, 1879-08-20
BUILDING INSPECTION.


The ordinary ndcfttand!ug o! The average
Chtcacoan is tlat tfs city IN which Tic lives,
sr,nycs. md nays tuxas Possesses q department
or branch of it, Coref.imcnt known as the De-
partment Of Iuilill|gs. THIS department Is
presided over BY Superintendent. having men
undeE him, 70 whom Ae sars: lido Out upon the
highways anu bywavs. land tuko note Of such
buildings rs orc being built or repaired, tt,at In
their construction the lnws anu ordinances uf
tf1r city arc not yioiatep."
Such Is the gcneraltt tr-rcccired belief, but, II
tllr statements nf tlerAon wcll qualified from
his o,lral connection .tw!t', the department to
know what he IL tn|i; 1lG about aru mt over
drawn, then tho Building Department must be
pronounced nockery md snarc. It seems
lie cnt!ra cfty, nsll Tint ',cr ara uttcrly nnab!e
to begin to ucriornlh tho work wcti ehuuld
he donc. Ono Of; 'thcse Inspectors has
charge OF tho'i whole Of thr
business sc"tion fromthe lnse to the river md
tho inspection Of t1lc whole Nnrlh Division.
Anuhrr hns the dist rfct south VI Twuffth street
anl cast ot tho river, md tho remaining Two
divide thu West Side between 81 them. ono n,an's
flustein, and the o1her's south from
sl,u dividing line oven unto Ds'ghton.
These Inspectors arp. mt provided With anv
conyeyancu ntl.cr tha,, their owu legs OF the
DtanulltH treCLCnEs A1II ~ 10 lltAIbtCsLlf
nnssillc fE then, t9 cover their districts a.
nften as would be Desirable. An tnteryley with
Sir, .JuiM Agnew. tin: Gnstuctpr having rhaFEc NJ
the first district natlct', vas had ly TRIBUNE
rnpnrtcr, md his statements Will Eivc gool
idea OF how thigl arc run bY the Building De-
purtment.
Tie reporter asked how The inspectors ob-
talncl Information about new buildings nf re-
pairs, md wllst!,er tl1oy hunted up tic perlts
each t,aY atd visited thr buildings sront 10 time
tr@& that fpra rrfhFFt frt1ni%n
mot was t',c rtpiv, "we don't hays t!11'e to
do ANYTHING of TINT kind" anul fhen Sir. Agnow
stated whnk at,,uunt Of territory iie aud bis cs,.
talmrrrs lla:l 10 cnyrr. "iou hee." To conti','
examining complaint. aud psiltlnns Tor per-
that tbs signatures to such petitions. which
must ba signed 1y thu nwHurs Of sna}nriiy ut
tnx Is to 10 rutnovud, ara genuine:
1lun there IL constant Grist of
complaints, md tl,eas ali hase tn 10 tnyessIIat-
ed, Or olse there II a row. 20 wc dnn't get t'n!e
,S.: t. sas%ss s1ss. 's b SoS 'ad"S'' or to inspect
"Do yun:moau to aav tltat. while chleaao has
Building Department supposed to look after
suet, things, yet all .heso larIo structlscs INV
ga;ng up In thu business aeet!on arc built ands-
"Just tlIat; wa cannnt gct around to them.
No four man could half cover The
ground anl attenu to the complaints aud
ppttnits. Wo ilsrl to hare ten men 10 do tlIe
work, md then tfscY hal all ihaY cnull 10. So
w lust hnye to let thugs slide, though know
there nFo business buildings ~ l'E W tpdaT IN
violation Of The orttnaaecA, Wt ois.ht 10 be
able to visit every ms Of these At least onru d
tlay, hut that 10 iEnposalDee.h
"so, then. you are eutirtly dspcndent on the
builders tlielnsoYosih
''rocscly, on tie owner and tf,a contractors.
II tlluy clluosd 10 run up ahesls instead ~
houses. witt, imperfect appliances IN elevators
mud sta!rWays, there ID resllY nothing 10 choeh
thcm.H
q sWhy wak ynnr sta1 cut inwn so iargclyl"
"0l. ! Auppnso on ll,e score VI crnuonv.
Hut It seems 10 !n7 HAT all unneo Of prevention
IL worth ton Ut cure. a,ti that, II moro attcn.
!. .vo,l dsal might bs sayul. w have . good
Firo Department. md that Is yrry GOOD thtlk
bnt We build rastse-trap hnuses anoar.
entity for no other ulIrpnso than
to furnish work tor ,hat Department. II
proper attuntlun was raid to canstru1it''n much
OF tho danger from, tlra would bo avoided. II
p,or mau wants 70 dulll ltttlp frat.ln ltu1ss Or
ars luts u large buildings downtown which
ars fuu'ty Of eonstrllelon anl dangerous. We
get no Gtanrc Ia Inspect The fact0rlcs, ltlcatrcs
balls, aud other places wf.ero crowds uf t,'opls
eoucrsgate, but they ought to to 'nspeetsa
"ijo you think .hero is danger from this
9uurrol'
"Yef; pc,ple don't know half .ils 1an2er IN
such plaro,. And thsy t0A't Know ether aoout
tie uHaatu arrangements for bo&lets, aiW elR+
1aturs, hH'l stalrways. IT. = gu1a many cascs
wo yet 1pok A. The plan4 of bl. build mrs, aud
BUILDERS ato wlIl'nE 10 aerapt guggustlona hut
W. have no Means Ut kIiow,ng whether tllrso
very important matter lur Chleago, ail oua tint
Ia worth looking tutu. l}uk ulIdgt tlu ufa@aIlt