New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-17
ALDERMEN GET NEW COOt
Hearings on Revised Rules 'o'
Buildings to Begin Monday
SPONSOR HAS HIGH HOPtS
Alderman Kenneally Thinks the
Changes from 1909 Revision
Will Please All Sides.

Aldermen William r kenneally lhio
duced 2 proposed new building code IN ''e
Board Of Aldermen Yesterday afterhoo"
Orders were given to have II printed ana
hearings are To be held by the Building
Committee beginning on Monday. The
new code contains many Of the provisions
Of the code which was vetoed two years
ago hv MAYOR Mcclellan. but many OF the
objectionable features OF that document
have been eliminated. II is understood.
That code. which was proposed after
commission had sat on II for many months
was attacked vigorously by the cinder con
crete interests which declared that they
we're Disseminated against In favor OF
the hollow tile trust There were other
provisions that II was declared. would
favor certain interests After a spirited
fight In the board the code was passed
but Mayor Mcclellan hurried home from
his vacation and vetoed II. Since then
no attempt has been made to propose an
/ entire new code.
The code introduced yesterday modlhes
the restrictions on cnder concrete which
were contained in the document OF two
years ago. At the same time 1t contains
ton than were contained in that code.
| In presenting II TO the Board Of Alder
men Mr. Kennealy said he did 1t In his
capacity as a plain member of the board
and not as chairman of the Building Com
mittee He believed that his experience
in framing previous documents would be
of value and he had consulted with vari-
Gus experts Speaking Of some OF the sug-
gestions received by him. the alderman
said that some OF them were only restate-
ments Of matter put out by some Of the
building material interests Any one who
put the suggested provisions in a code
would merit lynching. he declared.
1T contains very rigid provisions as TO
the construction and arrangement OF fac
tory and loft buildings" said Alderman
! Kenneally last night so far as lies within
the power Of the board the owner OF every
new building erected hereafter will be COM
PEELED 70 make il safe. and the conditions
in existing buildings will be vastly i'm
proved
ION every new factory there will be one
or more fire towers. which can be entered
only from the outside OF the building and
which will he both 1reproof and smoke
proof The old-fashioned fire escape. with
its steep and narrow ladders is forbidden.
Al halls and stairs will be fireproof, and
when there is large number of persons in
any building the stairs will he made wider,
in accordance with the number Of persons
Using them The wedge shaped stairs. or
'winders SO frequently seen in buildings
to-day, will not be approved.
The allowable floor areas between fore
code than In the new one Automatic
sprinklers are required Rigid specifications
govern the width and number OF aises and
the arrangement Of work tables and ma
chinerv In factories. Every manufacturing
or business building must have q 'certih-
cate Of occupancy under which the Super
intendent OF Buildings will limit the use
NJ such building; and occupying II for any
other purpose than that stated will be pro-
Inhibited. This will cure what has been a
very great evil In the past
Much attention has been paid 10 the
main entrances of buildings and the en-
frances 70 the lofts. all Of these being re-
auired 70 swing outward in opening without
lohstructing or interfering with any stair or
passage way The revolving doors SO much
used IN winter will be SO arranged that
they can readily be changed into open
exits
The clauses governing discretionary
power ~ the Superintendent Of Buildings
have been copied verbatim from the char
ter such notifications ~ the code he
shall permit by virtue Of these nodihca-
tions will he fled and 'ndexed. and will
constitute public record. open 10 the in
spection ~ any citizen
The reinforced concrete buildings can be
built one hundred feet I'm height. as COM
pared with eighty five feet IN the code
adopted by the Board Of Aldermen In 1900
To meet the objections from builders and
owners Of private houses in Brooklyn. brick
walls eight inches thick will be permitted.
instead ~ twelve-inch walls. required in
the last code All roofs will he incom-
tustible and the shngle roof will no longer
bA permitted. even in the outlying portions
~ the city.
The provisions governing theatres. pro
posed IN the board by Borough President
NcAneny. were the subject Of public
hearing only last Friday. and consequently
have not been definitely settled upon by the
committee For that reason the existing
law on theatres has been written into tho
code presented to-day. but that Is Of
course. oren 10 amendment"