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


I found that the elevators would hold on'y
ten persons each. They should nave o,.n
made larger. The FIRE escapes we're aiso
inadequate.
The loss O; life was due largely 10 lesi.
lstion. Factory buildings ana ioi' o"i'"'
ings should he built like pubic schoor'
v hich have wide halls and large nre esc'fe.
and red light over cach eAit boi' anu
factory buildings where ul'Heo ta0e %
peorl. are employed should have placatu
In their languages placed aoout tne 'oius
telling them hon to get out IN case o. Hte
There should also be fire drlii TWICE
every month
Coroner Hoitzhauser said he had dls-
covered that the standpipes on TIE various
floors had not been used. and called aften'
ton 70 the hose lying on the floor outside
| Of the stairway doors. He said that he
| climbed I'D on the tank on the roof sup
posed TO supply water N the pipes and
| found II vas empty Commenting on the
responsibility he said Although ! hav.
not as yet completed my Official invesflEa-
ton. il seems 10 he the consensus 81
opinion that the matter rests entirely With
the Buildings Department.
| The Civil Service IS rotten Any drygocts
| clerk or any one else can pass the e1-
| animation and they are appointed inspec-
tors Hardly on. ~ them has any Eno"l-
edge Of huildings What should bA dons !:
! 70 appoint men 7'ho know something About
the construction If buildings and how the
should be equipped.
McAnsry Defend. Miller.
Late in the afternoon Borough FRESH
dent McAneny gave out a statement IN
which he warmly defended Superintend-
or. Miller Of the Bureau Of Buildings
and the administration If the bureau
His statement follows:
The attempt 10 place the blame for the
disaster or any part OF /. upon the super
fair In my opinion. no fair minded person
| who reads the facts will hesitate a moment
| in coming 70 the same conclusion | have
until a thorough inquiry has been made
established In view however. Of publica
tons. that have been rn1de | want 70 state
! and | cannot put IL too strongly-that the
| present officers Of the Buildings Bureau
have no responsibility III the matter what
The determination Of the Superintendent
| Of Buildings as 70 whether building con-
tains proper fire escapes. stairways or
other means Of egTess Is made al he
Asch Building were fled in ialn, and APP
/ parently were accepted then as comply
ing fully with the law. The code also en-
powers the ne s1perIntsndent 70 ~dTeet Are iTe
any building Of the type N question where
they are found lacking The bureau. so far
as can learn, has never throughout us
| history, attempted to go back Of the orig
| inal approval OF plans or 10 order any
changes except upon evidence that in par
| ticular cases compliance with the law was
| lacking.
The bureau has never made periodical in
| and has never been expected TO. For this
II has relied entirely upon the Fire Depart
ment. under agreement between the two
authorities. The rules Of the Fire Depart
ment defining the duties Of company com
manders include the following general in
structions under this head:
| Section a-FamiliariZe themselves With
all buildings In their company districts
and have in quarters 10 be the property Of
the Department. book containing writ
ten or printed description Of all such build
inss. which book will be known as tile
| Building Record Journal and make peri
odca inspection Of all churches. hotels.
| factories warehouses. theatres (when per,
other buildings used for purposes Of bust
| ness, instruction. amusement. etc.
Section 1no-In making inspections Of
| company districts they viii report in
writing all buildings found therein which
may be considered unsafe from any cause.
The reports in each case Will be separate
and state briefly the causes OF the unsafe
condition Of each building or the section OF
Section lol. Report all buildings that
are from any cause in violation Of law or
ordinance.
Section los Make inspections in their
respective districts as provided below. and
| forward reports showing the name. and 10
cation of such place inspected. and STATING
In each case whether the provisions OF the
coming under the Law they will forward
reports stating that fact
Section 107 On the 18th day OF April
and 18th DAY Of October 81 each year. they
will forward 10 the Bureau Of Violations
and Auxiliary Fire Appliances, through
the regula,' channels. reports NJ inspection
of every building in their company dis,
| tricts wherein fire appliances of any kind
are installed. or required whether they
have been previously reported on or not;
and keep proper record, UP 10 date. Of All
! such inspections ar reinspections in The
| Building Record Journal
| BIN all cases wherein any fire appli-
| ances are recommended the existing equip
ment condition Of same. together with
such other necessary information covering
the general survey Of the premises and
showing the possibility Of fire. and conse-
| quent danger to occupants, must be noted
| in the reports forwarded.
"C--If 10 additional fire appliances are
considered necessary. such fact will he so
stated on the reports forwarded.
| II Is 10 be assumed that. under these
! rules the company commander covering
the district in which the Asch Building
| stands has made periodical inspections
there and reported the results TO his sr-
periors. The latest report on the Asch
| Building. filed by the commander of the
district Foreman O'Connor on October -
last read as follows:
I>,ca,ion-Nc % 10 20 washington Place.
Construction Brick and iron ten stories IN
ciass-Fireproof
Date % erection-laOl.
| Owner y Aech. south Norwalk. Conn.
Number Of employees in buildug-One thou
Fire escapes outside One. location rear con-
stsir-SayS-Tvc. located AT Greene street and
Washington Place. condition Of stairna!s. good
Five sppliances-relephonc connection with
department headquarters b, pneumatic system
two four-irch standpipe. connected on,,ias
ices. tank on roof sxio fact capacity 5000
gallons buckets on all doors. .s1
This apparently gave the building fairly
clean bill Of health. Such reports, ! under
stand pass through the hands Of the chief
of the department. Where INC, nnniSs's = =
Bureau of Buildings they are. as = matter
~ custom. forwarded to the Surerinten-
dent. The Superintendent Of Buildings
however. has received from the Fire De
psrtment neither this nor any other report
with relation TO the Asch Building.
iave ALREADY stated that the Superin'
| .e1dent ~ Buildings insteod Of neclecting
his ,Iu,v in any particular. = aiding me IN
a most vigorous way in preparing for per %
manent improvements both in the code
and in the methods ~ enforcing II Prior
10 last fsn tho bureau for Years back had
hen depending upon the routine reports
~ the Fire department or uron outside
| oon,rlain,s for It's information about fac