New-York tribune., 1885-03-04
EVILS OF TALL BUILDINGS.
DANGERS IN LOFTY APARTMENT HOUSES.
BILL PROPOSED TO REGULATE THE HEIGHT OF
DWELLINGS.

growth Of New-York during the last decade Is the In
crease in the number of skytOwerng apartment houses
Several property.owners discovered that the value ol
land could doubled trebed by putting one house on
top Of another and If necessary another still Oh the to
that Plan after plan has been filed in the Bureau OF
Buildings calling for the erection Of houses consisting
OF any number Of stories and Of any height above lou
and below 200 feet Whether the latter limit Is 10 Dc
passed remains but 1t probable that be-
fore long will be- unless taken to check
the growing evil That it is an evil admits OF little
doubt.
The dangers incidental to this method Of construction
of than kind. There dangers to those
who nhabt these houses and there dangers to the
remainder OF the community, especially to those living
in the immediate neghbOrhood. Among the former
is that arising from nre. The maximum
height which fire be reached by stream OF water
operated by the engines in present use Ia In the neigh
borhood OF eighty feet. There to-day nearly two
hundred buildings erected within the past three years
which tower above that height each intended to accom-
modate many families. Some Of them are nominally
fire proof but each contains the deadly elevator and
dumb-walter shafts, which furnish a readynade
thoroughfare for sitting smoke and deadly flame. As to
the sanitary danger that 10 obvious. Those on the
lower floors are deprived Of necessary sunlight, while
those above the victims Of the euva OF all the fam
lilies beneath then whether carried up the socalled
ventating shafts finding It's way through drain and
soil pipes Though tho apartments nominay distinct
from another communication more or less complete
exists between each oor and the evils in Of cpl
demic infectious disease need pointing out The
-eonsequences to those living literally In the shadow
OF these piles OF brick and stone arc as palpsble.
In Of fire they fully perous TO tho neighbors
to their occupants According TO experts, II re IN
OF these immense structures gets beyond con-
troll could in the street dividing 1t from the
buildings opposite which themselves would before long
be set on fire by the flames from the windows OF the
rtnep hou In add 10
by falling walls, which experience shows have tenden-
cy to fall outward, would bo widespread
From a sanitary point OF view the influence OF these
tall structures on the neghbOrng property in baneu TO
the extreme. Sunlight is efeetualy excluded not only
from from the buildings OF lower height
which are fronted by the apartment house facutious
of air created, which effect not only the
chimneys adjacent houses but also the ventlating
pipes and soil pipes which have outlets on the roos As
to what may termed the aesthetic disadvantage OF TINS
craze for overgrown buildings, opinions may naturally
differ hut certain degree of regularity in city street
should II generally admitted, be aimed a lhls piI
chile is constantly outraged and there added the eye
ore of tmn,c-. spaes Of blank wall stretch
iug far above the tops OF the adjoining houses
This stat. ofaalrs has so long
Ing he attention OF many prS ppsl rea rowns nuisance
More than a year COMMITTEES consisting OF JONI
jay Thatcher VI. Adams, ID. Wills James, george l.
Hope Henry f. spaulding +. ". owen aud Dr. 3 o. Van
erpoei appointed at meeting hcd 10 eohslder tne
subject OF the atlon by law of the height Of dwell
ing houses in the City OF NewfOrk Al THIS meeting
report was presented by former committee, which
dweIt upon the evils Of the present system
and il was resolved steps to Obtain such lexiss
iun as might be necessary There i. no novelty ln the
idea OF controlling by the height OF buildings Tor
residences LoBdon, Paris, Vienna and Berlin nave
strt municipal upon the subject ~hlch nave Deeh
operation FOR many years; Inc cialn' tnat stSn tS
an act would be unconstitutional is met "ith the
statement that II fbuildIng is so CONSTRUCTS c
as to deprive the nelxhbors Of their common rights theh
that building bcsomes nuisance ana Il as ahchapie 20
the law as slaugh hterh0ase or frame house erected
within the city its In Par'wherc tesIdence IA sP"E
ent houses Is even common than in New ork an
Act passed July %. lsj9. IL st III force part Oh
Article OF this law Is a. follows: ,,,
rpe height OF the house bordering the public
streets shall be limited IN accoriance wi. 'no aen ga
width Of those streets Ihis heght mea'ureu INC ,he
sidewalk at tue foot OF the facade 9i lne
bnding ANA taken IN az cases .hroush h. 's .nltr,
attic. AMI cornice-l, the iOllowlbE ulnlcheiohs
VIZ where Tue wu.n ot csuiimetre.; 1In IL meters
20 centlmetres. Where the width OF the
Spos s to metres. 70 rcniimetres IA metres
oenetre. Where tns width of tns pu1s street street
metres In aud bocvaris OF twenty metres anu
above tho ADMINISTRATION Lskns into .ne
will allow height OF buildings constructed thereon
To- be carried 20 a ma xmuin twenty bnt solely
on condition that builders will in erect above
gound door than ave square stores ehtrssoi
incnded."
That s in streets exceeding 25 feet inches no
building higher that 3s feet inches can Do bulit; In
exceeding 81 feet none higher than AZ feet
10 nohss in 81 To 81 feet none higher than
81 feet inches; aud In %, streets over 70 ieet Aches
no house higher than % ieet Inches III,
In London the height Is regulated Dy the MetroPons
Local Management Act. Amendmsnt, 2Sth ana .e'h
40 building. except = church or chapel, shali
width than y which shall exceed ia height the
distance the external wall or front of such pd-
ing to the opposite side OF sch street m sne eon
In wrns Of the Metropolitan Board OF WORKS nor
shall the height OF any building 50 erected DC az any
II ne subsequently increased to exceed sueh dis
tauce without such consent; and IN determining tho
height Of such building the measurement shall 90 taken
from level the centre of The street immediately Op
poste building up to the parapet or caves ol sueh
building; and every person committing any oHehce uh-
der this shall be liable To penalty OF nFe
pounds, aud In cas-" of continuing Oh9hce o TUX
penalty of forty shngs for every day during which
such offence snail continue after notice from the ss.o
Hoard 10 be recovered by summary proceedings"
Following closely on the PArslan INES put III no case
permlltiug building Ia exceed In height the maximum
at which the Fire Department can control IRE theFeiu'
the following bill has been drafted; .-,
An act regulate the height OF dwelling houses IN
the City OF New-Iork
People OF the state OF New-fork represented III
the senate aud Assembly do enact as follows; -,
"skCTIos l. The height OF all dwelling houses ana OF
all houses used Intended TO be used for dwellings, Tor
more than one family hereafter TO be erected IN tue
city OF shall Le regulated IN proportion 10 the
width Of the streets aud avenues upon when thy 'front.'
SECTION . such height measured from the sidewalk
and taken In all cases through the centre OF the iacale
the building TO DO erected Including evrnees a'Js
streets and avenues not exceeding sixty iret III wuln
eighty upon all streets and avenues exceeding sixty
SsscTIoS B. This Act shall take effect immediately,
Several OF those Interested ID he question wo,s re- s @
Among the medical men talked with was Dr. . u. van
derpoe ex- Health on ser who SAID:
Look ut the question purely from me sanitary point
OF view aud have hesitation IN saying that tue cvs
OF this system of building are unquestiOnape In the
rst place those living the lower novrs are deprived
of sungut the effects OF which To be seen IN the
puny limbs and white faces OF the children sunlight Is
"a pecesssry TO human beings tO plants ana It's aD-
.ence tends TO and scrofulous Diseases inc
ADULTS are evidently affected, for they as RUE,
have plenty OF outdoor exercises but in my experience
its effects arc apparent IN tue children within tew
mon s IL IA the absence OF unligh which causes the
vaey y-dweers in Switzerland be subject to goitre
and kindred dseases Those the upper stories are not
much better OF They receive all the exhaations through
the convenient channel OF the soil pipes and other
plumbing should infectious disease break out in
nny ono story isolation Ia absolutely impossible 10 be
attained Should an epidemic occur the apartment
hone would be rs fruitful centre Of disease the cne-
n,ent house OF which IL after ALL the nrst cousin
Nct only does t inlure the health Of those within IT, out
those around much exposed To its eyl innuenee
Frst ngaln c.des the exclusion OF sunlight Examine
L. rrnls f unr of thesn tall Lolses and You VIII md