New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-11

following explosions would be among
the occurrences for such department
OF public safety TO handle. He referred
TO The work done by the Tenement House
Department and the Law Department IN
securing a judicial decision Classifying
celluloid films as combustihles dangerous
to life. That was the means of driving
the moving picture shows from every
tenement house in this city" said MT
O'Erien. There were hundreds Oh
them. There should he a department OF
public safety. Suppose there should Tor
a number of reasons. be panic IN
tube-who is going to handle the situa-
ton? 4 tube isn't an unsafe huiioins-
II might not come under fire. AID
Vet in a few minutes hundreds OF hNes
MAJ be lost. ANY great calamity Is
liable to occur at any time
Mr. O'Brlen said he was in favor OF
an amendment 70 the new charter pro-
vtding that violations OF the building
code be treated as misdemeanors along
The lines now specified in the tenement
house regulations.
Receive Many Complaints.
The fire committee Of FIVE OF the
worens Trade Union League organ
ized after the Asch Building fire TO re-
ceive complaints from women in factories
as "a violations Of the laws in relation 10
sanitation md protection from fire met
late Yesterday afternoon at the mead
quarters Of the league. No. Is East "a
street. and made arrangements 10 seho
cories Of the complaints 10 the Bureau OF
Buildings and the Fire Department. Inc
committee will meet to-day and continue
IN session for several DAYS 70 put the
eonorlaints. If which FIVE hundred have
been received. in typewriter form and
send them to the different departments.
we investigated some of the COM
rlain,s that appeared to us as II they
nigh. be exaggerated before we DECIDED
~ GET them in shape for submission 10
the departments As according TO these
,.norts nearly. every factory building IN
The citv was a FIRE trap, sald MISS
1fonora OReilly. secretary OF the COM
noi,tee we found that some OF the re-
morris yer. exaggerated and in other
cases they underestimate the vioiatiohs
If the law
The coroner's inquest into the WASH
,rg,on place fire began yesterday before
Coroner Eoltzhauser ana coloi'ei
fury made up Of civil engineers anu 'ea'
estate men.
The testimony of witnesses examiner
before adjournment yesterday clearly eS
+ahlished three important facts-halliei!
.ha, the Bureau OF Buildings, in approx
ing the original plans for the Asch
Building had modified that portion OF
the building laws which requires oil
buildings containing ten thousand lee'
of floor space or more to nave three
s.airways. BY permitting the substi'u-
ti6n of q fire escape for the thlro staH-
yav. that the fire escape erected was
badly placed and absolutely Inadequate
and that the sewing machines used by
thu operators on the ninth floor of the
building. where the greatest loss OF lie
occurred. were 50 close together and all
the apparatus so much congested that
practically all the passageways on that
floor were blocked.
The jury will visit the Asch Building
this morning and inspect. the three floors
swept by the fire. after which the inquest
Will he continued. a score of the young
girl operators employed in the waist
factory who escaped from the fire at
tended the inquest Yesterday. They will
re called as witnesses.
Max Banck. Of the firm of Harris &
B!anck. constituting the Triangle Shirt
waist Company. which occupied the fire.
swept floors. took exception yesterday to
some Of the statements made about con-
ditions in the factory. lie said that
many OF them were undoubtedly Based
on a lack Of information.
Nothing that can be said or done can
give life 10 the unfortunates who lost
their lives" he said but there surely
must be mite Of consolation to their
friends and relatives to know that there
had not been a wilful disregard for their
safety. as has been suggested.
so far as We know. we had taken
every reasonable precaution to protect
our people Every recommendation from
the inspectors had been carried out to
the satisfaction Of the department l
Helieved. that our factory was a model
one from every point OF view. We did
not stop a. any expense to make it so,
and in this We were guided by the best
information at our disposal"
Blanck denied that the door leading TO
the Washington Place stairway was
locked. He said that he looked after all
the doors himself each day and that
none OF them was ever locked. He de-
MED shat the tables at which the opera
tors worked were overcrov6ed.