The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-04-24
LONDON TENEMENT HOUSES.
Laws That Govern Construction of Those
Dwellings In That City.

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 Slums" to The
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
open space at least equal to It's own
height. 1t was with the greatest diff
Guilty that the New York commission
secured the passage of an act limiting
the ground area to be covered to 70 per
cent. These official London tenements
will not cover more than 30 per cent OF
the building lots.
Habitable rooms must not be less than
s feet inches in height. Rooms must
have efficient ventilation, "the prlncl-
pie ON which back to back houses are
built being carefully avoided. " This
precludes the construction of building
more than two rooms deep. Ii such
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 A feet superficial floor area.
Bedrooms must be of not less than SO
feet superficial floor area nor less than
z feet 9 inches wide. Staircases must
have horizontal ventilation direct to
the omen air. Corridors must be ventl-
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 ~ p. m'
aroused much opposition in Albany.
After light and air, safety from lire
may be regarded as the next essential OF
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 f1ue for the conduct OF
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
freproof. The first cost will be very lit
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 g1rders
and brick arches; that the wooden sur
face is laid on solid cement; that as lit
tie woodwork is used in the rooms as
possible, and that the plaster, even OF
the partitions between rooms OF the
same APARTMENT, is laid on iron or wire
instsad-of Cd wooden lathing. OF the
buildings completed it is no idle boast
for the architect to say that fire might
be started in any room without endan-
gering any other room. The cost OF re-
pairs is thus reduced to minimum, and
the life of the buildings is increased I'M
til it is estimated at $50 years simply
because it seems absurd to name longer
period. AS a matter Of fact, the build
ings, if undisturbed, will practically last
forever.