The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-04-16
CARE IN BUILDING.

nave completely lBnOlou LRo Ie4cn
lngs OF the bible, and builded their
houses on the sands, yet judging from
the daily kilograms there certainly has
been q great deal Of careleesness In con-
struction. Yesterday the news was sent
over the United States by the Asso-
ciated press that eight ave story
buildings had fallen down and
that 3 number Of workmen who
were engaged In repairing the buildings
had been caught in the falling brick and
timbers, many Of whom were seriously
injured and some no doubt killed. The
cries of the unfortunate laborers as they
came up from beneath the debris where
they az the latest reports remained cry.
ing for help, should be standing pro-
test against the csrelessness of contract
ors in our large cities and . never-to-be-
forgotten lesson to the bad judgments OF
property owners.
It was mere accident that the eight
bulldings fell when they did. They
might have been completed and left q
clsp-trsp for unWary. and innocent
tenants, and beneath ITS ruins ct . future
time would have been delicate women
and children. The reckIessness which
characterIzes the erection of buildings in
the eastern cities. and even the larger
ones in the west, Is especially notice
able to western people. where ground
is cheap and where the build
ings remain close to the ground and
are not patterned as eastern buildings
after the tower of Babel.
1t may not be generally known, yet
it Is nevertheless fact, that there are ten
ant houses in the city of New York fifteen
stories high and the wealthier classes
Will continue to erect tall buildings and
death traps for the poorer classes until
prohibited by an enactment from the
legislature. This body, of the state of
New York, is now in session
and q bill against the erection
of tall buildings has been introduced.
Hoping that this bill will pass, let US
look at Chicago, the great lake city
where we fnd situation no
less critical and astonishing. The
houses are not tottering on account of
their towering height but they are none
the less dangerous. Many of the houses
erected in Chicago have been built at
different periods. They were at
first only one. two or three
story buildings, but as the
queen city has grown and business mas
increased the demands for room, add
tlonal stories have been erected until the
old and partially decompOsed walls nov
support the weight of three or four ad-
dltional stories. These buildings are
unsafe every day In the year and es-
peciallY in time of storm or fire, as the
old and weak walls are liable to give
way under the weight of the new walls
and bury alive in the debris those who
may be dwelling beneath the Preacher.
Gus structure.
In Kansas city e close OBJ
server is at once attracted by
the unsafe appearance of large number
of business houses. Large cracks may
be seen in q great number Of the brick
structures of Kansas City running in
numerous directions and OF surprising
dimensions. And vet men come and &c
under the shadow of these tumbling
walls; and clerks and proprietors remain
within as though the walls were as com
pact and stable as the pyramids
of Egypt. 1t has not beer
long since the wall of a large business
building IN the latter named city fell il
and number of employees had miracu-
lous escapes, while there was great
damage to the machinery and apparatus
that was crushed by the falling walls.
The fact that these cities have build
ing COMMITTEES to examine and
pronounce the unsafe condition o.
structures is not sufficient. Tht
buildings that fell yesterday II
New York City were reported
unsafe and yet careless contractors
placed men in jeopardy of their live
with the result that has already beer
stated. 1t is evidently time for q revo
luton in the buildings of our cities boil
east and west, and to bring it about Their
is only one just and sure way, and tina
is to secure state legislation. Our west
ern cities, especially those of Kansas
are not in any particular danger from
falling houses, as the fire
quency of heavy winds ha
been a constant protest against tall build
Ings. Yet the fact that Ia this countr.
strong winds are not an unusual occur
renee, is sufficient cause for great care il
the structure of the walls of even two ant
three story buildings. Frame building
are the pests of a great number of on
western towns, and are the direct caus
OF three-fourths OF the DISASTROUS fire
that are SO frequently reported. 1t
not sufficient that our houses be bull
upon stone foundations laid In mortar
} they should be built according to tn
latest and most approved architecture
with the timbers bolted and pinned an
when completed they should stsno as
perfect structure, fire proof, storm Prool
burglar proof, and water proof, a sur
protection to the living souls that dwell
therein.