New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-10
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HRE-pROOF FLATS.

Inspector Esterbrook has frequently received
commentator in these columns. lie Is not
only Jealous and intelligent official, but ne Is
outspokei and fearless. He never shirks re-
sponsbility for enforcing the building laws as
they stand. but makes no secret of his conylc-
ton that they are defective in many respects
and need 10 be changed. One of his reflections
upon the fire in the st. Georges Flats is so
characteristic that we repeat it from the local
columns of yesterdays issue Eight-story HAT
ahouses ought to be so constructed that II q
"man living on the top story was told that Il
fire was burning on lower floor he could say
{" let il burn and go to bed without fear that
q the flames would reach his own apartment. A
"new law is urgently needed to prevent specu-
"lators from building these monstrous Death
traps, but ii LOOKS as if there will have TO De
frightful loss of life before the politicians VIII
"permit such bill to pass the Legislature
This is double warning. First, that every
apartment-h house exceeding seventy or eighty
feet in height is positively unsafe unless it Is
thoroughly fireproof. Secondly, that the com
munity cannot depend upon the Legislature to
amend the building laws and IN this way to en-
able his bureau to prevent the construction OF
these dangerous structures
The apartment house class now forms large
as well az influential element of the population
Why does it not take active measures to protect
itselfl The rents which it is paving are high
enough to provide security. But that IL the one
thing these wealthy tenants do not have IN thcir
present mode of life. They have elegant APP
pointments luxurious surroundings ana all the
modern conveniences from elevators to electric
bells and steam heat but they are not as Sc
cure in their palatial apartments as the very
Door are in their humble tenements. public
meeting in the interest of apartment-housc-
holders and the appointment. of an energetic
committee to press their claims upon the Legs
laturo has had one excellent effect. bill re-
stricting the height of buildings used as dwell
ings fo more than one family is now before the
Assembly, and most convincing report upon
the evils of these Ovcrshadowing lumber towers
has been put in circulation.
Neither the bill nor the report, however, goes
far enough A the law stands, spectators
could build the Tower of Babel on Manhattan
Island. provided they adhered to certain pro-
Do,tions in base lines, height and thickness OF
walls; and so elastic is human credulity that
they would probably secure a tenant for the top
floor half way up TO the moon, If they adyer-
tised il as a model fire-proof" structure. To
restrict the height of such buildings to seventy
feet upon streets not exceeding sixty feet in
width. and TO eighty feet upon wider streets,
would be q wise precautiOn At the same time
this would be mcagrc measure of protection
Nothing short Of q thorough apartment-house
law regulating the construction of such build
ings and compelling owners of this class Of
property to make houses exceeding seventy or
eighty feet in height absolutely iireproof will
meet the requirements of the case.