New-York tribune., 1920-12-09
New and Old Fire Traps
Changes in Ian Needed 10 Safe
guard Lives
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

l
Sir: Two lxmentablo. fatal fires
one IN All "old law tenement house on
Bradhurst Avenue, the other in a resi-
dcnce building, not tenement house,
a 20 West Fifty-seventh Street-have
naturally raised the question, whether
the restrictive legislation enacted for
the protection Of residents Of the city
in their homes is adequate or not. An
intelligiblc answer requires that the
consideration Of the subject be divided
into the two classes into which the law
divides residence buildings-tenement
houses and on-tenement houses.
AS to tenement houses. There are
two main classes Of tenement houses
buildings erected before 1901. known
as "old law buildings. and buildings
erected since 1901, known as new law
buildings. In the latter group the pro-
VISIONS of the existing tenement house
law we're applied, and in these buildings
the experience Of eighteen years seems
to show life is absolutely safe from
fire hazard. These buildings shelter
about two-tifths of cur tenement and
apartment house population.
Tho cold law tenement houses. CON
sisting Of about $4,000 buildings erect
ed At various periods between 1887 and
ls0l. are Of varying degrees Of un-
safety. It is in this class that the
buildings on Bradhurst Avenue belong.
lhc tenement house law did not confer
on the Tenement House Department
much power 90 make these buildings
safer from fire hazards. 1t did not even
permit it TO require improved fire cs-
capes, although many Of the existing
fire escapes arc unsuitable or useless
for their avowded purpose. Many Of
these buildings are constant menace
TO the lives Of persons living in them.
but the number Of them is so great
that if they were vacated thousands N
the city would be homeless. They fur
nish a striking illustration CT an evil
legacy bequeathed TO the city by a past
of lax legislation and administration.
AS to residence buildings other than
tenement houses the situation is far
from satisfactory. They come under
the building code exclusively. Tor
buildings not having more than fifteen
sleeping rooms no fire exit require
ments are imposed. Thousands Of nri-
vate residences have been converted
into non-housckeeping apartment bui.a-
inga (which arc not tenement houses)
without their being required to have
any fire escapes or interior hall fire
proofing. Although not coming strict
~ within its province, the Tenement
House Committee has been agitatine
the question of the need for proper fire
escape provisions for such buildings.
as well as for the enactment Of fire
protective legislation COVERING resi-
dcnce buildings other than tenement
houses. The subject has become highly
technical and difficult to understand for
persons not directly in contact with it.
In general way, however, the ques-
ton az to adequacy of regulations may
be answered as follows:
As to new law tenement houses.
protection is Adequate
As to "old law tenemcnt houses, in
adequate, bat to make them safe would
require regulations SO drastic as to
probably put half of them out of busi-
ness, with resultant homclcssncss.
AS to residence buildings not exceed
ing forty feet in height, and having not
moro than fifteen sleeping rooms, there
is practically 10 regulation nt all, and
the same is true of all tho private
houses converted into n~housekeep-
ing apartments. This last class cnlls
most urgently for immediate notion.