The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-10-28
What Buildings nre Fire.Proof e
OPINIONS OF GOVERNMENT ARCHITECT

OPINIONS OF GOVERNMENT ARCHITECT
MULLET.
The Washington correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Commercial has interviewed" Mr..
Mullet, the Government architect, ON the sub
ject of fire-proof buildings, and here are his
opinions:
Mr.. Mulet says there are very few fire.
proof buildings in the United States. He
ought to know, for he has had all the govern
ment 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 investig cation to the
subject as any architect to be found.
why, my friend" said he, "don't you know
that granite, when subjected to strong heat
crumbles like dry 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. Mar
BILE is not much better, but it is soma; mar Die
will not burn up as soon as granite. Sand
| stone is about the same, with some few excep-
| tional varieties"
Now good many blessed Idiots think
| that if a vault is built of granite it is fire and
| burglar proof Nothing of the sort. If
| wanted 10 make secure vault, l shouldn't
| make it of granite. A skilful burglar can get
into granite vault in no time."
"How?"
"Why, with blow-pipe. With large
blowpipe and small, sharp blaze we'll hand
led and burglar can crack block of granite
10 pieces before you'd know it. When sub
jected to severe heat it cracks and splits off
IN flakes, and you can crush it into sand with
yonr fingers. Oh, no, ga granite building is
not fire proof"
"Well what sort of building is fire
proof ?"
"A granite building" he answered, without
apparently noticing the question, twill stand
heat great while, so will marble great
while. But wooden cupola, or steeple, or
tower must not be put on top of it, like that
on the Chicago Court House,"
Granite isn't fre-proot," he contin-
ued, 'but, as l said before, it will stand good
| deal. 1t is probable that the Court House
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 mad iron shutters outside and inside on
all the windows. Yet it is by no means Ger.
tain, if the fire ragged with the intensity that
is described"
What, then, is to be DONE" l asked, eff
granite, and marble, and sandstone are not
fire-proof? Is not the Capitol, the Treasury,
the Patent Office, the Post Office Department
are not these fre-proot?" 80
why, bless your soul, no! Not one of
them: But they are probably safe, for all
that, because they stand away from other
buldlnSs-all except the Post Office IF we
should have such fire in Washington as that
in Chicago should fear for the Post Office
building. Why, nay dear sir,' he continued
IN more snappish tone than ever, do you
know there is but one fire-proof government
building in the country? That's the Ap
praisers' stores in PhiIadel phia."
rs it possible? And that is the only one ??
IT'S tae only one know off,
whats the materiaI?"
"Why," he answered, Gifts brick. Brick is
the only absolutely fre-proof building materi-
al know of. They say the Seneca stone is
hre-proof, and it has stood some wonderful
tests, 1t none of the Government buildings
have been built of it. OF course, granite and
and marble are good enough,if buildings are
apart from Others. That's the trouble. Gov
ernment buildings ought to have big grounds
around them. Then there would be no dan
ger But have great faith in irou shutters. %