The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-31
AFFAIRS.
Chief Engineer 0'0onnor's Letter Concern.
ing Dangerous Buildings.

Chief Engineer O'0onnor's Letter Concern
ing Dangerous Buildings.
A day or two ago reference was made In the
DEMOCRAT of q communication addressed
to the City Council by Mr.. Thoa. O'Connor,
chief engineer OF the fire department, con-
corning the fire of the sixteenth instant,
at the eornor 81 Toulouse and Royal streets.
MIR. O'Conner's letter Ia OF sufficient interest
30 justify it's publication in full. It is as fol-
lows:
OFFICE CH1Er ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, 1
New Orleans. May q. 1879.
TO the Honorable Mayor and Council of the
City Of New Orleans:
Conference.-The incidents of the fire OF Fri
day night, sixteenth instant, at the corner Of
Toulouse and Royal streets, impose upon me
the duty of calling our attention to an Inn
portant and, 1t seems to me, Immediately
urgent measure of reform. On that occasion
several firemen were more or less blurred py
the falling of the walls Of the building Ia the
early stage Of the fire and long before walls
could nave been expected to fall or firemen, 10
the discharge OF duty, could nav apple,
hended such danger: The building was 2
four-story brick. Had the walls fallen out
ward nj least 200 persons would have been
killed on the street. ~ H.
ri NAV be- proper to say, however, that the
walls could not have fallen outward from Inc
cause which occasioned this accident; Inc
fire occurred on the ground floor; no columns
were used to support the pieces.
Az soon MS these pieces were weakened by
the fire the building fell. Ii 1t had fallen q
few minutes later a number Of our best and
most Jealous tiremen, and myself with them,
would have been killed. As It was, some were
injured.
The wicked or stupid act Of such mercenary
owner or tenant in endangering life for the
sake of saving the outlay Of o few dollars,
the EXPENSE Of properly supporting the ioists,
il most reprehensible. The building might
have fallen as we'll on decay of the joists,
through lapse Of time, without fire. Itseems
to me incumbent on the city to provide at
once against the possibility of any recurrence
disaster from any similar cause, that Is to
say, from the insecurity OF any buildings,
new or old, which are now built or standing,
as well as all buildings to be erected hereafter.
1t may be proper for me to make some Sug-
g~estions which may not occur to your honor
discharge. The effect OF this accident, even
by itself, will impair the efficiency OF the de-
partment If immediate security is not afford
ed against Its recurrence by the city. Our
flremen have never hesitated to face danger
in the discharge OF duty. Ihe mortuary an
nails Of the fire department Of New Orleans
from accidental causes Is 4 very large one,
and proves this, IL proof is required. But II
the city permits traps to be constructed for
them-of which, doubtless. there are many
like this one-through the instincts OF mer-
Cenary prOprietors, or occupants, the great
body of them. UiW hesitate In future. That
there are some who still Will not, and VINO
are strangers to even the most reasonable
prudence, makes 1t all the more
on your honorable body to take immediate
measures for their protection. Another event
of the kind, or worse, a fatal one, without
measures for its prevention being i~nterposed,
would produce deanordttsGt0n OF me dePGTt.
ment from which it would be slow and difficult
to recover, even with ample measures adopt
ed afterWard. II Is one Oh Iaoss Z 20
t Mnuou Ae4oAo ~ oA' ~
[ have considered the subject attentively,
and also prepared myself before writing this
letter 70 De aple 70 polnI nu hod W a u ~ vn ,n o1a
fha nacassarv ordinance. several bnildings
which are man-traps, SO to speak, and Ii on
ire would impose upon me sne cnoice ol =
g un,il1 ~ y ~ ! ;,,st;Hnd II nar1pittinr thro,,gh
their rash bravery. the officers and men of the
department to throw their lives away even In
Inc uascnalR9 " uu.y, m nthar s sn',n oaat " ~
the neglect Of the CITY to provide against the
danger.
Permit me, Ih Ter hod, 10 so a,.a!n atune 1 naios
UwailI camnrahand both prevention and remedy
for this sort of disaster In every form. and
which will avert all possibility OF needless
a y ~ nle.l ~ da mHm ~ ~ o tauar, " orehitactS =
tanent and oil atbbass cnncerned IN hnildinns
onaa : : n IN ! y - h h1raa ~ ~ ~ N I'LL, n + ,un1id
n aSna sya T., 4, sn vr netea fnrthe eu ~ That the cbiaf an
a;nper - tSSa aaE NJ dana tnont ~ acnn1,nt n
ss iu1 nf,eiai - POSITION niitHj sho ron he NV the nrdi..
n na1 itSalf =" asonniatan with the measures
- : Lsse ns q -, onabIa him ~" Nv n ~ at aIlI
h ti,oss tha a nsr ~ co etu - m ou from he
1an1er a dppe arIhs go ~
Var, resnectfnny yo,,rs =
THns 0,GnyIn Ghies En- oinaer
Ahoe' ooNnon on,ol s
lC VII De remembered nat the mayor al
swered this communication by saying that
an ordinance covering the subject was al.
ready ia existence, and that any assistance
from the Chief engineer would be gladly re-
rev, +his oorr,sna,a,,o, ~ :. ,,a,r,+aod
~ $500 n,
l VIII Ript \" tOW SpIulJixhlutou GhluSU Dullu-