Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-03-20
LONDON TENEMENT HOUSES.
Laws That Govern Construction OF Those
Dwellings In That City.


Mr.. Edward Marshall, secretary OF
the New York tenement house commits
sion. contributes an article on Stamp
ing Out the London Sums" to Inc
Century. Concerning the laws govern
ing the erection Of tenements IN Lon
don, Mr.. Marshall says:
First Of all should be mentioned the
provisions for the two great requisites
Of light and air. The buildings will be
four and five stories high, and each
building must be separated in all direc-
tions from any opposing building by an
omen space at least equal to Its own
height 1t was with the greatest diff
Guilty that tho New York commission
secured the passage Of an act limiting
the ground area to DO covered to 70 per
cent. These official London tenements
will not cover more than 50 per cent OF
the building lots.
Habitabio rooms must not be less than
feet inches in height. Rooms must
have efficient ventilation, the princl-
ple on which back to back houses are
built being carefully avoided. This
precludes the construction Of a building
more than two rooms deep. If such a
rule were enforced in New York, the
city would be revolutionized. The aim
of tenement house architecture in Amer
lea is to get at least two, and perhaps
four, families on each floor Of 20 feet
width. The London houses, as mat
ter Of fact, will be only one room deep
Living rooms in them must be OF not
less than 144 feet superficial floor area.
Bedrooms must be Of not less than W
feet superficial floor area nor less than
2 feet 9 inches wide. Staircases must
have horizontal ventilation direct to
the open air. Corridors must be venti-
lated on the open air. Staircases and halls
must be lighted day and night. The last
named regulation is with view OF pre-
venting the immortality and frequent
accidents which lack Of light in such
places is known to produce in tenement
houses. A proposed statute calling for
light after 8 a. m. until 10 p. IN.
aroused much opposition in Albany.
After light and air, safety from IRE
may be regarded as the next essential OF
model tenement house construction. Inc
London law provides that all walls shall
be of "fire resisting" material, and that
all staircases must be fireproof, and SO
separated from apartments that they
will not afford a flue for the conduct oil
fire from one floor to another, as has SO
often occurred in the tenements OF New
York. But the county council has learn
ed that it will pay to go beyond the law
and to make the buildings absolutely
fireproof. The first cost will be very III
tie greater, and will be far more than
offset by the decreased cost OF repairs
and the greater permanence OF the build
ings. Without going into technical de-
tails of construction, it may be said that
stairways are Of iron, stone and cement
that floors are built with iron girders
and brick arches; that the wooden sur
face is laid on solid cement; that as lit
tie woodwork is used in the rooms az
possible. and that the plaster, even OF
the partitions between rooms OF the
same apartment, is laid ON iron or wire
instead of on wooden lathing. OF the
buildings completed 1t is no idle boasl
for the architect to say that fire might
be started in any room without endan'
eering any other room. The cost OF re,
pairs is thus reduced TO q minimum. anc
the life of the buildings Is increased nm
til il Is estimated at $50 years simply
because it seems absurd TO name Longer
period. Asum matter Of fact, the build
ings, il undisturbed, ~ '-sctically las
forever. --.