Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-06

FIRE.PROOF BUILDINGS.

tOO luuCu HAS DtcH bdlu dDOuU tuc
ing of fire-proof buildings in Chicago.
some accounts even going so far as to
state that "fire-proof buildings burnt like
tinder," that it is well enough to tell the
public, on the authority of one who has
had more experience in the subject than
any man in the country. although his ex-
perience has been pressed into few
years q refer to Mr.. Mullett). that there
are very few fre-proof buildings in the
United States. He ought to know for he
has had all the government buildings in
the country on his hands for several years,
and has built the best of them, and it is
probable he has devoted as much time,
study and investigation to the subject as
any architect to be found E a& II
"Why, my FRIEND said he yesterday,
in his nervous, sputtering, scolding way,
you don't know what you're talking
about. You now know that there was not
a fire-proof building in Chicago. / could
have told you that beforehand"
'Why, the Tribune office was regarded
as fire-proof, and other marble and gran
| ite buildings were SO regarded. l believe
they only lacked iron shutters" ventured
to say. .
''lron fiddlesticks," he answered, snap
pishly, IL hope you don't think that
granite or marble building is fire-proof
Don't you know that granite, when SUBJ
jected to strong heat, crumbles like
plaster. 1t is the best building stone in
the world; it will resist time, and heat,
and damp, and rain, and everything else,
but it won't resist fire. Marble is not
much better, but it is some; marble will
not burn up as soon as granite. Sand
stone is abont the same, with few except
ional varieties. Now a good many bless
ed idiots think that if vault is built of
granite it is fire and burglar proof. Moth
ing of the sort. III wanted to make Sc
cure vault shouldn't make it of granite
A skillful burglar can get into a granite
vault in no time"
| "How ?"
"Why, with a blow-pipe. With large
blow-pipe and a small, sharp blaze well
handled, a burglar can crack block of
granite to pieces before you'd know it.
When subjected to a severe heat it cracks
and splits off in flakes, and you can crush
it into sand with your fingers. Oh, no,
granite building is not fire-proof."
We'll, what sort of a building is fire.
proof?' # ~
"a granite building" he answered,
without apparently noticing the question,
''will stand heat great while; so will
marble a great while. But wooden Gu
pola, or steeple, or tower must not be put
on top'of it, like that on the Chicago
courthouse. A man must be id fool to
do thing like that. I'd also like to know
how sensible man could be such a fool
Che language is Mullett's) as to think the
Chicago Tribune office was fire-proof
when more than halt the windows did net
have iron shutters. 1t don't take fire long
to crush through glass and sash. People
ought to understand these things when
building what they call tire-proof build
ings; for tire-proof building that isn't
fire-proof is no better than one that isn't.
Do you understand?' G
l confess that the last remark did seem
reasonable, and told him | understood
| it..
Now I can't always do as want to in
the erection of public buildings. Some
times | have to have iron shutters off and
sometimes have to put wood in places
where stone or iron ought to be, but it
isn't because don't know better. Com
gress never thinks of those things They
think that if building is made of granite
or marble, that's all that is necessary.
Iron shutters and all such things cost
something. make my estimates for
public building, but they are always cut
down, so have to cut down my plans
Now in this Chicago horror you see the
effect. I'll bet you that the proprietors of
the Tribune will have iron blinds on their
upper windows in their new building"
"What difference will it make, = asked,
sis granite not ire-proof ?T
Granite isn't fire. proof he continued,
'but as | said before, it will stand good
deal. 1t is probable that the courthouse
would have stood had it not been for the
wooden cupola and the open windows.
The Tribune office would probably have
stood if it had had iron shutters outside
and inside ON all the windows. Yet it is
by no means certain if the fire ragged with
the intensity that is described"
"What, then, is to be done,' l asked,
''if granite and marble and sandstone are
not tire-proofP Is not the Capitol, the
Treasury, the Patent-otiice, the Post-office
departmcnt-are not these fire-proof?"
"Why, bless your soul, no. Not one of
them. But they are probably safe, for
all OF that, because they stand away from
other buildings-all except the Post-office.
If we should have such fire in Washing
ton as that in Chicago, l should fear for
the Post-office building. Why, my dear
sir" he continued in more snappish
tone than ever, lido you know there is but
one fre-proof government building in the
countryP That's the appraisers stores, in
Philadelphia"
'Is it possible And that is the only
one ?"
''Its the only one know Of"
whats the materialp'
'Why," he answered 'sits brick. Brick
is the only absolute fire-proof building
material know of They Say the Seneca
stone is fire-proof, and it has stood some
wonderful tests, but none of the govern
ment buildings have been built of it. OF
course, granite and marble are good
enough, if buildings are apart from others.
That's the trouble. Government buildings
ought to have big grounds around them.
Then there would be no danger. But
l have great faith in iron shutters"
RIaekinp. Backing. Backing !