Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-12
Fires and Insurance.

The enormous losses by Ere during the Last two
years have compelled general advance in the rates
Of insurance. They should also compel more
thorough classification Of risks. A store or tene-
ment in block without dividing walls sufficient to
resist Ere takes the risk Of all its surrounding tsne-
ments. There is no propriety in making the same
rate Of insurance FOR such place as for a single
store With substantial walls and a metal roof All
blocks OF buildings without ssld dividing walls
running to the roof and metal roof are temper
airy, no matter what the material Of their wills
We shall continue TO have great fires till all such
are burned. And the same must be said Of al the
great buildings which are connected by the roof,
galleries, stairways, or by hall over all One risk
IN such bnilding takes all the risks Of the differ
ent premises.
Insurance business is imperfectly organized
which makes the same rates for these as for single
stores with sufficient walls There win have to be
better classification than this before the insurance
business will be safe or fair and before there viii
be any improvement in the way Of building. The
Chicago Post says that the partitions in the Burch
Building, where the recent conaagratiOn started
but one foot thick at the base and eight inche
thick above the second story the building being five
stories. These walls were no protection against
FIRE. The walls might as we'll have been wood 90
far as security from that was concerned. The Chi
cage Journal says that roofing Of felt tar and gravel
is in common use there, which not only takes fire
instantly, but the burning tar drips through and
4
carried BY nc wind, ignited buildings instantly.
Of course mechanics can build division walls tina,
no fire will tTeak down. Why should not every
division wall Of building that is to BE- used as a
warehouse for costly goods be made as secure as the
five story walls Of the Miles Greenwood building
on the corner Of Fourth and Vine, which resisted
the intense heat Of the burning Of Pixies Opcra
House II is not because il Il q mechanical diff
Guilty 70 build division walls that viii stand fire. bal
because i ID not attempted. And insurance compa.
nies encourage their reckless practice By making
rates without regard 10 IT, We see that IN Chicago
city, had dividing walls bat eight inches Thick
This was 3 provision that If one burned al musE
We see also that grsst costly buildings lad roof
| that spark would ignits IN an instant And W
suppose that all these were insured AZ the rate d
/ Arst class risks. Why should men build any betts
I when insurance Is 50 reckessf
/ Selfpreseryation will drive insurance compaaifi
70 g thorough classification Of risks, in which Ii,
rates shall be according 70 the structure This vii
I have powerful influence toward more secm
style Of building. In time We shall see the ebaD.
donmeut Of the present provincial style Of construe
ting great buildings without 8 division wall Any
I connected BY roofs, halls and stairways, ana ~
Introduction Of solid division walls isoiatn, ever,
store from the adjoining And when we have rro
gresssd thus far, i win be discovered thai moi
additional expense viii make the ioists ~ 49,
filed ia with fat arches Of brick MAKING tha 49,
fre proof Wooden aOors can be laid 5B tbesa 81
comfort without detracting from their Gre moo
character. A Just classification Of insurance r,,fe
VIII DO strong influence toward this iponroverrsn
in building.-CiHeiHHah CARTE.