New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-20
SEEKS ADVICE
ON ORDINANCES
Suggestions Asked Rel,l.
ing to Measures Nov
Before Aldermen.
CONCERN ELEVATORS
AND FIRE LIMITS
Advisory Council of Real Esta,.
Interests Says Proposed
Law Conflicts.

The Building Code COMMITTEES a, !.
Advisory Council of Real Esta,s +.
terests would welcome Construed
suggestions from real estate brok..
and owners relative to the proyj.,..
Of the new building code, as thew =.
being promulgated By the Board o, /,
dermen, in the form Of ordinances
This committee consists of Henri
Hodge, chairman, and Otto ". RA..
and Julius FRANKIE. The thre. o,E
ances now before this committe. ".
1911, 1,072 and 1913. At the prs.s. ~
time ordinances l,07l and lob are :,
for immediate consideration. These ~
late to the construction, operation an
maintenance Of elevators and 70 ~
establishment of the fire limits IN ss.
city of New York. With reference ;.
the ordinance regulating elevators. tb;'
committee has advised the Board OF li'
dermen that Section 4, which reou;rs,
a certificate of proper installation ~
every elevator before operation il Dor.
mitted, somewhat conflicts with Sectia,
s, relating to inspection, which furthe,
requires an additional certificate eyer,
three months. This seems to leave IL
owner in doubt as to whether he ma
operate under his original certifcat. 4
he does not promptly receive an ada.
tional certificate every three month,
and il imposes a large amount of M
necessary work on the Bureau OF BuilS
ings. 1t was therefore suggested rs,
70 1Qt ~ 81 l..
ed, thereby obviating this uncertainty
Section z Of this ordinance ptohbs,
any person other than the operator Or
those necessary TO handle freight, from
riding on any elevator other than a
passenger elevator, and passenger q.
evator is defined Tin Paragraph b as
one designed and used for carving
persons other than those necessary for
its safe operation" This prohibitioni,
therefore, rather indefinite, and should.
in this committees opinion, be so word
ed as 70 allow persons TO ride on any
elevator which is fitted for carrying
passengers, even If mainly used for
freight.
Section 10 OF this ordinance requires
all passenger elevators now existing
or hereafter constructed TO be fitted
with a device TO prevent the car from
being moved when the door of the car
IS unlocked. IL has been estimated By
the Superintendent of Buildings that
there are 10000 passenger elevators
now in use in this city, and that il
will cost, in round numbers, $1,000. 600
20 fit such present elevators with such
device. IL is understood that there is
10 difference in the liability insurance
rates on elevators with and without
such device, so that the insurance
companies apparently do not place
much value on such devices as a means
of preventing accidents. These de-
vices appreciably decrease the speed
Of operation, and must be fitted with
an emergency switch allowing the
operator to move the car in case Of
necessity, which is liable TO be used
at any time. In case of panic, crowd
might easily block the door. and thus
prevent the operation of the car, ex-
cept by use of the emergency switen.
The committee, therefore, while moi
opposing the device, would call atten.
ton to the large expense which Il wi!
impose on owners, and leave il 70 the
judgment of the Board Of Adorned
whether such expense is justified ol
the possibility of reduction in tn'
number of preventable accidents, whien
the Superintendent of Buildings esti'
mates to be about forty year.