Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-11-30
Building Dept. Stops
Work on Walls OF
Factory.
EXPECT CITY COUNCIL
TO ACT ON NEW CODES
Need of More Men to Inspect
Factories and Investigate
Complaints Pointed Out.

Superintendent of Buildings william
r. O'Rourke said today that he had
issued orders to stop the work of tear
ing down the walls that are still stand
ing at the scene of the High street
fire, and the work Of clearing. away the
ruins will be taken up from now on
by the owners of the building. The
Are department is satisfied that all the
employees in the building have been
accounted for, and the walls that are
now standing have been judged safe
until such time as the owners employ
their own wreckers to tear them down.
The work of investigation is being
pushed as fast as the conditions win
permit and the evidence is being rapid
ly put into shape for presentation to
the cororers jury. 1t will be necessary
to question many of the employees OF
tho building, and especially those in
the hospitals concerning the factory
conditions, and the incidents attending
the fire Naturally the people who are
in the hospitals cannot be interviewed
until they have more fully recovered
from the effects OF the fire, and as their
testimony will be valuable In the in
vestigations, 1t may be several days
before their version of the affair can
be secured.
Whole City Aroused.
Complaints by the score have been
pouring into the offices of both tho
building departments and the bureau
OF combustibles ever since the fire, and
these communications charge violations
- A. L.. ;x, ovfa NJ Il
tions and in all parts of the city. While
most of the letters are anonymous they
bear the stamp of sincerity, and IN
numerous cases merely convey a state
rnent of conditions that both the de-
partments addressed have had under
consideration.
c. Albert Gasser. of the bureau of
combustihles, has received not less than
fifty complaints of alleged violations of
the law, while Mr.. O'Rourke has had
fully twenty five since Monday MORN
ing. All Of these complaints will be
fully Investigated, and in order that
this work may be done with all possible
! speed Mr.. O'Rourke asked the build
Sngs committee Of the Common Council
The inspection work.
give the department the required men,
claiming that if more men were to be
added at this time It would make it
appear that the department had been
working with insufficient help in the
past. and the members of the commit
tee did not want the public to gain that
impression, however true It might be.
New Building Code.
Mr.. O'Rourke will make an effort to
have the Common Council act upon
the new building code at the meeting
Friday night This code which for
some reason has been side tracked for
a long time, provides for many reforms
In building construction and super
vision that are very much needed and
which, as result of the High street
are, have been shown to be of vital
Importance to the city.
The code provides for several details
that It has been proved need imme
date revision and careful attention,
and there is no good reason why the
Council should fail to- act upon this
important measure at once. 1t would
give the building department much
more power and enable the city to en-
force many regulations that are now
only indifferently observed.
Prevention Code.
OF euual Importance is the new fire
nYevention code drafted by Captain
C,ssser some months ago and presented
IN the Common Council for adoption
FOR same reason not yet explained this
innnoffant measure has also Deen al
lowed 10 20 from month to month with
,ut adtion by the Council beyond pass
ina n Or first reading. The Importance
AZ acting upon this new code will be
oo,nteA out at the meeting Friday
r,gbt md IL the Council takes favor
abja action upon both of these new
r,aasuyxt the city will be much better
,hia td eafeguard the people and the
Sroner II interests Captain Gasser has
- asked for more men to aid in the
4 d Inspecting the great number
,uIdfngs that the department de-
~ look over at once.
pureau of combustibles has been
for over a year to get more in
there being only one man
now for the purpose. When
eidered that there are thou
Iaued ON second Pase.)