The sun., 1913-10-26
FAVOR LIMITING
BUILDING HEIGHTS
Architects, Builders and Owners
Of High Structures Speak
for Change.
THREE WANT NO LIMIT
;Of These Two Are Representa-
tivcs Of Labor Unions En-
gagged in Building Trades.

That the idea is pretty general that
the heights Of buildings in this city should
be limited is to be judged from the report
of the Heights of Buildings Commission.
which states that of forty experts con-
suited only three expressed objection TO
such limitation. The committees con-
ferences were held during the last three
months and those who conferred with the
members included practically all the well
known architects. builders and owners
of high buildings.
Some of those with whom the com
mittee conferred had rather novel sugCes-
tions to offer Ernest Flagg recon-
mcncs general level Of height for all
buildings equal to about once the width
of the street on which the building faces.
without ot her restrictions as TO area than
, that the least horizontal dimension of
any court or area left vacant for light
equals "a certain proportion. say one
tenth. of the height of the wall or walls
To which it belongs Electus ID. Litch-
field recommended not limit of height
but of volume.
William p Bannister of Brooklyn
indorsed Ernest FlagH's recommended
4 tlOIlh anu uuNlSeu tIit dtlp'tioi VI - 10 "
similar to that of the English law of
ancient lights Henry Atterbury Smith
would lower the height of fireproor tene-
nents and make il easier To construct
! fireproof buildings &. Waldo Smith
would limit the height of buildings
mostly to $50 feet.
! Prof Ira H. Woolson of the National
Board Of Fire Underwriters believes
all non -fireproof buildings should be no
higher than can be rea ched 10y IA fire
stream from the street He favors Il
limitation Of from i25 to l5o feet. Will
lam +. Harmon recommended not flat
limitation. but pyramidal limitation.
with notifications TO meet the differ
cnce III the strategic Importance OF diff
ferent locations Joel $. de Selding
favored IA tower limitation but tower
set back from the street line.
Simon Brent,lno of the Fifth Avenue
. Association favored limitation and said
that in factories it is not practicable in
a tall building to have enough exits 10
let out all occupants at once in case ot
fire A. W. Brunner. chairman OF the
Fifth Avenue Commission, favored a
limit Of i25 feet. Robert Grier Cooke
president and Bruce NJ Falconer, counsel
for the Fifth Avenue Association, speak
ing for Fifth avenue. favored a CorniCe
line not over 100 feet above the curb
with perhaps two more stories in th'
roof. bringing the total height to ioj feet
William Guerin. chief Of the Bureau
Of Fire Prevention. fay ored limitation
The Fire Department. he said. cannot
readily rescue persons from burning
buildings at a greater height than siA
stories from the outside. Miss Emily \
Dinwiddc of the Neighborhood Workers
Association thinks all tenements shoulC
be limited to four stories r. =. Bolton
building efficiency expert. would pro
hibit building having more floor spac.
than eight or ten times its lot area.
Roswell d. Tompkins secretary Of th'
United Board of Business Agents OF th'
Building Trades of New York. opposed
any limitation, as did Charles Burns
secretary of the Board of Delegates o
the Building Trades Of Broonyn anC
, Vicinity.