, 1870-10-13
LETTERS FROM CITIZENS
Flre-Ffosf 1suItdlngs.

10 the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune.
As thetu has been considerable said and written
on tho subject OF tre.proof buildings, but more
particularly those that are not nrc-psoof, II you
think few additional suggestions worth place
IN your paper, would call the attention Of build
Ing OWNERS to now method Of t1re-proonng lately
invented BY Edwin May, Of Indianapolis, I'D. ii
sseheT Ssys 5o oc 1as
sonsiss. nainlJ IN - coveiias s"efa''. ies t,oor Il
The jo:sts about hslt an Inch 10 give it Ti9tdlty
when compltsc. lie then sets over each Ioist
what he calls = :" guide" which ts nothing more
whlc, tent in the middle to right ang.e, aut sek
eye TIL 1aaF2S, rs nssa e se lS
such @ shove The }oGts on waich iiisy resi-, r. L.
ther rlls in between thes> gntties aud OF Top Ok
the e'cet itcn with mortsr. no7ting II On Ut the
se Co., eag tg snt :; use ,4 gGas
shat 70 under tie foor. II will reality he
Seen That, II this mortar Il carried out 10
!hs hrtek sH walts al A.9anJ. that t separates
non-combus.lbc mafe:tsl, ,run AMI mas12t. Ii 4
wooden foor he laid directly On these guidea and
nc mortal tas;s WI 6T 10 q. apaee nner the
mar be Piled on the 10ur, and make no more nre
shall 10 char autl burn thrnayh the boards direct
Hndss .ns co;,s .; and g. oat T. now We la.h
l!aE kind Of iron lath. invented BY the same
rsie o6c aud, ~ With the rst process, extend Ii
aais out , 70 TIE rails sl around, ana as ths
70 preserve il from e1yiaaou, and
Rsst 7 have sos u..,aa T. III q'S
Such u tloo1 and ceiling may be, 4ai have been.
subjected to an intense hu4t for hours. with no
saad 70 sa ss q o
lack of Q1sHcn. Aside from any merit tu n,e-
pinotnH. the 1lling,tn rspcess under the ,or IL
n ssess1t me:as1 o. md mikes
encausuc tile. and the lEoo iste.uc, as such, il
e,ptmlnently Superior to wooden latn On
ssa ssSp1 sssns IN, M buiis i aos .5,oaself eqF
nrc-prnof In the most rigid sensa in winch this
tc1m eau be used, L., neysrtheless, 30 nearly 80
e. Il ns eonsr q RI fe oe
Wabash avenue would he In the least endangered
By any Orc thst would be likely 70 occur 10 me1-
nr>proonng Is equally applicable to wooden pa1.
1itiops and roofs, and to doors.
Ihave said, at the commencement Of this as1,.
Gle, that portion Of this arrangement of ilsc-
nccrs Substantially nre.2roo1 by laying nor
lar uron : .oodfn ltalnZ, It leas. eight
,esu snss o .,sa sna wn
tle asldttion Of hi sen latn. which is peculiar 10
Its construction building substantially nsepTooi
may be built At cost but little greater than TIC
ordinary method OF construction, And With bu. 4
6Tcall expenee, when compared With the usual
nelho.l o. nse-prooang BY the use Of iron and
h.Ick loor6.
N European cilles, or, At least IN some Of them,
Paris. Tor instaDce.-thc wooden portion o{
their buildings, . lolsta rat,ers. 9c.. hare the
concrete, which IN the fa11e way retards The
Rpread Of 1re 30 e0eetuslly that tuct disaster
| NJ the burning Of building Is rarely k9oWp,
| buIding-oNners do not adopt this or some Other
! cheap method OF making buildings substantially
! d;e-rroof and thereby saTe the loss OF life aud
property that 80 frequently falls 10 heavily upor
the people OF th1s aud other citieA
| Much more might be s1l on this subject bu
| enough for the present.
| G. P. RANDALL, Architect,
CHICAGO Oct IT, 1S1A