New-York tribune., 1902-05-10
FOUL AIR KILLING THEM.
SEVEN DEATHS IN THIRTEEN MONTHS
AMONG REGISTERS OFFICE MEN.
MR.. RONNER WANTS TO LEAVE QUARTERS
IN THE OLD HALL OF RECORDS-THINKS
LOWER FLOOR OF NEW BUILDING
MIGHT BE FITTED UP.

on account of seven deaths among the en-
ployes of the Registers office, in the old Hall
of Records in City Hall Park, within the last
thirteen months Register Ronner has decided
10 ask the Board of Estimate and ApportiOn-
ment and the Superintendent of Buildings to
provide new quarters for him at an early day.
Il don't believe that unsanitary conditions in
! the old building wholly caused this abnormal
death rate" said Mr.. Ronner to Tribune re-
porter yesterday afternoon at his office but
am convinced that those unsanitary conditions
have materially affected the health of the work
ing staff a whole. Three deaths have oc-
CURED since | became Register, and number of
the men are now ON the sick list. l would like to
have the city fit up part of the lower floor of the
new Hall of Records. We would not need any
heat in the office until next fall and by that time
steam could be put into the basement. Churches
are often occupied before they are completed. by
inclosing the lower story. Rather than stay in
the old building here, / think It would be wise
TO make the change. l suggest the new Hall
of Records because the city owns IT. and would
not need TO pay rent, but. of course. l would not
object to going 10 any suitable suite of offices"
DO you think that the foul air of the old
building has caused the high death rate among
the men on the staff" Mr.. Ronner was asked.
Il don't know" was the answer Il simply
know that in the last year. or thirteen months
seven Of the employees have died from various
causes. and that a lot of them are sick. We are
cramped for room, and the air is very bad and
close. My private office is better off than the
part Of the building housing the clerks and copy
lists. We have 100 men at work in the building,
and POO or more lawyers or lawyers clerks are
in and out all the time during the day so that
at times there is hardly standing room"
Mr.. ROnner sent for list Of those who had
died in the last thirteen months. Here 1t is:
j. j. Mcclure, died on March 26. 1901; Nathan
Grobert, April -. 1901: William J. Harrington,
August T. 1901; NJ. c. Dalton, December 81
1901; A f. Braumlich, March TO- 1902; Benja-
min w. Barlow, April - 1902. and {. J. Para
dine. died April - 1902 The death of two
clerks on the same day in April set the men in
the office thinking Since then Mr. ROnner has
had the death record looked up, with the re-
suit already given Based the normal death
rate of 2l.25 a thousand inhabitants Of all
ages, the death rate among men above the age
of twenty-one years should have been not 20
exceed two year in force OF the size or that
employed in the Registers office.
Register Ronner not able to tell what had
been the immediate cause OF the death OF the
employees. He said that consumption had taken
two or three of the seven, and the others had
died from variety of causes.
The attention Of Commissioner Lederle of the
Department Of Health has been called 10 the
foul condition Of the old Han Of Records. Su-
perintendent Stewart, few days ago, sent men
TO examine into the safety Of the walls. and de
Cided TO shore them up adjacent to the oNoa-
waiting done by the DeEnon-McLcan Contract
ing Company for the subway. The building un-
doubtedly can be renovated and put into a sani-
tary condition, but at present II Is dark and
dirty. The plumbing I'm the closets ts out Of
date. and the drain Eipes choke repeatedly MI
ing the place with foul odors Register Fromme
had q larger force of employees In the building
during his incumhenCy than is there AT present
but many of Mr. Fromme's men wer" ont II the
office a great part Of the time 50 that the
crowdng then was worse, If 1t was as bad
as il Is to-day.