The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-10-17
Deputy State Factory Inspector
Finds Buildings 10 Kenosha
in Dangerous Condition
MANY LIVES ARE IMPERILED
Old Ratt1etrap Buildings ON Main
Street Now Being Used for TEN
ement Houses May Be Raze6
By State Orders

Deputy Factory Inspector David d.
Evans, of Racine, is making a most
important visit to Kenosha this week,
and as result Of his visit it is posi-
BILE that some of the old buildings
which have stood on the Main street
of the city for years will be ordered
torn down or rebuilt. It is pretty
certain that at least one of the old
buildings will be condemned and it is
possible that the order of the state
will be against several of the build
ings. Inspector Evans has been in
the city for the past four days, but he
has not given his time to looking.
after child workers and the ordinary
violations of the state laws, but en-
tirely to the condition of buildings
used for seni-public purposes. He
has made tour of nearly every fac
tory building in the city and no g1ar-
ing violations of the law have been
reported as yet. The protection of
some of the buildings in regard to FIRE
escapes is not all that could be de-
sired, but most Of the factory mana
gers have made an effort to comply
with the law. There has been some
trouble to get the proper fire escapes,
but they are going up as rapidly as
possible.
The inspector is now making crit
icaf inspection of many buildings in
the city used as fiat and apartment
buildings. Most of these are Il the
business district, and there is nc
doubt but that the inspector would
recommend that torch applied with
kerosene is the only remedy for some
of these old buildings.
Inspector Evans has always taken
the greatest interest in the homes of
workingmen, and since he has been
an inspector he has done quite little
in quiet way to improve conditions
in Kenosha. He is now going to take
some of these buildings to the con-
sidefation of the state department. In
one old building which has been
standing since the early forties it
was found that there we're more than
forty people living on the upper
floors of the building and the condi-
ton of it was such that it is liable to
fall into the street at any time. It is
rather remarkable that there has not
been great loss of life on account of
the collapse of the building before
this time. The owners of the build
ing seem to care little for the danger
fn %an re 10,-s 4
Main street is said to be under the
ban and the state department may be
asked to close up the upper floors of
the building.
There are many of the smaller
buildings in the city used as tenement
houses which are attracting the atten-
ton Of the inspector and the condi-
tons in these buildings are said to be
appalling. The great increase in the
number of foreign residents of the
city during the last two years has
brought an entirely new side to the
tenament question in Kenosha. 1t is
impossible for these people to rent
houses and as result of this condi-
ton they have herded together in
places which are unsanitary and un-
safe. In houses of less than eight
rooms as high as thirty people are
living and it is claimed that the build
ings are constantly in such filthy
condition that the life of every in
mate of the building is being i'm
periled. This is the first time that
Inspector Evans has made an exam
ination of these conditions in Keno
sha and his report which will be given
ont in a short time will undoubtedly
be of the greatest interest.