New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-14
WOULD RUIN OWNERS
Proposed Code Contains Many
Objectionable Clauses.
VIEW OF REALTY EXPERTS
Special Committee Says Office
and Loft Buildings Should
Not Be in One Glass.

| the Allied Real Estate interests IdNOlS
many changes and amendments 10 the
proposed building code. G. Richard DAVIS
is chairman of the committee, the other
members being L. A. Goldstone, j. Hollis
Wells, Louis j. Horowitz, Leo 5. Blhg'
and Allan Ribinson, ex officio member.
The requirements for tower stairways m
office buildings or hotels u.s. In its opinion
entirely unnecessary The fact that the
floor space in such buildings is cut up by
fireproof partitions prevents. II says the
rapid spread Of flame or smoke and' III
addition to this, the number or people oc-
cupying the floor of given area In either
Of these classes Of buildings is less than
one-half that usually occupying the moor
of loft or factory building
1t. however, thoroughly agrees with the
requirements of this section which Apply
to factory and loft buildings and other
manufacturing buildings. and says that
the same requirements should surely nor
apply 10 office buildings or hotels.
The loss In revenue. due TO such re-
quirement In such buildings would be SO
great as to seriously impair values ana
the requirement is so unnecessary that
such hardship should not be inflicted
II further saws the same argument II
has outlined regarding fire towers IN OF
fee. buildings and hotels applies with equai
| force 10 those sections which require
/ stairways and exits in proportion to the
/ number of occupants per floor.
whereas the allowance IN the proposed
code of the number OF persons per unit
! of stairs would be on the safe side IN
factory and manufacturing buildings II
would be absurd to ask to make the same
regulations affect hotels or office build
{ ings," adds the committee.
1T will further be noted that no allow
I ance is made for elevators "a exits Inc
/ popular agitation regarding fire exits
and stairs has been brought ABOUT ty
| confederation and disasters In factories
and industrial buildings, but no fatalllles
due TO fires In office buildings or hote's
have occurred in buildings where the
! standard Of the building has been up 10
or approximately near tho present re-
! uuirenents OF the code as TO hreprooAis.
"The intelligence OF the occupants OF
Office buildings and hotels should De con-
! sidered as against that Of the occupants
| OF manufacturing buildings and factories
"The chief cause OF disasters IN iac-
| tories has been due TO panic anu 'he
| fact that the passages and spaces are Cd
structed or locked. whereas in hoteis ana
offices the halls and corridors are wen
defined and are always kept clear.
"rlevators I'm these buildings should be
oorsidared as means Of exit particular
~ IN view Of the proposed amendment 10
| elevators In one SHAFT
"The testimony OF fire lighters mas peeA
that the majority Of people escape rom
arenroof buildings by means OF ths ere
GATORS and that the stairs are used ohly
90 tho last resort and after most oi the
| occupants of the building have ned
I'VE have made some investigation
o,o,, IN. line OF the number or occu-
nonts IN office buildings and ma aS
| follows: d,
"rbe average space an occupant IN
o.,o-si oNPces is about 100 square ieet
"a 6, q number OF cases even as 10"
40 :, SQUARE feet an occupant without
| tue congestion. Il. i. Bolton quotes
,abla in his book on Elevators STOCK
I-olers' exchange firms Of 10 100 square
feet; shipping, railroad ana u, ai'9
men. 10 l05; lawyers and smah oiIloes'
70 10; city departments puphc o'i'oe7
,,s,,-ance offices. 20 ll5; banks ana
| - cornorations, ! 10 40; real estate
snd general business, 20 10
"1n a congested office, such as a ram
aon IN Ct: in clubs, such as the or
d,,arv luncheon club, about 10 ~ "' ''o
-, hour The average In the huusoii
,ro.,,,,r.l buildings, taking all noors'
| 70 14S ....,,,,rirg
we also have found in manufacturers
| concerns a very low allowance Oh 'ho
mount OF floor space given 10 each o'0u
pant .a 8, might
| iii 70 take the ordinary once pullu-
,,g IN say. 1900 square feet Oh moor aie"
"a tho old code. This would require
,braa lights Of stairs, and the oiu Oou9
-. tho stairs TO be not less than Ieo'
| ,.,o,,os IN the clear. This wouid De q
| 1oo ,,,ob width of stairs for this ouilu-
in On the basis of 100 square feet an
Ho,,oar+ ~ the floor space II would mean
100 occupants on a moor Inns VI
-. ~ the new code, would mean
stIoh,,v over seven units Of width OF s'ai
o. ,t4-inch width OF stairs as az ans
,oo under the old code. II. however "'
a,,o,,,a,cs Of 70 square feet OF moor space
ooo,,nant were allowed, IT wouid Gun
for OIL or 10 units of stairs whlch "ou'u
r,.an 2eo-inch width Of stairs.
"From this you can readily see '"a'
,,,o,a the old code was considered oo
| ,ao,io,,ah,e the new code will be more 30
ond On view Of the fact that the stairS
riII occupy a much larger area thah was
a,ro,yed under the old code. great oeai
| 90 renting space will be given up 10 thls
| ro,,,,renent OF stairs. In view OF the
above fact, II would SEEM nrsllS, '"".
49, allowance a unit width OF stairs OF
fo,,r,een persons is entirely too small
| a. allowance Of eighteen or twenty
,.o,Id he nearer compliance with the old
code. and we see no reason WHY '"''
| would not be correct.
| "If the proposed clauses above mem
,ion.d should become law. the effect
,,,,I bs ruinous TO office buildings ana
| hotels. "a
we suggest that Sections Is and ~
y. amended by differentiaung once
buildings and hotels, and the numoer
- stairways and their width for such
..,,,idings he based on entirely dinereht
figures from that Of factories ana other
roanufacturing buildings, and that ere
vators where not more than TWO IN