The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-23

w WTIun9. tu0CttnH ou0 IuIVICiHH
the Laws Error IL Cumulative.
TO ruE FpiTon OF THE : S-Sir: While
IL" authorities are c~ndcayoring 60 fix
e." responsibility for tho LOGS of HE
~ O." Willia'usburs factory FIR" 1t may
b. instructiN" To- Look for fundamentals
ana sec whether enforcement OF tho
laws limiting the nuInbsr of people
permitted TO work In the factory and
!Hsuring safety TO their lives would have
tended to prevent what happened. Ar
ti'ln :. section zoe. OF tho labor law.
Wli5h covers the requirements, says
specifically: Tile number OF persons
who may occupy any factory building
pr portion thereof above tho ground
floor shall be limited TO such Il humber
as can safely ESCAPE from such "a build
ins by means OF the exits provided In
In. building"
In the williamsburg factory building
exits provided were two s~tuirWays three
feet Wide. The nverAge person requires
twenty-five inches width OF passage
way In which to move, ard the recent
law was 40 drafted affecting new build
.lgs. but old building were OF an
eighteen unit basis. In this building
IN" stairs. te.ng three feet wide. were
Wild. enough for one lerson Rnd too mar
row FOR two to 20 down abreast. The
aCtuil caIracity % such - stairway
would Ne ten persons a iioor. but tho
law per,nlt,ed thtee times that. lumber.
or a double file OF thirty on each stair
way. OF siAty IA all.
Two stairway exits from each floor
were provided so that II one should be
cat OF the other would u. available.
liit ugIiu the law l'conrItOdtteI the
building owner and Instead of Limiting
q" nuu.hc- ~ people permitted e. oc-
cupy cdoh floor 20 the number which
'''.'i Nti..y escape Sy one stairway II
r,iUl!,t-l twice that nu;rl-r hcTaiiso
there were two means Of eat provided.
l:vou II '!io orders ot tile Labor Depart
merit {, i,rerToOf 'Gc stairs .iad been
carried on: tie conditions possible under
tho law wogii hay" been such us 90 L.
.-tlila , .i~trap.
II" law rs .%,:nei.dei last winter offers
sttli a~rp'.i"r Opportunity 70. "a" build
Ing owi.r To- Increase The occupancy Of
each ''pu-. Il gays that 81 = sprinkler
system = installed o." o~,euDai.c. may
b. !n,l"l-,l 100 per '"n'. 1.ut a
I sp.iuklor System. being au:oma.'c In is
action. does rot aiwtys work There
ar" valves. ta"as. pump. ,Gd ";h"i
, parts w'!rh Nag got "u. o' "rd"t. and
unless - srriak.". ..s'rI T. supcrr!-cl
L - unccr;a." OF ~ zion. l|u. the law
'N w. '"lH'' '"N SNp''N' ~
fore when "a .i>' comes ther" l.,,y Il" 10
water there 50 ru: II ont. and Il il evil
den; what vii hal pen. II such a
! supervision - desired. Il would cos. more
'lor"y. $500 e year for - building Ike
this. hut 4: tho SPRINKLER system does
""F't tIc M" iHiNt SET u OF ana II iHH"t
I'uH E'idway 10 set X on am ths
axe" TIM Meihw.''l" people 90 h''
81 around W't''IhS'
hu' '"' va" saFS t""' ,Herc If sun.
another way whereby III" pa'.din.
o"'I"E an !ncretS" u" Occupancy ana
~ N!e sumo INN" '''Ail = rTf"tt'r
aHI'ai'' OK ad'e'! ''Hh "ouih 90 oT"r'''
10y II o'aer means ms ~ ~ .T'r''
ing Il Hr" wall through hiS huildins,
iTt''ira.y "!se'tit IL Ihh IRE wall
hus' nave H'"fWd!s ~ "d'h HOO. GOV
er"N ~ hr'pN"oi "voFS' N ttS' u nF'
Sh"u'd occur on one sld" OF ms WAL al!
thc i""pIe hay" 10 40 to escape from II
l. 20 "t'N 'HTNuSh tH' uopTNd!S IN th'
wall '.''" IN" hr"pFN-i h"orS ar'r'
'h'tN IN" Ven roy ana themselves 1T
".lti Z, lfaSt1ctliE n separate buIiuihI
IN NA''h mere ~ 10 Nr" ana from eic9
floor "f which they can AZ Their leisure
'rS'''id % u" Hr'nhd hE IN" eNiS'nG
'\'' faculties, down Wl'ch they couiI
YAK 'h''' u'n' H'S.'hdi''F' Wltn"ut al!
'"">" "a" Hnhu' ''str which His
,'"L'' ges'l"N or tdn!" ~'ondfi"ns.
IT," IL" states taa' ti''h "a itr" va!
vi! hermit = no"r occupancy equal 't
re number o. people VINO 'nn stan
on on" sld" -! H. AZ the ra'' ~ on
person FOR every Nv" >Qntr" f-'t' WIZ
4 hrH wall as "A SAFETY iehtur" tH'
owner "c'.it % l." an" 10 s"cur" 9
hlsn"' i"H'Hl rom ms Hn"r on hSrpuN'
oi ~" Increased NoiF occupancy II ~
''"'H's u" hhSh' SgtNi som" or 'hi'
money N~'"IEooHiS We ''t'r"h!s OF
each SD" oi tie WAL as a preventive
.E4Hst tAo srft4d OF ir" upwnrd. anc
~" r'iSN' Ihs'a4I a Sr'''N'rF system II
.'",'!"N ahL mus approximate IDEA