Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-11-28
BUILDING !.
SUP'T TO \
FIX BLAME
Rigid Investigation Of
Exits and Fire Escapes
Is Being Made.

william p. O'Rourke, superintendent
of buildings, said today that he would
start at once to make a most rigid in
been made concerning the arrange
ment of exits and fire escapes on the
building. His men have been at the
scene of tine fire from early morning.
and besides collecting data to aid in
the work of Investigation have helped
the firemen to search the ruins. Their
expert knowledge of building construc-
ton has been of great help in clearing
away the walls that remained standing
and they will remain on the ground
until the ruins have een thoroughly
searched and the work of denolishing
the walls is completed.
Contrary to the general belief the
duties of factory inspection do not
evolve upon the local building depart
ment. The State controls this work..
and the factory inspector, who is To-
Gated at Trenton, delegates his WI
men to cover different sections of the
State. Newark Is divided into three
inspection districts, and reports con
corning h conditions In each of these
districts are made direct to the chief
inspector at Trenton. The work OF the
local building department cease when
the building is approved AND the work
of construction Us completed according
to the plans and specifications that
have had the Ok. OF h department.
There are often cases. as in the pres
ent instance, when q building in after
years is turned to different purposes
those for which 1t was originally
IN - Al. -x-e- -.k a. -
new occupants changes the conditions
surrounding the building. What origi-
nally may have been intended as q
factory building accommodating 100
people may In the course OF time be
made to provide quarters for three
times that numbe without a proper
tionate increase in facilities or accom-
modations for the added number Of
employees.
These conditions could of course be
kept track of. and In the majority OF
cases they are, but the building de-
partment, like the department or
weights and measures, is badly handi-
capped BY lack OF suff1cient help. Mr..
|O'Rourke said today:
II have been trying for a long time
to get more inspectors to keep pace
with the rapid growth OF the city, but
I have been unable to secur even one
man. At present we have seven in
spectors, and we could use twice that
number II advantage. i would even
be satisfied with one additional maj
to attend to nothing but flre-escape in
spection, but I dc not seem able to get
even this modest request acted upon
favorably.
81 understand that we rave in the
| city nineteen ash barrel inspectors.
| while other departments have as many
as twenty-three men for various in
spection purposes. The Importance of
the building department should enable
us to get more men to follow up the
important details of building construc-
ton thai should be under h closest
| surveillance 1 n a city such as this. 1t
is unfortunate that it should require a
catastrophe to bring these conditions
to the attention of the people, but IL
we can remedy the faults in IA future
there will DO some good come OF the
| evil"
The Board Of Fire Commissioners
Will also institute a thorough investi-
cation of the fire n the conditions
surrounding It. The commissioners
together with Chief Ashley, were at the
scene of the fire all day, and they are
| gathering every bit of evidence they
| can to aid them in their investigation
Mayor Haussiing photographed to his
secretary, Wilson Vance, as soon as
the news of the fire reached him at
New Orleans, and he gave orders to
| contribute $1,000 to a fund for the re-
lief of the families of the victims. He
also wired to President P~enningtoni
of the Board of Aldermen, to aid In
the work of getting public subscripr
tons to a fund that might aid the af-
ficted families. The mayor expressed
his great sorrow over the calamity and
extended his sympathy to the bereaved
| families.