New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-30
RECORDS INVITE FLAMES
City's Archives Exposed ReCk-
IessIy to Visitation of Fire.

There Is inadequate protection against
destruction by fire for many valuable city
records Of various courts and city Depart
ments The only city building of modern
freproof construction is the Hall OF Rec-
ords As the new municipal building VIII
be ready for occupancy within two years IL
would hardly pay to provide expensive hre-
proof vaults for departments that VIII De
housed in the new building.
Robert b. Insley, Superintendent Of Pub
lie Buildings and Offices. said yesterday
that he intended to recommend the install
lation OF devices which would aid In the
quick detection of any fire that might oc-
cur in any of the buildings.
There have never been any fire alarms
in the public buildings. either automatic or
private boxes, that can be pulled by Who-
ever discovers i.:e." said Superintendent
, Insley. Il have done already what could
| in guarding the buildings by increasing my
staff of watchmen: but you cannot be sure
! that watchmen patrol carefully unless you
| have watchmen's clocks which record their
work. I am about TO make a recommends
! ton Tor the installation Of such clocks. and
| also some kind of automatic fire alarm.
| Many Of the most valuable records Of the
Supreme Court and OF the county have been
removed 70 the Hall Of Records. where they
are supposed to he safe from fire. There
still remains in the Courthouse. however.
mass Of records which would furnish fine
| food for flames
Up TO recently there was no fireproof
vault In the city Hall but within the last
few months such a vault. about twenty
feet square, has been constructed In the
basement. III this are kept the valuable
records and documents Of the Mayor S
office.
A freproof vault has been constructed re-
Gently in the jefferson Market court build
ing for the old police court records.
There are many valuable records Of the
Finance Department which are not in fire.
proof vaults. although the department has
vault IN the Hall Of Records. where some
of the records are kept. The city has never
| carried any fire insurance.
No provision has been made for safe
| guarding the almost priceless documents
and records of Queens County. Housed in
the fashioned County Clerks Office. in
Fulton street. Jamaica, a spark is all that
would be required 10 repeat on smaller
scale the loss in documents destroyed by
the burning OF the State Capitol.
Since the organization OF Queens County.
more than two hundred years ago. docu-
ments have been accommodating. Many are
rare historical documents and relics In the
way Of grants and purchases II land from
Indians From the day when the minutes
Of different board meetings and the records
OF sales transfers and other business OF
the county were kept in a small ledger
a bout the size OF a petty cash book of to-
day. Official records of the county have
been on the increase until now the volume
OF business keeps big clerical force at
work. Under the old fee system the Coun-
~ Clerk makes between $4,000 and S5O0oD a
year. and there have been years when his
fees Melted 10000 a year
The fire which destroyed so many his
toric papers in the State Capitol caused
some Inquiries to he made yesterday in
Rrooklyn as to the manner In which the
valuable papers Of Kings County are stored
in the Hall Of Records. Brooklyn. one of
the largest public buildings in the city.
George buchanan. who has been superin-
tcndent of the building for many years.
said last evening the records are kept In
metal boxes. which are ranged, according
IT, numbers. in metal cases The doors and
windows OF the building also are of metal.
but the desks and floors are OF wood. The
winding stairways are OF iron. as are all
the supporting columns In the structure.