The New York herald., 1872-12-27
"FIREPR0OF" BUILDINGS.
Superintendent Maogregor Defends and Defines
His Position-The Defects Of the
Existing Law.

Existing Law.
| To TnB EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Your reporter, In the HERALD OF Sunday last In
his Interpretation OF my remarks and partial quo
tation OF the Building law has given circulation to
statements which are alike unjust both to the law
and myself However timely and apropos the
article upon "TInder-box Buildings'' may have
been, when illustrated BY the eonnagrarons OF the
Brooklyn Tabernacle and Barnum's Hippodrome,
that article might have passed without notice from
the Department but for the renewal OF the subject
in your issues OF Wednesday and Thursday.
Inspired by the fre In Centre street, your re-
porter assuming the truth OF the previous article
proceeds, In tone OF attack at once 80 unreason-
able and unjust that, In order to avoid an impress
sion upon the public mind almost entirely false,
should at once be modified. In regard to ''Tinder-
box Buildings" your reporter did not represent
me fully, for not only disapprove OF the CORFU
gated iron buildings, filed with combustbles, but
also the false economy OF erecting buildings In the
manner OF A. 7. Stewards, on broadway and
Fourth avenue, ana the new iron building In pro-
cess Of erection at the corner OF Broadway and
Fourteenth street. and many others which. though
substantially OF iron and brick. are filed with o
forest Of timber and cOmbustibles and, In case OF
great fire, would be almost as dangerous as Bar
NUNS Hippodr0me the Brooklyn Tabernacle; !;
and your reporter also forgot TO mention my un-
equivOcal opinion In regard TO the economy Of fire.
proof buildings, while l cited as examples Mr..
Stewards hotel, the new building on Fulton, Ann
and Nassau streets, the Drexel building Wall and
Broad streets, Stats zeitung, the Metropolitan and
German Savings Bank and others. But II the De-
partment is viciously opposed IN executing the
law, when exists it is difficult to imagine what
would be the extent OF dissatisfaction should 1t
attempt to interfere contrary to law. Your re-
as fearing to fight the architects and builders in
the execution OF law or the performance OF duty.
testimony that never shirk any duty and have
not heretofore been deferred from the execution
OF the law by fear OF any kind In the cases cited,
II your reporter had read the law carefully he
tainiy would not have made such statements, for
he would have learned that, however much may
such buildings. as superintendent have no legal
power to prohibit or prevent their erection. The
following ID the portion OIL section 81 Of
THE BUILDING LAW,
quoted by your reporter:-
SEC 81 The Department Of Buildings named under
ton relative to the mode. manner Of constracon or
% sy he used % he y s ss@ %ssr"0n or
desire to make Just representa- OF the
affair before the public should have inspired a con-
tinuation OF the section, which reads thus:-
spfSsy @ ss
q che and a
modify vary any several provisions Of this act to
Do nc
SO that substantial justice may be DONE
Here again, had your reporter stopped, false
impression would have remained Tor the section
cOncludes:-
But no such deviation shall be permitted except a
sspau and as s Be s apSyna or
sS fs ss'S s ps
hs o
order in its discretion.
Now the buildings named are especially herein
provided fOr'' by the Building law, and inter-
ference on the part OF the Department would have
been denounced as a high-handed oppression by
and no paper has been more cop0us in that species
OF criticism than the HERALD. In regard to Bar
NUNS HippOdrOme, when IL was erected in 1853 II
was not only in accordance with the existing law,
but really superior TO the legal requirements or
made it has only been rendered safer. In fact, to
the protection OF the hreprooi sign in front lately
4. sasty @ e Of Is ss
corrugated iron covering rendered that
building ANY vos% osae ess
more liable to destruction. have labored in my
Department ten years to procure the passage OF
a stringent law requiring safe buildings in all re-
spects, but thus far have been only able to obtain
IL In part. have never approved OF, and do not
the city but 1t is time that the public should know
THE sHoRTcoMING or THE LAW
that Is at ault and not the neglect ignorance and
nenicency OF the Department.
Your reporter also does injustice to Mr.: Hep
tabernacle or Barnum's It is substantially, bult,
even beyond the requirements of the
law, being sixteen inch brick walls. The
the arrangement OF nucs IS excellent,
and, although suggested the economy and pru-
dence or nrepro0f roofs, my authority ended there,
the law permitting otherwise and, as have before
remarked, the insurance companies accepted them.
The assertion that corrugated iron shells, when
nv n
selfdestruction and the burning OF buildings in
their vicinity, is novel one, and will surprise many
who have not heretofore regarded that metal as In
nammable; yet in this connection your reporter
evidently attained glimpse OF the true state OF
the law for relief from the manifest evils he ex-
claimed, Here, unfortunately. the outlook is not
SOMEWHAT ENCOURAGED
/ by the effect upon the public mind produced by the
Boston fire, followed up SO quickly by instructive
misfortunes OF our own, to disagree with him.
hope that the coming Legislature will perfect the
law In accordance with the experience OF our own
and European cities. The fire on Centre street has
also drawn more or less blame upon the Depart.
"DEPEcrIvE FIRE ESCAPES"
charge also unjust as the records OF the Depart
-ment show that every requirement OF the law was
enforced In that matter with great promptness.
| The case was reported January H. 1870; the owner
notined January 10; fifteen days time was granted
duly Inspected by reliable officer on January 81
law had been complied with by the erection of
| Company, with bridges from the "nfth story to the
/ building adjoining In the rear"
lie 'sGOEs FOR GREENo
II from any cause the legal safeguards had been
permitted to fall into neglect, must simply observe
! that neither the superintendent or Inspector OF
| this Department are ubiquitous TO watch every
building in q city like New York, and especially
since the pitfu parsimony, inaugurated by sham
economy, has compelled the diminution OF my
working force 10 point far below the actual and
| The Comptroller OF the Department OF Finance.
who Is also Park Commissioner, member OF the
| Board OF App0rtiOnment and Audit and a Commits
sioner OF the Sinking Fund, can probably afford to
economize public expenditures while enjoying
three salarles especially when retrenchment Is
| practised upon Others But | confess myself
totally unable to conduct single depart