The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-04-16

AAhMAN ~ AaNMMAAAH AAAA aAAN NNANAA - HH
First OF all should be mentioned the
provisions for the two great requisites
Of light and air Tho buildings will
be four and Ave stories high. and each
building must be separated In all dlree-
lions from any opposing building by
an open space at least equal TO rs own
height. Il was with the greatest dlf-
nculty that the New York commission
secured the passage OF an act limiting
the ground area covered to seventy.
Ave per cent These official London
tencments will not cover more than
hf,y-five per cent. OF the bullding-lots
Hahitable rooms must not be lcss
than eight feet six inches In height.
Rooms must have efficient ventilation.
"ihe principle on which 'back-io-bacN
houses are built being carefully avoid
cd This preclndes the construction
Of a building more than two rooms
deep. u fuch a rule we're enforced in
New York. the city would be revolu-
tlonlzed. The aim OF house
architecture In America Is 10 get a.
least two. and perhaps four families on
each noor Of twenty-five feet width.
The London houses. as a matter Of fact.
will be only one room deep. Living
rooms In them must be OF not less than
one hundred and forty-four feet super
fetal floor area. Bedrooms must be OF
not less than ninety-slx feet superficial
iloor-area nor less than seven feet nine
inches wide Stalrcases must have
horizontal ventilation direct TO the open
air: corridors must be ventilated on the
open ar; stalrcases and halls must be
lighted day and night The lnst-named
regulation Is with a view to preventing
the immortality and frequent accidents
which lack Of light In such places Is
known TO produce In tenemenl-houses.
A proposed statute calling for light
after q. m. until 10 p. m, aroused
much opposition in Albany
After light and air, safety from fire
may be regarded MS the next essential
n model tenement-house construction.
The London law provides that all walls
shall be OF "hre-reslsting material,
and that all staircases mus, be fire.
proof. and so separated from apart
mems that they will not AFFORD nuo
for the conduct OF Ere from one floor
to another. rs has 10 often occurred In
the tenemenls OF New York But the
county council has learned that Il will
pay to 20 beyond the law. and TO make
the buildings absolutely irc-proof The
nrst cost viii be- very little greater and
will be Ear more than offset by the de-
creased cost OF repairs and the greater
permanence OF the buildings Withou,
going into technical details Of construc-
lion. II may be said that stalrways are
OF iron. stone. and cement. that floors
are built with iron girders and brick
arches. that the wooden surface Us laid
on solid cement: that as little woodwork
Is used In the rooms as possible, and
that the plaster. even Of the partitions
between rooms Of the same apartment
n laid on iron or wire instead OF on
wooden lathlng. OF the buildings com
plcted Il Is no idle boast for the archl'
toct to say that FIRE might be started
In any room without endangcrlng anl
other rooms The cost Of repairs is thu
reduced to minimum ana the life o.
the buildings Is Increased until Il q
estimated at four hundred aud hfil
years simply because Il seems absur'
10 name longer period. AS a mat
ter Of fact, the buildings, V undls,urbed
viii practically last forever.