The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-07
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Some Amusing Newspapers-The Sky
scraper Craze Makes Fro Fighting
Imposnible-Other DANGERS.
Especial Correspondence.l

APSopipio-Otner DANGERS.
Especial Correspondence.
The New York newspapers especially
those which consider themselves the
leaders-and that classification, it might
be added, includes nearly all of them
are wonderfully amusing. They are
constantly doing things which would
cause them to sheer wcro they done by
tho papers Of some small city. A short
time ago very valuable franchise was
granted to fuel gas company under
circumstances which most Of our editors
considered somewhat suspicious. I'm
medlately there arose howl and the
whole affair was denounced as q colossal
steal. Pictures were printed showing
how close the city hall here is to the
state prison at Sing Sing. Parallels
were drawn between tho present board
OF aldermen and the "boodle board" of
1884. Finally the resolution granting
the franchise was recalled from the
mayor, and then tho startling fact was
revealed that each newspaper of tho city
had been solely responsible for this &C
ton. Blatant editorial and local notices
heralded these statements to the world,
and i'll tho press of business these trib-
unes OF the times found the opportunity
to advertise the journalistic achieve
ment.
Needed Something to Kick About.
At about tho Same timo that all this
was going on the aquarium, which is
the old Castle Garden, WAS opened. Tho
place was not really ready, but those in
charge forced matters little and ad-
united the public. The place was closed
Sunday, however, and again the Jealous
newspaper guardians of tho rights of tho
poor workingman and his family set M
their old stcreotyped howl. 1t was such
an outrage to close this educational OK
hlblt on tho only day when the poor
could visit 1t, and u lot more i'll tho Same
demagogic strain. OF course tho papers
knew, or might have known had they
cared to take tho pains to investigate
the matter, that it was tho intention of
the department to open the aquarium
every Sunday after tho commencement
of the new year. But they did not in
vestigatc. 1t would not have suited
their purpose to have done so, and the
screech Went on merrily. Tho facts had
to come out Ill tho end, and again tho
modest crew proceeded to take tho cred
IT, each to himself, for having worked ii
mighty reform. In other words, they
had brought about something which tho
only persons who have any authority III
the matter had decided upon months be-
fore
To Stop the Skyscraper Craze.
Tho board of trade and transportation
has been investigating the dangers Of
the high building crazo and will ask the
Legislature TO limit tho height of future
skyscrapers. The testimony OF several
architects already taken favors tho linn
itatior of height to from IL to Is $40
ries.
james R. Sheffield, president of the
fire department, was u witness called by
the committee recently. His testimony
was against 'skyscrapers. He said:
Gas Chief Bonner has already told you,
it IS almost impossible for us to fight
fires successfully i'll buildings more than
125 feet high. Our best engines only
throw a stream to that height. believe
that buildings higher than this are a
menace to life and health us well as to
other property.
1T is all well enough to talk about
fireproof buildings, but there arc no alb
solutely iireproof buildings, and expcri-
enco has taught US that it is much hard
or than ordinary to fight fires i'll these
so called tiroproof buildings"
Tho Fifteen Story Limit.
Mr.. Sheffield favored limitation to
ID stories. He also suggested tho pas
sage Of law making it compulsory to
make stairways wide and build them
away from tho elevator shafts. He also
thought that the law should restrict tho
storing of any combustible or inham-
mablc material i'll the upper stories OF
buildings more than six stories high.
Charles Il. Wilson, president Of tho
board OF health. then gave his views on
the subject, taking ~ health standpoint.
II find, said he, that above Il height
OF 10 feet the air III big cities is full of
SMOKE and gas and necessarily un-
healthy. Then it is difficult TO get good
water up to the higher floors of the big
buildings, TO say nothing of the dangers
by fire and collapse.
Mr.. Wilson thcn read IL list of stats
tics taken from buildings i'll European
cities. In many OF the large cities on
the other side buildings are not to ex-
coed IN height tho width of the street
OIL which they front, in most cases not
more than ~ feet. nall cities the limit
is under 100 fee..
Mr. Wilson, during his testimony.
SAID that tho sewerage condition i'll low
er Broadway WAS far from perfect, and
If many moro skyscrapers arc put up
twill necessitato the construction of an