The sun., 1909-02-25
FOR CONSUMPTIVES IN TOWN
MRS. W. X. VANDERBILT PUTS 4
MILLION INTO DWELLINGS.
To he Built 80 Model Tenement Houses
with Roof Gardens and sieeptng Bai-
conies-she Has been Nursing the
Sick Herself and Gave the Presb,.
terian Hospital Its Fresh Air ward

terian Hospital Its Fresh Air Ward.
Mrs. william X. Vanderbilt. sr., has
embarked upon a model tenement en-
terprise here in New York quite diferent
from any Of the other improved tene-
ment building schemes with which the
city has been made familiar. Mr.. Van
derbilt shares his wifes interest In the
new project, and work has already been
begun. Briefly stated, the enterprise
Is the establishment in the form Of tene-
ment houses Of a healthful home for city
sufferers from tuberculosis.
1t represents an investment Of 81, ,0Oo,-
900, and the contractors who have al
ready begun the work OF clearing the
land for the new building do not know.
until they read this mornings papers,
the name of their employer. In fact
they have been little dubious about
their job. in view Of It's magnitude. and
have made uneasy inquiries of the archi-
tect who engaged them as TO the respon-
sibility (fnanciaD Of their real patron.
whose name until to-day the architect
has not been at liberty to make known.
The enterprise, while having for It's
object the supplying Of hygienio homes
for sufferers from tuberculosis, compre-
hends besides the opening Of the way
for a new housing system in the tone
ment sections Of the city. While there
Is distinctly an element OF the phiian-
thropic In Its initiation, II Is also a bust
ness proposition which the prime movers
believe will commend itself so widely
to builders and to the public authorities
that In due season 1t may transform the
tenement building system of the town.
The plan was announced with Mrs
Vanderbilt's authority yesterday by DR..
Henry L. Shively Of the Vanderbilt Clinic
Of the Presbyterian Hospital and Archi-
tect Henry Atterbury Smith. who have
the work in charge.
DR.. Shively has purchased for Mrs.
Vanderbilt eighteen city lots extending
from Seventy street to Seventy
eighth between Avenues A and B, witha
frontage Of 225 feet and lying between
the play ground Of Public School lss on
theswest and John Jay Park on the east.
On this plot four buildings are TO be
erected. TO be known as the Shiv ely Ssni-
tsry Tenements. after Mr.. Smiths de-
signs, They arc to be built on a new
pattern. although the several ideas that
60 to make IL up are not new. The now
city consists In the practical combination
Of them all In form suited to give TO
sufferers. from tuberculosis In their own
homes the adv vantages Of q sanitarium
and to offer to healthy poor people the
most healthful Of living conditions in a
big city. The buildings are to be made
up Of two. three. four and five room
apartments, offered at low rentals, and the
four big buildings are to house from $50
to 375 families. They are six stories high.
DR.. Shively said yesterday that Mrs.
Vanderbilt had been not only interested
in but actively engaged in the work Of
the Vanderbilt Clinic in tuberculosis cases
for three or four years past, the work Of
nursing the patients in their homes.
supplying extra diet. for instance milk
and eggs. and in the removal of sufferers
to sanitary quarters.
-She has actually accompanied our
nurses regularly for three or four after
moons a week." he said, sin their visits
to patients in their homes and has given
her personal attention to the question Of
housing the city poor and tuberculosis
cases
Presby terian Hospital was given by her
and the doctor said that it had been Of
incalculable use.
1T seems illogical" said he. 'to take
patients from their unhygienic homes for
a brief period to house them In the best
Of sanitary surroundings and then to
return them to their old conditions. The
tuberculosis problem, then. reduces itself
in the last analysis to a home problem.
This sanitary tenement idea has been
developed through a recognition Of this
fact. Mr.. Smith and l have devised a
unique departure which has been made
possible Of accomplishment by Mra
Vanderbilt
at exhibits four principal features.
The first to which want to call attention
is the open outside staircase. which does
away with the dark and dusty common
hall and It's awful menace as a disease
breeder and spreader. These new build
ings every occupant will enter through
great arch leading to an open court. and
he will enter his own home directly from
outdoors. The big arch will be broad
and two stories high. The open court 10
open all the way to the top Of the build
ing.
Opposite the entrance arch, at the other
side Of the court. another similar arch
way gives access to the court from the
other street. 80 that there is a direct pas
sageway, for example. all the way from
Seventy-eeventh street to Seventy
eighth street. through these archways
and across the court. after the manner
Of building known in Vienna as the Durch-
haus In each corner Of the court there
is to be an open. outdoor stairoase-four
to building-and every apartment will
open directly onto one Of these stairways
The stairways will lead all the way to the
roof.
1T is type OF staircase common in some
southern countries. but We believe our
Of it to be new here. And
when people come to recognize the truth
that New York's climate is semi-tropical
the fitness Of this type Of stair for New
York tenement buildings will be recog-
nized. There will be no common halls.
no darkness. no places for dirt to acciI-
mulate. The stairways being fireproof