New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-08
DUE TO VIOLATIONS.
REPORT ON COLLAPSES.
Recommendations of Commission to
Probe Harlem Buildings.

Thomas j. Brady, Otto NJ. Eidlitz and George
A Just the commission named by President
Ahearn to probe the recent wholesale collapse
Of brick buildings in Harlem. reported yester-
day. The report was sent to Buildings Superin-
tendent Hopper. with request that ne at once
make a reply 20 it.
Superintendent Hopper told President Ahearn
that he would this morning submit his
Tort on the collapses
The commission reports that of the eight
buildings the collapse in every case was directly
due to the failure of their foundation walls.
The report continues:
We found these walls full Of voids built of
irregular and understood stone, improperly
bonded and improperly bedded. The mortar
was OF an inferior quality and improperly mixed.
Both the materials and workmanship were in
Migrant violation of Section rs Of the Building
Code.
The walls were of such inferior workmanship
and materials as to make them insufficient TO
sustain with safety at any time the superim-
Our comparison Of the approved plans with
the buildings showed that the corrections and
amendments required by the Bureau of Build
lngs were generally disregarded in construction
The applications showed that in only case
was the architect of record TO superintend the
construction. In no case was the name or the
builder stated.
We can therefore only conclude that these
vision, under inefficient inspection and by in
competent contractors, that the provisions Of the
Building Code were generally disregarded and
that very low standard of work is typical in
this class Of buildings
We submit the following recommendations:
Architects should be required by law 10 super
wise the construction OF buildings for which
they furnish the plans.
person. before being allowed TO practise as
an architect should hold diploma from some
institution of learning or from a recognized
board TO be created hereafter.
register IF those authorized to practise
architecture should be kept by the Bureau Of
Buildings. and permits for the erection or
alteration Of buildings should be issued by
the superintendent Of buildings only to those so
registered.
All contractors for mason work or structural
steel should be licensed.
II should be unlawful to permit the building
OF mason work or the erection of structural iron
work by persons not licensed.
Superintendent Hopper said last night, when
asked to comment on the report Of the COM
mission:
The recommendations made by the commission
are those which have recommended and urged,
ana which hope will be adopted The inves-
LEGATION that am conducting will go into
greater details than the investigation Of the
Ahearn commission. I expect 10 receive the
report OF my engineer by Monday or Tuesday
next
Henry Rutgers Marshall ex-president of the
New-YoTk Chapter Of the American Institute of
Architects said last night that he approved some
OF the recommendations OF Borough President
Ahearn's commission.
Il heartily indorse their first proposition that
architects drawing plans for buildings should su-
perVse their erection" he said, but I fear that
thar diplomas sRoud B Be- Necessary hf aug old
and often discussed one. A law which would
make this necessary would. however ma Ike il i'm
possible for farmer tn build his own henhouse
without violating the law. The Buildings Depart
menI : authority Is competent 10 enforce the law
II 1t does its work honestly A law TO register
masonry and steel construction contractors would
not De practical for IN the first place there would
be so much opposition 10 such a bill that it would
never become a law
The trouble lies in great part with the buildings
laws for. as they now stand, they are out of date
and should be revised by expert commission