New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-28

ING he would take the case before the
grand Jury. He wanted two engineers 10
help his Office in its investigation.
Coroner Holtzhauser said that SO far
IS his examination had gone the re-
sronshility seemed to lie with the
Bureau Of Buildings.
Dora Fritze. one Of the operators who
Jumped from the ninth floor OF the
burned building. died yesterday in the
New York Hospital. This brings the
total Of deed to 14@.
After having made careful examina'
ton Of the building Acting Superin-
.terdent Ludwig Of the Bureau Of Build
,rzs was prepared YESTERDAY 10 discuss
IN detail the construction and the means
provided for fire protection. and the
escape of inmates
This Is the first inspection ! have
made Of the building said Mr. Ludwig
"end the records Of the bureau sho"
ths, there has been no inspection since
q. was finished. in 1901 There would he
no record. however. unless violation Of
.hA law had been reported. In that case
there would be a record on the hleS o'
the bureau. showing who made the in
.nectior. the nature of the violation ana
what was done.
The Journals of the inspectors sno"
What buildings the, visit IN their daiiY
rounds. and I have had careful eX-
animation ~ them made There - no
record 50 far as we have heen able -
discover. that shows thst a. any time
there has been a complaint about the fre
protection II the huildire
We have On our records complaints
against another building in the block
hit none against the Asoh Building. y
IS through such complaints that We learn
Of violations ~ the law in buildings that
have stood for soms time In fact y IS
ONLY by accident that we know when the
lev is being violated IN any building not
actually under construction.
This is because we have not enough
INSPECTORS in the bureau. We have ONLY
forty seven inspectors. while there are
approximately nifty thousand buildings
IN Manhattan under our care. And there
e more than 500 100000 worth If new
building done every year. al Of which J:
under the supervision Of this bureau
With this tremendous amount of new
work n be looked after y is imposSiole
for us. with our limited number Of in
srectors. 70 make regular examination:
q the buildings that have once beer
rassed as filling the terms Of the law
The hes, we can do is 70 look into spe-
ciNc complaints that are brought to u!
from outside sources.
Fire Departments Complaint.
con FEBRUARY Of this year the FIR
9A0artr1ent turned over 70 MS 4 list y
thirteen thousand violations IF the frt
protection provisions in Manhattan w
put a force OF six inspectors 10 work q
once looking into these violations. Their
have been up ~ date 2.o51 examinations
and 1850 violations are being looked int
row. We found that fire escape order
had already been put on fifty-tvo Of tn
violations reported. and violations hav
been filed on 152 more
con March % we received from Henri
MdTkcNN w. Sr'i rlcii \ VI III ''iiiN LA
Of Sanitary Control Of the Cloak, Sui
and Skirt Industry, a report Of thirt
violations We found that we had al
ready put fire escape orders on three o
these places.
The Asch Building was not include
either in the list Of the Fire Department
a. ~ Markowitz.'
From my own examination Of tn
Aech Building made after the fire. Nj
Ludwig continued. II found many point
in which changes would have been re
CURED II they had been called to tn
attention Of the bureau, either nv on
own inspectors or by some one outsid
~ the department
There has been great deal ~ ques
ton as u whether the doors TO the stair
\ On the Washington Place side Of IN
building we're locked This is a questio
that no amount of examination after IN
Ere can determine The doors wer
burned from their hinges and the Intel
destroyed There is no evidence left |
chow whether they were locked or not a
The time of the FIRE But am irforme
that the inspectors o. this bureau had
great deal NJ trouble with this particula
firm 10 make il keen rs doors unlocked
The inspectors would visit the factor
ard Gudng the doors locked. woul
order them 70 he LEFT open. But In
case like that there is no assurance tha
THE orders will be obeyed The door
will probably he locked again the mex
d. Aud | am Informed that this va
The case with the Triangle factory.
If the doors were locked that wa
distinctly violation Of the law.
The question of whether the door
tlau open outward OF inward is left t
the discretion Of the bureau That
covered b. Section So of the Consol
dated Laws. which saws that in tho cas-
o. factories ali stairway doors shall ope
outward. where practicable. But n tn
bureau passes doors that open invar
the builder cannot 10 accused of vic
lstion cf the law In this case I mus
presume that the administration Of III
: reau AZ the time e building vas pu
up approved Of the inward openin
doors
ONLY one ~ The stairvaNs reached Z
the root That IS all that the law re
cures Section 1o3 Of the Building Cod
saws.
All buildings requiring FIRE escape
shall have stationary iron ladders lead
ing 70 the scutIe opening IN the roc