New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-11
BUILDING INSPECTORS LIED
no FIRE.EsCAPES on ONE SIDE OF TIE
HOTEL ROYAL.

FALSE REPORTS MADE TO THE BUREAU-RE-
spoysIBIIITY FOR SOME OF THOSE LIVES.
4 meeting OF the Board OF Fire Commissioners
held Yesterday morning I'm the building in sixty
seventh-st and nj this meeting there were s'1ne
startling disclosures OF the most careless hcfciency
and negligence the part Of the Bureau OF Inspections
/ OF Buildings and wilfu Misrepresentation OF It's In
spectors. And II safe to say that mt least some
Of the horrible deaths In the Hotel Royal fire are due
TO criminal negligence corruption In that BUREAU
Colonel Carl Jus SEN secretary of the Board. said
that superintendent Brady had come before the Board
and reported that william Seaton. inspector OF DIS
trict II In Lass. had finally made confession adj
mittlng that he had lied about the fire escapes on the
Hotel Royal. He admitted that he had reported to
the bureau that escapes had been put up on the sixth
ave. side on the three central windows. when' as
matter OF fact there never any escapes put on
these windows. His immediate dismissal from the
force asked by Mr.. Brady and his request was
granted at once SeatOn left the building and could
not be yesterday. whether he accepted n bride
not asccrtancd 1t Is evident that he must have
had good for making false report to the
bureau Scaon discharged at O'Clock, Just after
the regular meeting Of the Board.
As already printed in these columns, the records
Of the Inspection Bureau show that In 1856 balconies
with iron ladders ordered the SXth-ave. side
OF the hotel the three central windows and at the
same time similar escapes ordered the seventh
cghh, inlh ana tenth WlndOWS east from >lA'n
on the Fortiethst. side. And June IL william
seaon. then inspector OF the district reported that
the orders Of the department had been complied with
and that the building was all right and well provided
with escapes. There a change made in the par
ucular windows Of the Fortiest side mt the request
OF the owner. that the first escape window
No. instead Of No. :. This change allowed by
the bureau. SeatOn appointed about nine years
ago and Mr.. Brady says he has always been con
Sidercd "A good man.
A. for Daniel VI. Kelley it not made plain By
| Mr.. Brady why, Kelley knowing he must what the
specifications Of the bureau were, had allowed this
fraud to continue for five years. superintendent
| Brady sad william ScatOn succeeded by D. VI.
Kelley in December, 1889 Since then Seaton has had
the district north Of one hundred and wentiethst.,
| in Harlem, and east OF MddisOuave. lie then eX
planned how efficient his force and how thor
| oughly the men performed their duties. Each can
didate for the place Of Inspector he said must have
| had ten years experience architect. civil en-
glnccr, mason, builder carpenter. and file ccrti-
fcate 10 that effect with his application lie hles
daily report Of his work with and this is kept in -
| daily journal. After reporting here in the mornin,
he reports ut the cugine-hOuse Of his district In the
| morning and again ia the evening. and record Of
this Is preserved matter Of record. Kelley has
never said anything about the presence or absence Of
tire escapes on the sxthove. side Of the hotel
=" Has he not made to You written report, tat the
building vds properly provided with nree,capes and
isi TO recommend any ones a. he is supposed to
do
Yes
"lou said I'm a previous interview that YOU had
written report from him stating that this particular
building was 20 X and that report made about
eight months agol'
YES that Is what said
Mr.. Brady declined Ia discuss what investigations
going on In regard = the responsibility OF kecey
In thi, dcce ptOn. lie called the attention of the
porter, 10 the vast amount " work he had done In
finding out that there escape, the Foreth
Il. side of the hotel and said he had worked nights
his Investigation. lie added that he IA Of
great responsibility and little authority. lie
asked WHY, II the law WIS Inadequate" he did not
recommend the vesting Of necessary power In the
bureau.
Il don't think the present Legislature will be al
lowed Ia adjourn without such appeal from me-
no answered. own suits are the only methods THAT
! can employ to enforce orders. For refusing 10
comply with insistcnt demand Of the bureau for
the proper r escapes the penalty IS so. but there
such demand made the owner Of this build.
Ing as understood that the order lEd been complied
with. cannot sub u"ua Witness To appear before
me under oath In invest ggitiOn.'
The records Of tile Central Iron Works. who put up
the escape, on the Fortcth II. side ~ the Hotel
ROYAL at once disclosed tlt they never had put up
a single escape on the >Nthavc. Side And yet these
Identical papers were In possession OF Mr.. Bradys
bureau.