New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-17
TENEMENT-HOUSE FIRES.
SAFEGUARDS AGAINST THEM SUGGESTED
MR. GLIDER GIVES 4 STATEMENT OF TIE OBJ
JEcTs or THE COMMISSION OF WHICH
HE Is CHAIRMAN.

JECTs OF THE COMMISSION OF WHICH
HE Is CHAIRMAN.
At the session yesterday In the old brownstone
courthouse in Chambers-st. Of the Tenement-House
Commission, Richard Watson Glider, the chairman
explained as follows the object Of the hearings:
The committee hold these public hearings in order
to bring out facts and expert opinions useiui III G
preparation of their report to the rglsIiture' ana
and stronger light OF the evils and dangers 81
the present tenement-h house system In YORK,
with the hope that an Intelligent public opinion may
be brought to bear In favor OF those remedies which
II may he the duty OF the committee to suggest
auiries and examinations which have been in prog
since last spring. when the committee was app
iaure.
to learn the worst, ard this they have tried TO do
by what is believed TO be the most extensive ana
searching examination of the sort vet made in New
York. This examination has been conducted by a
tarv Edward Marshall and il is still In progress.
An examination into the conditions Of child-life In
tenements is also in progress At the instance ana or
the of the committee by students of Columbia
College. under the direction of Professor Giddinss;
number Of special examinations by members "t
the committee and its agents have been and be-
ing made ana maps are now being perfected show
ing the density and nationality Of the population.
The law creating the commission empowers IL 10
take cosn]anee OF various phases of me i REINSTATEMENT
and moral and these various phases WI De toucieu
upon In the public hearings No question connected
with work is more pressing than that suggested
by the constant danger from fire In houses nor az
all or only partly hreprooi. swarmins day ana nisht
labors four tenement house fires have proved fatal
Our first public session last Tuesday was given up
inquiry into the recent fire in Thirty second
st. where seven lives lost. To-day W" VIII
briefly inquire into the other three fatal hres. and
Will have the benefit OF Information and suSges-
ton from some OF the leading officials OF the Fire
Department. ON Saturday the public hearing VIII
be devoted To the experience of foreign communities
In dealing with the problem OF the tenement ana
the overcrowding of the city
While Mr. Glider was speaking, Mayor-elect
Strong came In. He listened 10 the testimony at
tentvely. David w. King. architect. described
the premises Nos. 100 Sunolk-st.. 81 Goerck-st
and 2l5 Madison-st. where the fires referred 10
took place. Fire Marshal Mitchell told what were
his duties. Fire Commissioner Robbins advocated
improved construction OF tenement houses in
Guiding iireproOf sdrcascs outside the buildings.
Fire Chief Bonner then took the stand. lie mad
prepared table Of figures giving statistics Of fires
from July. 1898, to June. 1894. They We're.
Total fires In teScments, 2.4l5. causes general
neglect and carecssncss. li26; carelcs,ness with
Kerosene oil, 561; causes not asc"rtained l- intlol
BUSINESS. 20: fireworks CO. defective construction
-: accidental 81; electric wires. H.. Estimated loss
TO buildings and contents sos 7Si injuries occU
pants before arrival OF Fire Department, Il; after
!; died from injuries received. -
chief Bonner said he would have. II possible. In
all tenement and apartment houses. both nreproof
staircascs and the ordinary re-cscapes outside the
buildings.
T. &. Moore. who represented the Continental In
surance Company. said that more lives were lost
through sulocation than 10y fire He recommended
that the airshaft should have n bukhcad Of light
carefully looked after. and timber should be
employed in their construction. Twenty per cent
OF the fires caused by defective nues. An
adjournment taken until to-day.