, 1881-10-30
A FIRE-TRAP.
Shocking Condition Of the Buildings
That Were Scorched by Fri
days Blaze.
Narrow Stairways, Noode, Fire Walls,
a- Building Piers. Etc.

The fre ,7hic}, occurred Friday evening on
Franklin street, and which for Il time threatened
10 1,roye a big h:aze. has directed attention t0
the copsuucr.o: Of the b,filding in which tha
<.onttngradon started. y reporter uf iii: IK1s:-
rNE yesterday examined the premises from the
basement to the roof. and found that the build
ing Nas firc-trap OF the worst kind II many
such exist III the city. and there appears 10 be
sss,e reason for believing that there arc several
it Will be but few months ttcfnTc the th1caao
newspapers will record Il terrible calamity
The l,,,i!t1i1,s has frontage II jM feet on
lr:,nklin street. aud is numbered ST, ST. - NJ. 81.
and NJ m that street. !. IS SitnA3ft immediately
1.nrtf 1t tho Ogden House, which stands on the
t:s.rncr Of Fs1,nk.in and Washington Streets Ine
:,urit-out structure Is about III teet deep. and
mas trick walls in front and rear. All else con-
lsccte1 with it is nl wood assI ony OF matches
would not blaze np more rapidly. Standing on
the Franklin stree, sidewalk and looking up at
tAs building the first impulse Of the ga2er Is to
Aunt snEe bctler l'lafr 10 stay
THE EilcK PIERS rELcE OUTWARD
iii a most threatening manner. and the hrefneh
who pulled back the lre-escapcs and ladders
from the Icath-srp S..rc fully justified IL their
action.
Tho building WIS crcctcd last winter. during
the very worst vi the weather. II was hegnn
,sbout Iiet. 4; and the 1,rick WAS laid while the
1Aermo1ut.lcr was 1T ze1'' or lower Two ' sam
-,sauacrs were kept constantly solng e. eacn
,.r aud il was only with the utmost difficulty
that the work was ntinued. In i:aet- 'iurtng
tho week hetween christmas aud New Years
work had 10 be suspended entirely. The
1ronf rear and ,,orll, walls are sixteen inches
thick up 10 the sctn;,d floor: the third floor Is
twelve inches and The upper story eight !nches
There is no south wall Whatever, tie tinhcr$
being laid in the t,<len ltouse vail 50 That i
Iuildinl. lou feet wide and occupied by haIl u
dozen ,lrs ,,arly ~ of sn9 s1 ~ run m resi-, heaHs '
The joists inside are Xxi: OH each luor, and
the alleged partition Wall,
i FALSELY TERMED A FiEE-vA1t-,
was constructed of inch loar.is. Access to the
upper floors of this miserable affair is ha.l ~
s".ealiel s"9 oS iire-wan. ill., These Staircase are
each 1hirty-si1 inches in Width. and the
event fully r.pveu thar this was totally made
41ua1e. The fire originated on the scc,ud floor
in the southern haiti ol. the building. and it
Tsacned The aot l ,h s n1inp nsl ~
The 1litnsest and great cracks Oh every tioor AZ
torde1 through draft. The rooms IL WHICH the
fire started ~etc t!!e vita dry pine Partitions.
the ceilings xer. unpiastercti, and tea roof Was
4 yretched contrivancc carried on scantltnE- 1t
- not take ten ~ na'cs ,h ,T,.t 2r Inc 3 M 70 ga' , f
tho heroic efforts Of the firctncn prevented the
whole structure from betug burned down. In
view Of the facts, it would seem better that the;
Tncre Is no; q man connected With the build
ing put is loud in condemnation OF its eonstruG-
1iol. The from, walls are Of pressed hricl wish
little .labs Of stGut trimmings, and looks we'll
enough. The walls TO the uorlh and west were
RUSHED IT. nrI:1Nt; SEVERE FROSTY
WEATHER.
and are unfit for the purpose for which they
we're DESIGNED About the OILY decent work
connected with the fuil,ting is the foundations
ON which rest the large engnes and mills of the
] north y hall of ,ie building The ,joIsts arc
thrown in some two 10 three inches INTO The 0r-
den House wall, IS can be readily seen by any
one who will clint, to the npper s1ory- The |
Wnirht of the roof alone IS cuC.lEht TO tear these
jOiStS out
4 il 10 nak.. ASSURANCE loul,ly sure. and IL
.endcr the building more certainty flre-taT. |
there is the west side ot the building All f.e-
ra1or which caps the climax OF all contrivaaees ]
The roof it is cased in thin boarding. with great
scarns between the boards. and the men en- |
plugged OIL the different floors have never dared !
to lean aeail,st the elevator easing for fear IT. |
should break Rno let them to the bt5ttoni. In !
this wretchcd building there are many large and
e,s could e whsn 1 sr
the flooring had TO lie braced and the bearings
extended over wide space. AS il is. the !
piers and columns OIL the upper rloor are all t
loose, and when Tho reporter kicked one Of the [
piers the mortar ratified out The flooring OF !
eea1ns through which all that is going oil below |
II The building is owned by T. +. Hutchinson.
who biliit 1t IN the manner described
USDEl. Ills OWN SUPERVISION
and with his own men. There are no rascally
coutrac1ors on Thom to rest the btame: but Mr.;
hutchinson must take it himself lie hired
but retained the general supervision
Of the work in bis OWN hands
rhe occupants Of the ,ire-s,ap unite in say1ns.
that it IS the worst building q man WAS ever
compelled 10 occupy and all Of them have bec1 |
put to endless expense for repairs and attera-
1ions-this on building not yer six months old.
rhc man who had charge Of tue carpenter wors.
ind who IS now in the employ al me Cropkc !
Company, WIS loutlcst in his de-
~ fF1S1a
ing. According to the statements OF tue .r'cu-
pants, everything connected with the structure
vas Of tho tilnlsicst Kind Uil doors and |
werc utilized and stuck
ftcd place na4 m Of ssir@ag Mns1her
.tseracefully Inadequate, and there was not Il
loor or partition in the building in which tue !
boards matched. In tho miserable structure |
.hus blown together some fifty girls were e1n-
3}0yed, and IL the fir. had Started an o3r ear
icr than 1t did the loss Of life would necessarily
2avc been great The people who have the mis-
ortune to hold lenses Of tho premises nrc very
lick Of their bargain.