The New York herald., 1869-03-13
ANNUAL REPORT OF TIE SUPERINTENDENT
OF BUILDINGS.

ANNUAL REPORT OF TIE SUPERINTENDENT
OF BUILDINGS.
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After an unusually long delay the report Of the
superintendent OF Buildings for 1868 has come TO
light II was submitted to the Board OF Supervisors
during the prevalence Of the printers strike, and TO
the existence Of the strike must be ascrbed the nom
appearance Of the report before the present time.
Mr. Macgregor the superintendent, has given
report which differs from the majority OF onlcial
reports inasmuch as he has prepared Q book which
is not only interesting because OF the subject on
which it treats but is arranged in readable and
entertaining manner.
The Superintendent commences his report by call
ing the attention OF the Supervisors and others TO
the insuflicency and inelclency OF the law govern
ing the department. and the frequent unsatisfactory
results Of the manner in which the courts are
Obliged TO adJudicate on the matter when brought
before them. He says
Local pejudces and the desire to ccncate conflicting In
and stringent building laws Sy the Issislsars; In
courts has 50 retarded of the
"the greatest good to the greatest number"
The superintendent suggests that the officer en-
trusted with the execution OF the law should be
in III cases; that as he s generally supposed TO hold
IN his hands, to great extent, the lives and pro-
perio of our citizens he should have power to crush
out completely any agent coming under his direction
by which the lives or propertyof eur citizens might
be endangered. On the other hand ne should be
held personally and even cr1mlnally responsible Tor
his actions.
The report then calls attention to the amend
thirtyone, Of chapter s7s Of the Laws Of 1885, was
amended to read as folows:-
Before the erection construction alteration repair Of
s lie owner builder shall notify
am % % m Ss
for such erection or re-
snsas
S e. sH As q .aS
north Of the nohery line Of Eighty-sxth street % the
1s 81 %
river hereby excepted from the provisions Of this act
Commenting on the above, the Superintendent
says-
That the above loosely constructed and passed
by the Legislature without obtsning the careful condera
person who read: carefully i.ssT ssd pesa
y previous session Of The Lsgsaure the
eepi on permits from III. Department Ike latter Clause
desired % erect frame Wooden building. within limits
M ss y . % & Ss q The
r. The Of h Il ns $ Ssns 70
laws.
Another amendment was made to section ten Of
chapter 83S Of the Laws OF 1857 In regard to means
Of escape IN case OF ire and Is as f0ll0Ws:-
All dwelling houses erected, occupied BY built TO
contain two failiss On any Of the oor above the
rs. nar Il height eli y or b e four Or
families aha. have sssirway connected with proper
b oors from front rear and every sucn Cycling house
s
Commenting on this section the superintendent
says:-
The provision. Of tins section s.e. cons.ruc,,on
for Instance only IN height II, often
Des
uns TO the roof with b. SSshsad and savs BE-
other hand house lve stories n height the owner occ
Ss: 81 ssss 9s '.'S SS a
sod y s
need have no ire escape continued stairway roof
II The fSas ass q s e..
che III 81 w 4 e
O. III : Ss os o q, .x Sw sHs
with the objects sought TO be obtained
The following selections from the report will ex-
plain themseves:- g.
re whole rulsr Of buildings examined by the inspsc-
tors reported as requiring means OF escape 10 case Of
The necessary notifications and proceedings required BY
sss ss s s ompsd
VIM hs .w The - balance e /, cssss ss reported M have
he subject Of are escapes doe. NOT
L
KIND: sss isl.y but is.i1s
PSsn o uenss bssa very dsou
or =. 1n nsn s = deemed the %Os
s % r. r.. wus e s s s
put on tenement bouses leaving superintendent Of
buildings power but that Of Judging WHISTLER
the escape put up substantial ana workmanike man
s s y
be stopped only BY making penal offence 70 use fire
aSss asssnsd i ne ep.r%sn. charge y Gre
S 'i
The NUMBER q sadns csDnsys wallis &C.,
and sS ssr a1 s s %ss
'p were du taken n = each CASE reported and
rorisd we're taken down and removsd "-'' A'
Two hundred and sus Of ns Suns hqs re-
lion Of this department. and twenvnns ere the tne OF
s4s s Of
s or .p@ %
he alterations we're principally made in The Interior Of the
Ss @a em
and causes in few days became unsafe and danger
After relating in detail the case OF the Spingler
House, and the fact tnat although 1t was found on
oiicers were compelled to allow to remain SO, the
report says
instances like this demonstrate the necessity OF placing In
1 = ssr. sn q onss % pss work RI ss
euircd 70 render unsafS building or part Of building
Fire dctectors ana heating and warming apparatus
nnd place in the report and are commented on at
THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT,
other than as above mentioned, during the past year
rs given as follows:--
Sine hundred and sxtyfour sets Of plans and
specifications. for new buildings examined. These
plans represent 2oi2 buildings classified and divided
as follows:
FIRST class dwellings,. ........................ $40
second class dwellings 353
Third class dwellings tenement houses,. ........ Spt
first class stores. 50
second class stores. IL
Thrd class stores. 81
Manufactures and workshops. 100
EchO0lnouSes ................ss
stables OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 90
Churches s........................ Is
Public Duudln8S... ~