Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-10-08
Protection Of Houses from Fire:


Dear J0u'nol Fate evidently seoms to
have marked the settlement OF Lllllngton
for destruction. We have had another very
lie ,trnctive fire; the store OF Mr.. Charles
Manning was burnt last evening, and be
fore discovered the file had made snch
Roadway aa to resist all efforts to smother it;
bnlding, stock &c, total loss. Specnla
ton is rife as to it's cause, but "a yet
nothing fa'tory has been ascertained.
AS the destruction of property by tire is
of snch frequent occurrence, L propose IN
this communication to offer to your read
era now and simple method which have
discovered of securing every kind of build
| ing (even though constructed of timherl
against all danger OF fire.
This method may properly be divided
into three parts, viz: under flooring, extra
lathing and intorseeming, which particular
method may be applied III part or In whole
t. different buildings according to the va
rious circumstances attending their con
strnction and according to the degree Of
accumulated fire to which they may be ex.
posed from the different uses to which
they are meant to be appropriated.
The method of under flooring is as fol
llowa:-A common strong lath Of about one
unartor Of an inch thick should be nailed
against each side Of every lOlat, and OF
every main tliaber which supports the
floor intended to be secured; other similar
| l,tl tn Whnip
length of the joist with their ends bntting
against each other these are what l cal
fiilcts the top of each fillet ought to be at
least one inch and q half below the top of the
ioist or timbers against which they are
nailed. These fillets will then form, as il
were. sort of small ledge on each side Of
oil the ioists. Rough platter should be
spread with trowell all along that side OF
each filIet which is to lie next the joist
tillets may be we'll bedded therein
when they are nailed in, and that there
should not be any interval between the
tillets and the joists, rough plaster should
also be spread successively upon the top Of
all the fillets and along the sides of thai
part of the joist which is between the tor
of the fillets and the upper edge of the
} Ijoist.
Il A great number of common laths mus
be cut nearly to the length of the width
of the intervals between the joists. These
pieces ought lin order to fill up the inter
walls between the joists which support the
fioor) to be laid in contrary direction tt
the joists, and close together in row
and close together without tapping ovel
one another their ends must rest on the
\ 4 I0 oil nod DO.
in the plaster. They should be covered
with one thick coat of the plaster, which
should be brought to about the level will
the tops of the ioists, but not above them
Before the booring boards are laid, (
Q small quantity of very dry common saat
: should be strewed on the plaster. but no
over the tops of the joists. The sane
should be struck smooth with an holloV
0 rule. which ought to be about the length
: of the distance from joist to lolst AM
, about one-eighth of an inch curvature
which rule passing over the sand, in tn
= same direction with the joists, will caus
+ the sand to lie rather rounding in the mid
= die of the interval between each pair O
@ lioists. The flooring boards may then b
laid and fastened down in the usual man
9 ner, but very particular attention must b
II paid to the plaster work and to the SAM
4 being perfectly dry before the boards ar
O laid, for fear of the dry suit; of which
+ however, there is no danger when this pre-
caution is made use OF.
The method of extra lathing is as fol
s. lows Before the laths are nailed, som
il plaster should be spread between them an
r the joists against which they are to
: nailed. The first layer ought to be covere
with thick coat OF plaster @ second lay
d er ought then to be nailed on each lath
being. as it is put on, we'll squeezed an