New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-14
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES EVIL.
TESTIMONY BEFORE GOVERNOR FLOW
Frs COMMISSION.
ATTENTION DIRECTED TO THE RECENT FIRE IN
WEST THIRTY sECoND-Sr IN WHICH
SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED.

WEST THIRTY -SECONI-SI, IN Nlii'h
SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED
Tho Tenement House Committee appointed last
snrjng by Governor Flower began It's puoic near
inrs Yesterday in the old General Sessions buildhs
in CIV Hall Park Richard Watson older chair
- ~ tho committee presided Yesterday hear
i,r was mainly devoted exhaustive cNam.na-
tion into the recent fire in the ienementh"ns' 40
ols West Thirty-socond-st., In which seven IN'9
were lost The aim Of the committee Is To hrnS
before the public the real conditions OF tenement
house life in this crowded city. which have been
s,rouded in darkness The committee. and Mr.
Glider particularly. have been aboring during the
last five months with staff OF Investigators from
twenty to forty-fve in number and they believe
that there are few imperfect ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS III
New-York that have not been carefully examiner
bv them The Investigations have covered almost
everv question from the construction OF buildings
"a the cleanliness and morals OF the inmates some
Of the results obtained by Mr.. Glider ana ms as-
sociates have been amazing
The Commissioners present were. besides Mt
Glider Solomon Moses. John T. Schuchman' Dr'
Cyrus Edison and Roger Foster.
David W. King an architect Of No. ~ Flith-aVe.'
who is employed by the committee as an expert.
was first called TO the stand He testified that h"
investigated the fire at No 2l5 West Th!rty-sec'hd-
st. and he found alley three feet wide running
from front back. II was catch-all. ne testified
for all manner Of rubbish. In the rear of the first
and groceries were kept
The narrow halls acted ilume for the draught.
The fre-escapes In the rear were practically worth
less as the flames prevented tenants from escaping
down them. He said the floors were or WOOD, ana
the walls between the rooms were only thln par
titions. .
The next witness was Fire chief f. F. Croker
He testified that he had arrived at the scene OF the
fire three minutes after the alarm had been turned
in. This witness gave way TO John Biehn, owner
of the premises He testified that he had oWnt
the tenement-hOus eight years. He said he had
put in sanitary plumbing and nre-escapes. He dii
The property cost him $500 His rent rate was
81 IA. Taxes, repairs and Janitor Footed up 10
SiS7 60 a year Nathan 4. Friedman, who lost MS TWO
children and a friend in the fire. was called. lie
told Of his escape. Jacob IieiscO testified that he
lived on the trs floor and that his family escaped
out OF the back windows
Chief Bresnan OF the 9th Battalion. proved an
instructive witness.
What in your opinion led to the tenants suno-
cation" asked Mr. Schuchman. VINO acted as cross
examiner for the committee
''The delay in sending in the alarm
Are delays in responding 10 alarms frequent!
asked the chairman.
"ImpOssibe." said the witness.
How impossble?'
"Why the Fire Department is always on the
scene from thirty seconds to three minutes after
the alarm is sounded. The trouble arises In the
sending. People get excited one man thinks the
other man has turned in the alarm and fails to
send Ii" m
.Do more people die from fire or smoker?
Ninety per cent Of deaths caused by smoke"
'Do you favor arshafts?'
"Not generally They carry the smoke 10 the
T,ne committee then adjourned until Friday.