New-York tribune., 1891-08-27
Jy NO HURRY TO REPORT.
HOW BUILDINGS ARE INSPECTED.
OFFICIALS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAITING
r,1Ks WITH SOME OF THEM.

.o,,oo,ninc tbe cause leading NJ TO the Park Pace
disaster the public is still In the dark, thoush u'o
orinIon OF all intelligent citizens VINO nave ead N,o
dnous of the occurrence, and that hold by the ohciaS
:, to Fire Dcpaftment-notably that held by SupeFir
,endent Brady Of the Bureau of Building lnspectoh
S,co, widely The Board OF Fire Commissioners met
,v and after tho disposal OF the routine business
Iked over the terrible affair, which even yet continues
20 bo the absorbing topic OF conversation In all sections
Of the city. -.,.,,,
when commissioner s. Rowland Robbins was spoken
o be said that he had little 10 say that the public was
rot already aware Of and to his opinion on the SUD
cct generally he had OF course like his brother COM
issioncr, TO walt for the ocal reports Of the heads
ot tbe variou. departments within whose jurisdiction
tho accident occurred
nDon,t YOU think Mr. Brady's report is being de-
Iaved rather unusually l0ns''
Yon will have to ask Mr.. Brady himself
aWhat about the Fire Mar.hal's repori'
"We have not received 1t 50 far; you VIII nave "
osl himself abOut it,"
aWlll you order any special Investigations
"None save the usual one, which Is now going on
and is not yet quito completed; but can give you tnc
following official report which received today ana
which 1. now on file in the department. Mr. ROBINS
then handed the reporter the following, written py
Deputy Chief Reilly:
Hon. Board = Fire Commissioners:
Gentlemen have the honor to report that at IL 'oo
O'Clock D. the 22d instant an alarm ior hr' was
received Station 81. caused By the collapse oi 'o
buildings situated Nos 0s 20. 7. and "a Park flace'
the primary cause which 1t Is impossible at ths to
to ascertain \ number of persons employed III 'ne
buildings. and citizens who were passing at the te oi
tho accident. who transactng Dushess Ill ''o
buildings were caught in the falling mass anl arge
number killed seriously injured on the afrN"' VI
the department forces second and third alarms were
Immediately out well as special cals lor ouu'
tiona and ladder companies. TO assist IN reO'e
the dead and injured from the ruins (which oIhuuDN
apf hffnH
force OF the department duty worked heroieoiy III
their efforts TO exngush the fire and in re'cuing to'e
from the ruins whom 1t was possible 70 reach. ing nso
required the services OF twelve engines iou' "O
and.ladder companies, and ono hre-boat ana
was not under for three hours as it had extendeo
to the buildings 70 and 10 Park Place AS soon a.
it was possible after the FIRE was IN hand the members
the companies placed at work removing the ueO
and removing the dead injured from beneath ana IN
compliance with the provisions of Section No. ooZ as
amended by Section % OF Chapter No 50o Laws of 1900
have employed the necessary old to assist me Depart
ment in the recovery OF the bodies OF the killed ana IN
ured from tho ruins. and speedily possible so iar
largo tho injured have been taken out ana inc
bodies Of tn. sxtyone who killed have been recov
cred
A. soon rs tho work Of the aborers IS completed VIII
forward to your honorable body statement OF the expenses
Incurred for transmission tho Board Of Estimate ana
Apnoronment As required by the section Of the law re-
ferred TO. Very respectfully,
FRANCIS J. REILLY,
Deputy CHIEF OF Department., NollHd"uhs'
"Mr. Robbins began the reporter "The Tribune
uou,d like TO ask you now that the insuflcicncy Of
the number of inspectors in the Bureau OF Inspection
Buildnes IS admitted what changes in the law II any.
YOU would favor TO prevent, far as possible tho
possity OF the recurrence OF such accidents In the
future?'
II have nothing whatever to say In reference TO
that matter said he. turning away.
Enoch VrecIand. the First Deputy superintendent
Iftf1f linz al
desk in the department carly in the day. lie hae
charge Of the department all day, superintendent
Thomas J. Brady being at the Of the disaster,
in company with his second deputy, Isaac J. Mac
kinIey and Inspector Magnus schwartz. In quest OF
further details which he deems to embody
In his report. The meeting of the Board OF EXaminef.
the almost unbrokcn inhux Of newspaper
men, the correspondence, anonymous and
authenticated which Is coming In each day
in regard to the condition Of other buildings
in various parts Of the city, which the anxious writers
fear are In an unsafe condition; and the army OF In
spectors which throng the Office when is opened ana
at other hours during the day have kept Mr. Brady
so busy. Mr.. Vrecland said that he has been unable
to find time to frame his report. You may be quite
certain therefore, he added that no stone Is being
left unturned by my superior officer TO get at the
exact facts Of this most deplorable affair.
"Thero Is one point continued Mr. Vreeland, "to
which very little attention has been paid by the news
papers namely the legal qualifications OF an inspector
and the manner of his appointment. Some OF the
papers have thought that a political pull, in some
form or other enters into this unfortunate affair In
some mysterious way; but 1t surely ought to satisfy
them IL they read tho law the subject. which says
that an Inspector IN addition TO his other qualihca
tlon. must pass n Civil Service examination
Have you received many complaints recently OF
buildings alleged TO be unsafel'
"Thcy come in on an average at the rate of twenty
five each day. though since saturday, singular to
the number has been less than before, not than
ten in all having come in during that time"
"How do you enforce your demand That building,
condemned as dangerous, be made all right. sup
posing that attention Is paid 10 II"
ain some cases that is very delicate matter and
in Others a matter of extreme difficulty; delicate
NATTER because the owner may be ready with expert
testimony to deny that the building, In order to be
rendered safe calls for the alterations which in
epectOrs may have suggested and difhcult matter,
because IL is very often next TO impossible TO find out
who the owner really IS and proceed against
any one else. We may have gone on with n law
suit and IL may have reached the courts,
when il turns ont that somebody, before
| unheardof has in the meantime married one
Of the heirs of the property, and thereby claims to be
codefendan There a hundred other possibilities
| tending to delay and checkmate our efforts. so We
have 10 90 slow The laws relating TO this depart
ment are like any other laws, framed under the very
natural presumption that all good citizens will CO
operate in their enforcement No two jures alike
and when one Of cases goes into court 1t is a.
probable as not that the decision Of the jury Will be
against u. In that case the owner Is likely. In
suit 20 the conditions and make us the defend
| aDts."
All an owner promises TO make a building that he
has been warned is dangerous secure, what steps dc
| Won take 10 see that he keeps his wori''
| "The inspector keeps watch on the building until
| the work is dOne.'
| "n building reported as dangerous by your In
spectOr and upon examination by architect Of the
American In. &c OF Engineers 4. found not TO be So /.
tn. owner obliged to pay the architect for the survey
ale Is"
And then the Inspector Is dismissed, l supposel"
| "Not necessarily" Mr. Vrceland said with a smile
Some bricks in chimney may, for example, bt
loose or the bricks mag not be pointed yet between
the inspectors notice and the architects survey al