New York, N. Y. REPORT OF NATIONAL BOARD OF FIRE UNDERWRITERS BY ITS COMMITTEE OF TWENTY ON THE CITY OF NEW YORK, N. Y, MANHATTAN AND THE BRONX. OFFICERS OF NATIONAL BOARD. John H. Washburn, Geo. W. Burchell, Charles A. Shaw, President. Vice-President. Secretary. M. S. Driggs, H. K. Miller, Treasurer. General Agent. COMMITTEE OF TWENTY. Henry Evans, Chairman; C. F. Shallcross, V ice-Chairman; Geo. B. Edwards, E. G. Snow, Geo. W. Burchell, E. C. Irvin, Fred W. Arnold, Hy. W. Eaton, R. M. Bissell, E. L. Ellison, C. L. Case, J. Montgomery Hare, Wm. B. Clark, A. W. Damon, Robt. B. Beath, E. G. Richards, James Nichols, Henry H. Hall. Wm. N. Kremer, A. H. Wray, Edward Milliuan, Executive Department. S. H. Lockett, Secretary to Committee. Engineering Department. F. F. Moore, S. A. Reed, Hydraulic Engineer. Consulting Engineer. Capt. Greely S. Curtis, David Hinckley, Fire Department Expert. Engineer. W. B. Goentner, Office Engineer. The report on New York, N. Y., Boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx, was compiled mainly from data collected during the months of May to October, 1005, inclusive, by an engi neering party organized as follows : F. A. Raymond, Engineer in charge of party and Fire Department work. J. W. DuB. Gould, Engineer in charge of Hydraulic work. E. V. Starkweather, ) F. B. Test, V Engineers in charge of Structural work. A. C Noble, J and assistants. E. L. Walker, Engineer in charge of party to August 15. Acknowledgment is made of valuable assistance rendered by the Hon. Geo. B. McClel- lan, Mayor, and the heads and officials of the various city departments concerned ; also by Manager Henry E. Hess and the different officials of the New York Fire Insurance Exchange, and by Mr. Wm. A. Anderson. Superintendent Bureau of Surveys, together with the officials of the New York Board of Fire Underwriters. Particular acknowledgment is due Mr. I. M. de Varona, chief engineer of the Depart ment of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity for unusual assistance rendered in obtaining data for the report on water supply. 1 New York, N. Y. ARRANGEMENT OF REPORT. An outline is given below of the general topics covered in the report. The order is uniform. Where there is a decrease in the size of the type in the report, the matter in the smaller type is understood to be a subdivision or subheading of that in the next preceding larger type. f Municipal Government. Civic Affairs. J Commercial Bodies, j Property Valuation. I Tax Rate. Area. Population and Growth. Principal Industries. Topography. Street Department. CITY IN GENERAL. Streets. Grades and Pavements. Widths. Condition. Fuel. Winds. Temperatures, General. Fire Record. Insurance Statistics. Fire Department Statistics. Ownership. Organization. Water Supplv. General Outline. Detailed Description of System. Organization. Fire Department. Equipment. Operation. Organization. FIRE FIGHTING Fire Alarm System. Equipment. FACILITIES. Operation. Salvage Corps. Fire Marshal. Police Department. Water Department. Street Department. Fire Department Auxiliaries, -f Public Service Corporations. Telephone Service. Local Alarm Systems. Central Station Watch Service. Private Fire Apparatus. L Outside Aid. Organization. Building Department. Building Law. Local Conditions. Organization. Explosives and Inflammables. Laws and Regulations. Local Conditions. STRUCTURAL f Organization. CONDITIONS AND Electricity. \ Inside Work. HAZARDS. ( Outside Work. Limits. Congested Value District. General Characteristics. Subsidiary Districts. In General. Conflagration Hazard. In Congested Value District. Outside Congested Value District RECOMMENDATIONS.— In the same order as the above. GENERAL SUMMARY.— 2 As an engineer officer, detailed by the War Department, at the request of the Committee of Twenty, to co-operate with them in the investigation of conditions affecting the fire and conflagration hazards in cities of the United States, I certify that I have visited New York City, and in so far as possible, by a survey of visible physical conditions, especially in those sections in which the hazard is bad, have verified the general features of this report. So far as my observations extended, they confirmed the report on all questions of fact. The type and occupancy of buildings prevailing in the worst sections, their mutual exposures, the narrowness of streets, inadequacy of water supply and distribution, together with the enormous values involved, combine to make of the situation in Manhattan by far the most serious fire and conflagration hazard I have ever seen. The conclusion is inevitable that the magnificent personnel of the fire department has been the only thing that has prevented sweeping conflagrations in the past. The existing physical conditions, not to mention ineffi cient engines and a deteriorated alarm system, constitute a handicap under which any mere human agency, however perfect, must ultimately fail. In view of the enormous interests involved, and the almost international character of the catastrophe which would be represented by a sweeping conflagration in Manhattan, no time should be lost in putting into effect all the proposed improvements, and all the recom mendations in this report, or their full equivalent. In my judgment, the description of existing dangers in this report is, if anything, too conservative, the hazard is at least as real, and serious, and imminent, as herein stated. The adoption of the recommendations in full would reduce it to a practical minimum, and no lesser measures will suffice. (Signed) JOHN STEPHEN SEWELL, Captain, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A rmy. Washington, D. C, November 27, 1905. New York, N. Y. REPORT ON THE CITY OF NEW YORK, N. Y. COMMITTEE OF TWENTY OF National Board of Fire Underwriters* J 35 William Street, New York. CITY OF NEW YORK, N. Y., Manhattan and The Bronx. Errata. Page 4, Property Valuation.— "Total" should read as follows: 1904. !90S- $4,185,336,066 $4.389.IS6»97i 275,783.430 29i,533,2i8 990,568,732 1,031,894,265 138,856,650 149,499,728 49,997,779 50,072,045 $5,640,542,657 $5,912,156,227 Page 22, Line 2— Water Supply.— For " southern" read "northern." Page 66, Fourteenth line from bottom of page in left column.— "Mr. Walter Cook," should read, "Mr. William J. Fryer." Page 94, Recommendation 86— Fire Department Auxiliaries.— This recommendation should read as follows: That the owners of extensive establishments be encouraged to equip their premises with some improved manual or automatic alarm system. J.ouuei dent, Carl .Schurz; secretary, Elliot H. Good- police Commissioner. — William McAdoo. win. 3 New York, N. Y. REPORT ON THE CITY OF NEW YORK, N. Y. MANHATTAN AND THE BRONX. CITY IN GENERAL. All these officers are appointed by the mayor CIVIC AFFAIRS. for an indefinite term. Other important officials are : Commissioner MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.— of Public Works in Manhattan ; Commissioner Mayor. — Hon. Geo. B. McClellan. of Public Works in the Bronx; Superintendent Comptroller. — Edward M. Grout. of Buildings, Manhattan; Superintendent of President of Board of Aldermen — Charles V. Buildings, Bronx; all appointed by the presi Forn es. The Board consists of the president dent of their respective boroughs. Commis and 73 additional members. sioner of Health; Commissioner of Bridges; Borough Presidents: Commissioner of Docks and Ferries; Commis Manhattan, John F. Ahearn. sioner of Street Cleaning ; Municipal Civil Ser Bronx, Louis F. Haffen. vice Commission, W. F. Baker, president; Brooklyn, Martin W. Littleton. Superintendent of Highways, Manhattan; Queens, Joseph Cassidy. Superintendent of Highways, Bronx; Super Richmond, George Cromwell. intendent of Public Buildings, Manhattan ; Su All of the above officers are elected by popu perintendent of Public Buildings, Bronx. lar vote for terms of two years, expiring De COMMERCIAL BODIES.— Chamber of cember 31, 1905, after which time the terms of Commerce. — Organized 1/68; membership, the mayor, comptroller, borough presidents 1,500; president, Morris K. Jesup; secretary, and president of Board of Aldermen will be George Wilson. four years. The Merchants Association of New York. — Board of Estimate and Apportionment. — Organized 1897; membership, 31,400; presi This consists of the mayor, comptroller, presi dent, Clarence Whitman; secretary, S. C. dent of the Board of Aldermen and the presi Mead. dents of the various boroughs. They are en New York Board of Trade and Transporta titled to cast votes as follows : The mayor, tion. — Organized 1873; membership, 1,400 cor comptroller and president of the Board of Al porations and individuals ; president, William dermen, 3 votes each ; presidents of the Bor McCarroll; secretary, Frank S. Gardiner. oughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, 2 votes Merchants and Manufacturers' Board of each ; presidents of the boroughs of The Bronx, Trade of New York. — President, C. C. Shayne ; Queens and Richmond, one vote each. secretary, L. C. Kctchum. Commissioner of Water Supply, Gas and Manufacturers' Association of New York. — Electricity. — John T. Oakley. Organized 1894; membership, 350; president, Aqueduct Commission. — The mayor and Frederick H. Webster; secretary, P. T. Tuni- comptroller, ex officio; John F. Cowan, presi son. dent; Wm. H. Ten Eyck, John J. Rvan, John P. Windolph. CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.— City Club of Board of Water Supply. — J. Edward Sim New York. — Organized 1892; membership, mons, president; Charles N. Chadwick, Charles 1,130; president, Austen G. Fox; secretary, A. Shaw. Lawrence Vciller. Fire Commissioner. — Nicholas J. Hayes. Municipal Art Society.— President, Charles Municipal Explosives Commission. — Fire Robinson Lamb ; secretary, Gabriella Stewart. commissioner, ex officio, chairman; William City Vigilance League. — President, Dr. Mat Montgomery, John Sherry, Abraham Piser. thew Beattie ; secretary, Thos. L. McClintock. Tenement House Commissioner. — Edmond Civil Service Reform Association. — Presi J. Butler. dent, Carl Schurz ; secretary, Elliot H. Good Police Commissioner. — William McAdoo. win. CITY IN GENERAL. New York, N. Y. PROPERTY VALUATION.— Valuation of ten-year period from 1890 to 1900, or 37.1 per property assessed for taxation in 1904: cent. The increase in Manhattan borough has been remarkably steady from 1890 at an aver Borough. Real Estate.