New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-09
FIXES IN FLATHOUSES.
DANGERS FROM LIGHT-sHAFTs.

DANGERS FROM LIGHT-sHAFTs.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION d.
yIDEp BETWEEN TWO DEPARTMENTS
Tho burning of the Crmbrldpe FLATS day before
Yesterday has aroused considerable curiosity con-
cernInQ the IN ans resorted TO by builders to make
apartment houses safe from accidents such rs
called special attention To that occurrence. oh
the part OF city officials and others whose "ccupa-
lion led them TO look carefully INTO all tb" crcum-
stances attending the death OF Mrs. ana MISS wake
man, there seemed TO be general recogntii11nl vi
the fact that something more than wise builotn9
laws and strict enforcement OF them was necessary
TO guard against lnss of life whrn apart
ment- houses are destroyed by lire. Inc
Cambridge apartments were built before the pres
eut bureau OF Buildings was or9an'Zed. nut never
theless they answered the requirements OF The law
n il now stands. Yet II was a matter OF comment
among persons accustomed 10 inc ekainn non o'
fires and their causes that the tre OF Wednes,
day morning had IN very short time penetrate1
10 nearly every part OF the DulI ing,
and bv spreading wi astonishing rapidity, caused
great loss of property, N II u dd not OF nereS-
sity make inevitable the loss Of life The medium
of this rapid communication was the light-shait
Its wooden sides furnished fuel to the ilameS, ana
the draft which il promoted carried the hre IRON
floor TO floor. aud acted like fine to the cOntagra-
ton IN the part Of tine house.
An inquiry INTO a,artment and tenement-house
construction made Yesterday by TRIBUNE reporter
revealed the fact that Theses hghi-shats nave long
been source of anx-ty 10 TWO OF the dep EMS
OF the city gnyer mont as well as 70 architects ana
builders. In some respects there Is ~
Board If Heal h requires thar the lights al shall
be quilt the Bureau OF Buildings altem ois to regn-
late the manner IN winch they sh I'll DC nnlt elGh,
however - confronted with Limitations growing
ont of its province, and the laws that
povernit. The remedy, according to Mr. bsterbrook,
lies with the Health Board. In the opinion ut lne
Health Board il rests with Mr.. EsterbrJOk The
question cannot be presented more clearly than III
was bv the InsDector OF Bindings yester lay, when
he SAID 60 q TRIBUNE r. port The trOubl- with
the main light wells which required by the Board
uf Health ~ that under tne law ms buTeau cannon
entirely control thclr cons ruction. Light-w
should nos be covered at the top, nut omen. Iheh.
they will be outside walls and viii see that ihHy
are buit OF brick aud made hreprooi. Al urrSent
! cannot do II, as. being under cover they are
treated as merrparton WALL which can be bdit OF
studding or anything elle. or course, II they are
open at the to- they VIII act as nues;
and that so far fires are concerned just what
want Let them be- hues and carry on the ilro ana
SIN, Ike: especially let them imply thr hails OF smoke
50 that persons coming down Tie s.alc' VIII not De
suffocafcd as Mrs. and Miss ukcnan we've.
The window francs can thsh Ds maze
OF iron or Toe tron-eoyered, and there
will be no Spreading OF tn mrs Dv tuem.
There IN one thing however, that IN -ht 70 he I'M
der ,tood r Is that when houses ar ry hith 'hry
ougnt 10 De- ma c firc-prOof altogether. 1on can
pi'e M wood seven storIc- high ami expect II TO
burn without hurting somebody. Una r
tho law as it IL. there was no fault
70 be i'uud WIN inc Naln"'usn uo and o9
built before rms bureau was esiabiishth, ana OF
| course We coudn't mako the owner tear 1t
down. a wear ago y was reported To the
| bureau that the walls were settling. One
| OF our examiners inspected the building
| and reported that there had been q slight
sci ling of The foundations but That It was of no
consequence That was the end OF IL. The mischief
In all these cases comes from the meanness OF many
of the owners OF real estate. There arc lots OF them
| In this city who wondn't mind burning up persons
as they were burned yesterday II tney could save
| cents Dy 70. IdOn't mean that they would burn
| them up for cents but they would take the risk
| of having them burned TO save that sum-
Al the Board of tlralih, whittier the reporter
went after getting this expression from Inspector
Esterhrook II was objected that the jurisdiction OF
the Board extended only TO tho dimensions OF the
shalt out II was admitted that the power was there
10 require the shafts to be kept open
If II was thought desirable, his was
done, too, In some cases. but there
was a strong objection to II because OF the ensuing
dampness of the walls of the shaft. which would
have n tendency TO breed sickness and malaria. IL
W "A stated that the Board had frequently urged
builders 10 construct the ar-hafts Oi prick, and had
even attempted 10 compel II but the builders had
denied the Tisht Of the Board to do this In one
case where the contest the Board had required
that the wood IN the shalt be incased In TN. IL
was suggested that inasnuch as tho law required
that every room should open INTO the external AIR.
and a, the air of he lights shaft was construed a.
being external arr" this would DO sufficient TO
Justify MIR Esterbrook eXactlng hre-proot con-
strucfion. Sill there was rong impression that
the OF the health Of the city demanded
that the rain etc. be kept out OF the light shafts.