New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-24
BUILDING CODE NOW IN
Result of Two Years Work Goes
Before Aldermen.
SAFEGUARDS HUMAN LIFE
Preference Given to No Material
by Civic Committee Which
Prepared Measure.


There was introduced in the Board Of AL
dernnen Yesterday the proposed new build
jne code. which IL the work OF Joint com
-nittee OF the most prominent organizations
interested in building in tho city. II mas
been in process OF preparation for TWO
years and in substantial form is likely 10
be passed by the fusion majority IN 'he
board, which is under none of the intu-
ences which led the old Tammany majority
In the hoard 70 make two attempts 10
enact a new code. declared by many 20 dis
crim!nate in favor Of hollow tile constru'-
ton. as against concrete work.
The proposed code attempts 70 Mace
every building material on such basis
that II may be used UP TO its safe carry
Ing csuscitv" declares the committee in
presenting tho code. preference is given
ono material All questions OF strength OF
materials and the bases Of calculation hsVe
been settled by the structural engineers or
the committee. and private interests nave
not been consulted"
For tho first time IN the history of IN"
city huilding code has been prepared pla'-
Ing human NE AZ higher value tnan
propertv. vas the comment Of mon Wh" nad
examined tho now code They said that the
terrible lesson Of Tho Asch building f,re. in
ahich I4G lives we're lost. has at last been
h~edad. and that many % tho fire safety
provisions 50 urgently advocated by The
Tribune were embodied IN the new cod'.
Great Advance. Says Miller.
EydnlpA = Miller Superintendent Of
Ryiidugs. said Yesterday that he was nigh
~ pleased With the proposed code i'e
vent over II section 10y section and pointed
on, the great advance toward fire safety
that will he assured should tho new code
20 approved. Although no restriction mas
neon riaceo On tho height Of buildings OF
reinforced concrete construction, he SAID
t,-r, possible precautlou has been taken
- render the buildings to he occupied by
many persons az safe from fro as human
Ingenuity can make them
Particular attention has been paid 10 fire
eyts and to the regulation Of the number
90 persons that may occupy hWlding'
The old laN. Mr.. Miller said, established the
number q. PERSONS according TO the area,
,ud this laO governed only hotels, lodging
ro,Ises factories and stores.
Thr provisions NJ toe now measure we're
designed 10 apply 30 nearly all buildings
sno besides fixing the required number oil
stsircssos according 10 tho area, II pro-
yidcs that the number OF people that are to
uee tie stairs must DO considered.
Hero Mr. Miller pointed to paragraph T.
section o. o. tho proposed code. which says
No eo-called ere escape other than
exits as defined n paragraph J, ,hl or TO-,
shall pe considered as means or exit IN
the calculation Of the permissible occupancy
Of any building hereafter erected
III. code further provided Mr.. Miller said,
he q least forty
four inches wide. as compared with stair
WAYS measuring not more than thirty
inches IN many OF the existing buildings.
All NJ these stairways must be inclosed
IN 0reproof walls. and even in hreproof
buildings the elevator shafts must be fully
incloseG in a similar manner.
Sr,okanroof towers accessible through
o,.side balconies one Of the necessary I'M
nroyernents pointed out by The Tribune
hive been adopted IN the proposed CODE
and the division o. large areas by Prevails
has been also accepted as an essential I'M
rroyement
Makes 4 Hard to 6vade Law
Having secured these safety requirements,
declared Nj Msller IL became important
20 eubody IN the new plan provisions that
would put An end 20 the , ssibility of evad-
ing the law. This was accomplished ne
asserted. through Section 70. Paragraph B.
which reads
No structure or portion OF any structure
Hereafter erected o. altered snail lc occu-
led used lul any purpose WhatS"eNer
Until the issuance Of cert'1Cate OF "CcN-
Fancy: nor shall any structure OR portion
., any structure be occupied FOR any other
ruruosee or any incrcgS Sod loads or any
greater number Of persons than G. os' GesiS-
mated in the certificate.
And Section q provides for new GER
tfcate OF occupancy Whenever change In
tho occupancy is 10 be made.
Under the old law. Mr. Miller said. many
provisions were nulihed through the ability
Of owners TO change the occupancy Of a
building that had been erected under p
hermit designating il for an entirely diff
forent purpose. For instance, 10 explained,
the Old law restricts non-hreproof hotels
to q height OF thrty-Gye feet. permit 70
erect an apartment house. seventy-Ave feet
high and non-freproof would he obtained
from u" Buildings Department, but as
,.or as q wa finished the building would
bc converted into 4 hotel ana hc was with
sVt power 20 act.
4 number Of private hospitals and saua-
teriLms IN the city avoided the expens .
~ rreproof construction in a similar man.
rer, The Superintendent declared. They So
cured permits 70 build private dwellings,
srd later simply furnished them as hos
u.t.ls without meeting the demands for fire
safety laid down by tie Old law FOR hos
pt8i,.
Tircproof materials receive preference
over non-freproof materials. so as to eu-
courage the investor 10 use fireproof con
,t.uction. Fire limits are left as they now
aIe. thus eliminating a basis Of much dis
cIssion OF previous proposed codes. 80
.royisiOnS are made for moving pictur.
,hows for less than six hundred persons. a.
they are attended TO in q special ordinance
low before the Board Of Aldermen. tn
theatrical section is practically the same
~ vas introduced by the commit" nor,
than a year ago.
To ee Many Public Hearings
code az proSeuted ly h.. mint Pnr--