New-York tribune., 1904-09-07
WORKED WITHOUT PERMIT
CONTRACTORS DEFY LAW.
Tammany Departments Trying to
Shift Blame for Fire Trap.

That the contractors who were doing the altera-
ton work the tenement house at No. lsi At
torney-st-. where fifteen lives were lost in fire
last Sunday had permit from the Building De-
partment for this work and continuing it in
defiance Of violation filed against the place by
the inspector. was shown yesterday by a report to
Isaac a Hopper, superintendent OF buildings
Coroner Schoer telephoned to the Buildings De-
partment as soon be reached the tenement
house Oh Sunday morning. and Inspector Michael
Doyle went at once to investigate His report.
which has been sent to the coroner. says in part:
I found that the bEl5ing had been undergoing
aiter2uone; thar no permit had been i~sued by you
TOT the same, and that the inspector OF the dis
trict lad filed violation on same. See violation
front and rear stoops had BEEN removed that the
hre escapes at the second story front and rear.
and rear walls at first story had been removed.
and the upper walls supported on needles and spur
buiIaing. except by means OF a common ladder at
the rear from the first floor TO the yard in the rear
L. B.. No. 1878 OF 1904"
II don't know what more this department could
have done" said superintendent Hopper. when
that violation filed. 1t the duty OF the
Corporation Counsel's ONCE to obtain an injunc-
ton forbidding further work the building
These fellows just went ahead and did their work
regardless OF city ordinances. They were. sup
pose like many others. operators or speeula-
tors. Many OF these don't know a good brick
from poor one They go ahead with work re-
edfulesS or SdIety OF ordinances. III q cdSS iAhNe
this the statutes provide for lnfcting hnes. but
that means so TO the courts. and the cases wear
out there"
So far as the Tenement House Department was
concerned. 1t had -7roved tho plans and issued
a permit FOR the work. Before the contractors had
a right TO begin alterations. however, it was neces-
sary for them 10 obtain permit from the Build
tngs Department. which they neglected TO do.
Coroner Scholer is continuing his investigation,
in which he WI have the assistance OF District
Attorney Jerome He thinks ths city departments
trying TO shift the blame. and intends TO have
a report from each one.
The police Of the East Side are now endeay9ring
to have the tenants of the tenement houses keep
the hrs ESCAPES clear. After the fire II was found
that these fire escapes are used in almost every
house as temporary storerooms. The various sta
ton houses have sent out patrolmen. specially de-
tailed, 10 have these fire escapes cleared, Hebrew
and Italian housewives protested vigorously and in
some cases violently against the enforcement OF the
law Until threatened with arrest many refused
to take anything from the fire escapes In other
cases the police found that within an hour of the
clearing Of the fire escapes the boxes aud barrels
were back again, and second trip had to be made
The police said that the crusade would not nave
much effect unless the magistrates would allow
arrests. and. when the culprits were arragned,
punish them severely.