The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-03-11
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A06ertiser.
SATURDAY, MARCH H.
Wood versus Stone.


wooden buildings. The proposed new hotel
about to be built, is the subject which interests
the writer, though he does not say hotel once,
but deals in generalities only. The inference ne
would draw is that, because PrinG tdc1e, a stone
building is safer, more dCrable and more Vaiua-
BILE than a wooden one, therefore we must puld
the hotel of stone, or perhaps concrete one
short month ago, but few among us could have
been found who would not have conceded that
this plan was, on the whole, the most preferable
one 20 follow in the proposed public improve
ment. Now, however, it is useless to disguise
the fact that public opinion in favor OF stone
structures in these Islands has received a shock
from which it will not soon recover. We serI-
ously doubt the correctness Of the GdseLte's in
formation to the effect that several persons are
now about to erect stone buildings. The fear of
earthquakes is two well grounded to be easily
talked out of the mind of any person who expert
enced the late disturbances of terra frma. We
NAV reasonably foresee and prepare for all posi-
BILE dangers to our houses from fire, storms or
natural decay, but we cannot sufficiently guard
against the probable recurrence of the terrible
earthquake but that there will always remain a
feeling of insecurity for the safety not only of
our property, but of our lives.
The arguments which may be adduced in favor
of the employment of wood in the erection of a
public building such as the new hotel is or should
be designed to be, are numerous and forcible.
First, in point of economy, the prime cost of a
wooden building will be from twenty to thirty
per cent. less than that of a stone one, and the
floors and frame not exposed to the weather will
last as long in a wooden as in a stone building.
The verandas must be Of wood, in either case. To
carry out the enlarged ideas which are enter
tanned by about every one, if we are to have o
hotel at all, it should come as near as possible to
fulfilling all the requirements of a ~frst-class es-
adjustment; consequently the cost must be
counted carefully in the start. 1t would be
awkward, and undoubtedly result in killing the
enterprise, were we to go on and erect a costly
and handsome stone edifce land all handsome
stone houses must be costly) and then find the
funds running low, with nothing but bare walls
to show for the money spent.
A public hotel is needed now, and the pros
poets are that the need will increase very shortly.
1t requires no argument beyond observation, and
we may add, the arguments also recently
used by our contemporary while discussing the
labor and wages questiOn,-to prove that besides
being very costly, the erection of a stone building
here is a tediously slow operation. = A gang of
good mechanics, such as we have in our midst,
would have your wooden hotel finished and ready
for occupancy before even the walls of a stone,
brick or concrete building could be completed.
Time is money. -
In point of durability, such a structure as is
contemplated, in the composition gof which none
hrk Eha h1gk &C ,naEAr.olo 49, Il ou--cIl
and faithfully put together and properly cared
for, would last for a generation. In these days, |
a single generation in point of time, comprebends
more of progress and change than two centuries
of old. The idea of building for posterity is
getting to be an exploded one, for it supposes a |
pretty wide stretch of Imagination to say what
the requirements of posterity may be. In the
march of events, twenty years hence even, the
one who to-day erects a costly pile of bricks and
mortar, (if, in the meantime it has not tumbled
about his ears) may regret that he has not in hand
some of the money thus invested and irrecovera-
bly, locked up, whereWith to erect :. shingle
if you choose, to meet the requirements
Of the times. We need go no farther than a few
yards below the Post-ofice TO be shown where
'ome S75 900 or more are thus 8 : locked up in
brick and stone buildings.
a building where women and children are to
should be as safe as possible. Instead of
being liable to tumble down from earthquake
shocks, or to have plaster ceilings drop on the
heads of the occupants, the walls should be of
not to be broken, and the ceilings made
Of stuff not to be shaken down. A wooden
properly made, would be a place to run
to for safety in case Of a severe shake, and the
feeling of security that would result, would no
doubt induce many to live in it rather than
taking a chance under p~lastered ceilings and
stone walls.
To the objection, which after all, is the main
one, that a wooden building incurs the risk of
fire, it is answered that ample means are at hand
for the purposes of precaution in this particular.
is abundant, and besides the present cis-
terms and hydrants, these may be multiplied to
any desired extent, while with the modern appli-
ances to wooden buildings they may be made in
reality almost as much ~fre-proof as those gener-
ally known by that name. l
We have heard it mentioned as an objection
10 a hotel being constructed of wood, that in
inch a building the transmission of sound through
precluded the idea of privacy. But in
modern house building this is entirely obyiated
BY the plan known as dumb walls, the space
partitions dividing apartments being
with mortar, thus completely deadening
my ordinary sound.
Thus much in brief, may be adduced in favor
If wood, in preference to stone. But there is one
,ther point in connection with this hotel enter
prise. upon which we, speaking for the public,
nave a word to say. Experience has proved
in house building as well as many other
undertakings, q in the multitude of counselors
here is safety We can readily understand tbe
advantage that might result to the deliberations
IF the Committee of bond-holders, who with the
Minister are entrusted with the execution of the
work proposed, were plans for construction sub