei or these "a, 1928 boon closed up Mr.
McGrogor roa ct length tue subject of IRE escapes,
and regards II highly necessary that alarm Oh sce
kind should b. placed front and OF each floor OF
tenement house buildings, winch could be sounded by
policemen hrernen in OF Gre. He gives the de-
tails OF the FIRE at No 596 Second avenue December
last conrov ertiDg tbe npu,aon from some quarters
that ms department responsible for III aud 1t - Ia
that connection tnat no refers above TO the import
having tiTo alarms "a buildng,p he says.
''ay b. provided with svev possible Of
and yet II tue tenants not speedily awakened smoke
oyetiase them and they perish by unca,,on for
rarely occurs thai people are burned to death 10 those
lOuauS. "