The New York herald., 1879-12-29
STAND. FROM UNDRRI
An inspection Of Some More New
Buildings in Harlem.
EIGHT-INCH BEARING WALLS
A Tenement Death Trap in First Avenue Crum.
bling Before Its Completion.

pleasant things said about them. An assertion re-
Gently appeared in tho columns of the HERALD that
over three hundred buildings with eight-inch party
walls had gone up in the city since the 1st of jan
uary. reporter undertook to verify this, and,
while he cannot answer for the number Of such
walls. he sufficient to shake the confidence OF
house renting citizens But that even bad builders
may become benefactors be in the fact that
there was no such popular interest in the subject
before the front walls tumbled from the Duffy
sepulchres Third avenue. Should the members
of the incoming Legislature. before whom the
building laws are sure to come in some form, re.
quire any evidence of their present inoperation.
they may obtain 1t herewith.
On the south side Of Eghty-irst street, cast of
Second avenue, stands row Of Afteen three story
and basement brick dwellings. with party walls only
eight inches thick. They fne enough habita-
tions to look at The reporter could not ascertain
from the workmen who the builder. nor
whether the Department Of Buildings had sanctioned
the scheme. under their extraordinary power to
modify vary any of the provisions of the
Building act to meet the requirements Of special
cases." "
AN uNFoRTuNArE ENTERPnIsE. ta.t
There is q row of eighteen three story and bose
ment brick dwellings on the north side Of 10th
street. west Of Fifth avenue. to which quite his.
tory attaches. At meeting of the Board of Ex-
aminers of the Building Department, held December
a. 1875 just four days before Henry J. Dudley be-
came Superintendent. an application was received
from John v. Hogan and Walter Powers architects.
to far vary from their original specifications for
the above mentioned houses to make the party
walls above the basement floors only eight inches
thick. The application also embraced two similar
houses on Fifth avenue. at the corner of l19th
street, and granted; but they were then de-
scribed only two stories in height above the
basement. These facts taken from the published
report in the City Record in whose columns the
ond chapter Of this history did not appear until
March following. The Board of Examiners met
March 4. when John v. Hogan by his attorney, John
Hogan, asked permission to make these buildings
three stories above the basement. This, too,
granted. but with the apparent understanding that
the party walls would have to be increased from
eight to twelve inches. in accordance with tho re-
quirements of the Building act 1t appears that what
was asked for in the application had already
been done by the builder. as ii the consent of the
Board was thing assured il their approval
was merely matter Of form. Mr.. Hogan aud Mr..
Dudley. the Superintendent. were ON very good
terms, so 1t was supposed that the former did not
proceed without good reason for thinking his work
would receive official Endorsement. But it didn't.
At another meeting held on the Sd Of last June. Mr..
Hogan informed the Board of his predicament. His
buildings were up their full height and the party
walls were eight inches thick from the basement
floor up to the roof. To rebuild these walls with
four inches added would be like doing the whole Job
over again. and Mr.. Hogan asked the Board to pass
upon them as they stood. The matter laid over.
and in consequence that OF dwellings, stands in
precisely the same unfinished condition now that it
did then The reporter looking at them yesterday
and examined the walls. All the party walls eight
inches and the outside walls barely twelve Half
of them cornIced. but the other tops are bare
as il the workmen had all gone home one night when
the clock struck six and forgotten ever to go back
There was not man about the premises, and the
only habitations within several blocks shanies
or huts. The two buildings the avenue had not
progrt ssed beyond the foundations. IL was once be-
foro demonstrated in the HERALD that one of the
chief objections to eight inch bearing walls that
the floor beams came together through them. each
requiring rest Of four inches. half the WALL and
form a series OF loopholes through which . hre
would spread from houseto house. Throughout this
row the reporter found the floor beams touched or
Tapped together. when happened to be too long
a piece OF shftlessness which almost doubles the
opportunities OF the flames.
IN SPITE OF THE DEPARTMENT..
There are three new brick and brown stone dwell
ings the south side OF 10th street and west Of
First avenue in which tho party walls are only
eight inches. AZ o meeting OF the Board OF Exam
behalf Of Isaac L. Wright. applied for permission
erect these buildings "in conformance with the new
specifications submitted herewith" That meant
two stories of eight-inch WALL and the Board
scnted. On the 18th OF March the person ap-
piled to continue the walls and carry
them to their full height at eight inches. That
meant another story. and the Board refused the ap-
plication. Yet these buildings completed with
pung walls tho aps m in Occupied Sd month to-
OF April last OF some OF the members
of tho Building Department before the supreme
Court. an inspector named William Hall. who had
been in charge of the district including these threc
buildings. testified that he knew the walls only
He further testified that he informed by Mr..
Dudley that lit was all right"
ceeded the irst publication on the subject Of danger
Gus buildings:-
"To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
"By sending reporter to First avenue between
Seventy-eghth ana Seventy ninth streets. you will
sion to those which fell last Sunday twenty times
more rotten. and by asking any one living in the
builder is and his connection with tho Building DO
partment you will nnd subject worthy Of notice;
TOMB FOR THE LIVING
The letter above conveys but feeble impression
Of the true state OF things. or all tho buildings
these insecurity. There are two OF them, stand
ing ON the west side OF First avenue. or ratler
them. but. II permitted to stand. they may have
another story added day that will occupy good
ron poSts and airders in 'front.' and each building is
divided the street floor by frame partition,
permit double occupancy Of stores, The first
down from Seventy ninth street, the presence OF
three immense props against the northern wall Of
the buildings. perhaps twenty-five feet in length, |
and resting their lower ends in great holes dug in
adjoining yard. The upper ends of the props
rested upon boards that were let down from the
housetop by ropes. reminding ono OF the
tenders used by steamer when landing
in range with their inward wall and looked up.
In many places 1t appeared uneven and the top story
IpaiI Al htS IN thnrA Thn nav