New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-27

and auxiliary fire appliances, 10 enforce
fire preventive measures and TO give 10
the department the right 10 insist on
adequate means Of escape in case OF hre.
The Fire Department is the most COM
petent to pass on the necessity for fire
escapes. due to their experience with
fires
Several DAYS ago a meeting was held
in a Wall street law Office denouncing
the action of the department In requir-
Ing automatic sprnklers in buildings
which. in the opinion Of the department,
required the same.
Under the present law. the Fire De-
partment has no control whatsoever over
fire escapes or means of exit from fire
Borough President McAneny issued
the following statement:
trust that one definite result Of TINS
disaster will be thorough overhauilns OF
the laws and ordinances WIN RELATION 10
hrcprOof construction and the proper pro-
tection of lie The Building Code. III sec
tion lC5. provides that al bulldlhSs OF Cel-
tain specified types, including factories
shall be- equipred with such good ana suili-
cient fire escapes. stairways or other means
of egress' as the Superintendent OF Buiu-
ings may require 49,
The question OF the adequacy OF fire es-
capes has been determined, however, when
the plans are presented for approval. once
accepted as adequate. they have been per
mitted to remain. The plans OF the Ash s,H
building were passed by Surerintenden.
Brady in 1900 At the time Of the recent
! Newark factory fire tie need of systematlc
checking up IT similar buildings IN Ne"
York and OF providing for SysteiIla,ir ~ III
srect.on thereafter was brought sharply ior'
ward.
Waldo Acts on Suggestion.
took the matter UP at that time with
Commissioner Waldo. who agreed TO dets4i
some five hundred or six hundred hreinen
for the purposes OF a general preliminary
e%amin2on The 9sdndny insPf bc6 is !o en-
gagged almost exclusively OH new buildings.
would have been wholly inadequate for such
work. rs a result Of the investigation OF
the fremen. about thirty-five hundred cases
OF apparent lack either Of adequate fire
Escapes or Of any IRE escape, we're reported
to Superintendent Miller:
Mr.. Miller thereupon detailed squad OF
liye or six of his men. under Chief lnspe.-
tor Lucke. TO inspect each or the cases re-
ing 10 which the code refers--hotels. school
| houses boarding houses. factories, etc.
Thus far about seven hundred OF the ID,
| spections have been made II was found
in large proportion OF the cases that the
law did NOT apply. but in at least ~ per
cent Of them. the bureau reports. action
has been taken requiring the owners 10
comply more satisfactorily with the code
Tic acting superintendent, NJ Ludwig,
, reports that examination OF me returns
from the Fire Department shows that the
Asch building was not included in It's list
This might well he, for the reason that.
technically. the building appears to con
form to the code
The natural conclusion is or ought, 70
be, that the code should suffer radical
amendment ana that the adequacy Of every
! other provision 81 Jaw applying 10 such a
condition should be thorouughly, tested ~
would be difficult 70 say. offhand. JUST what
should be done Just how, far. fer IN
stance. IN the case OF buildings OF any
height reliance should hs placed upon III;
/ closed stairwavs or Are towers" and
upon compulsofv fire drills. rather than
But a board Of experts should pc appointed
Immediately TO consider the whole matter.
and whatever department. Or bureau IS
! given final authority should be given. also.
carr out Us orders.
/ have had under consideration other IN
that will shortly be ready for presentation
Scne months ago asked JOINT ccnn'N
zee representing tie New York Chapter q
Architects, the Building Trades EMPLOYERS
Fire Urd:rvrit:rs. IS prepare an entire re-
cast OF the theatre section Of the code This
committee has been working N conjunction
1 lnspectol LGcl.e. OF TIE Bureau Of Build
ires as p-e'i az with Chief Croker Mr.
Ko@hler. architect OF the Fire Department
ara rIr 1ust. ~ The beard Of examiners:
Expects Law To Be Enacted.
The chaitnsn lntorms me thar ! :hal!
v.,h,r q week or two i will propose
arcEriments calculated 10 place the rssula
ton Of theatre buildings and Of the pro-
tsctior of life IN 81 theatres ana places or
amusement upon the safest basis that eH-
rert skill can devise, and ! am hopetu!
that in vieV OF the object lesson We nave
jr;t had there Will be little delay IN enact
ine u into law.
I also TOOL: up With Superintendent Miller
several months ago the matter u fire exits
IN the tall downtown Office buildings Al
my invitation thA representatives. OF sixtes:
.iiller and Chief Croker a. nv office IN two
OF three conferences or this subject
The question raised vas whether an A.
tempt should he made 10 install outside
/ fire escapes OF any sort upon buildings OF
twenty or thirty stories In height. ard
u'hat steps should b taken 70 compel the
proper incosure II all stairways and ele-
Tator shafts as substitute I appointed
an advisory committee, consisting 81 Allan
Robinson. president OF the Allied Real Es.
the Real Estate Board OF Brokers. Paul
S'arrett, q the Fuller Construction Com
ranv; Francis s. Kir1bal md William
M t4" MIer 70 and Si'' With Mr Goodrich the
consulting engineer Of the borough.
hav: not az vet received their report.
hut have no doubt that when u comes "
viii propose further revision az the code.
designed - give the furthest possible guar
sntee Of safety 10 those employed In build
ines Of this type
have been done on my own initiative and
not With regard 20 any duty OF the Build |
tugs Bureau. which is charged merely with
the enforcement cl the law as II finds II
The time has certainly come. however. |
when the code should re made right and
I believe that the continued cooperation
OF those whose duty II IS 20 look after the
public safety. from any point Of view, will
bring the results We want
Albert Ludwig. chief inspector 81 the
Bureau Of Buildings and acting super
intendent in the absence Of Superin-
tendent Rudolph Miller, made the fol |
lowing statement for his bureau:
The building could be worse and |
come within the requirements OF the !
law. II Is not required by law that the |
elevators and stsirways be inclosed |
These are In this building although the |
fire doors are not self-closing and on the |
upper floors Of the stairway are made |
OF oak and wiregass. instead Of being |
nreproof
I am not prepared 10 say whether |
the dimensions Of the fire escape are
within the Law. AS In Section los OF