New-York tribune., 1907-06-02

buildings in the poorer districts. Every high
building in the city which receives its water
supply through roof reservoirs Is a source Of
danger. All tanks sufficiently open to admit
flying dust from the streets This is mixed
with the suspended matter precpitated from the
water itself and forms a filthy sediment upon
the bottom which is stirred up nightly by the
rehlling Of the tanks. The poorer work Of con-
struction in the tenement house districts makes
repairs occasionally necessary and the tanks
have 10 be emptied and cleaned. Those upon
large Office buildings, hotels and apartment
houses are so well constructed that once the law
is complied with in the first instance they are
rarely even looked at afterward
There is no system Of inspection Of roof tanks
upon any class Of buildings by the civic authori-
ties. 1t is absolutely at the option Of owners and
lessees whether they ever clean them at all or
not. The only way in which the city officials
are apprised of a filthy roof reservoir is when
some enterprising tenant who knows the cause
OF the impurities in his water supply makes
a complaint to the Board Of Health. Even then
It is doubtful whether the board has the legal
authority to order the cleaning Of tank un-
less it can be shown that its condition is a
menace TO the public health. That the vast ma
jority of the occupants OF high buildings do not
know what causes the impurities in their water
supply is shown by the fact that there is not
more than an average OF a single complaint a
week made to the Board of Health The public
naturally are not able to place the source Of the
impurity. and attribute 1t TO the pollution at
Croton instead of TO the dirty condition Of the
roof tanks over their heads
The city charter lays down that the Tenement
House Department shall make an inspection Of
all parts Of buildings under its control once a
month. The tenement house act however
which specifies in detail the duties Of the de-
partment in this regard, strangely enough con-
veys power to the inspectors either to make
examination or to order the cleaning Of roof
reservoirs. This omission in the law has made
even the investigation OF complaints from the
tenement house districts nobodys business The
department which looks after every other detail
in connection with these buildings says that
under the law II is not empowered to investigate
such complaints The health authorities main
tain that they have only the right to make in
yestigations and order the cleaning OF roof res
ervors when it appears that their condition is
a menace TO the public health, and then only
upon the specific request OF the Tenement House
Department. because it has entire supervision
OF this class OF buildings
The various departments of the civic admin
istration charged with supervision at construc-
ton and the regulation Of these buildings after
they are erected are specifically and with great
minuteness instructed by various enactments
in what manner roof tanks are 70 be constructed
and equipped. They must be covered and sup
piled with blow-off valves so that they may be
emptied and cleaned from time to time. Every
thing else is DONE and carefully done, by law
except 10 make the periodical cleaning compul-
sorry and insure its being done by proper sys-
TEN OF inspection
Commissioner Butler, OF the Tenement House
Department asked by The Tribune about the
inspection of roof top water tanks in the tene-
ment house districts, said:
This department has records Of examinations
regularly made by its inspectors of roof tanks
upon all buildings under its control. These in
spections are designed 70 insure that the Law
has been complied with in the method OF con-
struction, the condition OF repair and the vari.
Gus appliances with which they are supposed
to be equipped, such as covers and blog-oE
valves