The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-03

Great Dlsss asA Rlrssrssf ssrscssres.t
No subject Of greater practical Importance
is now agitating the public mind than the best
method OF constructing buildings 80 ~ to
avoid the fate Of Chicago. As is always the
case after disasters OF this kind, thousand
suggestions are thrust forward, each claiming
TO be q perfect protection against the spread
Of the devouring fame. The truth, however,
is, that immunity from such fearful destruo-
tons as visited the great "City Of the Lakes" Is
obtained first by eternal vigilance, and can be
secured by no architectural system save that
OF building only irou houses resort wholly
chmerical.
1t is said that Captain Cook, the cele-
brated navigator, discovered some tropical
islands in the Pacific Ocean whose inhabitants
were totally unacqaainted with fire in any
form, and, indeed, hal no use for It, But
with ninety nine hundredths Of the human
family Are Is q constant and large necessity,
and, under certain conditions, 1t will always
play an occasional and enormous havoc ia
thickly populated districts and crowded Cities
The problem Of the economist is not, there
fore, to root out the evil, but to re-
duce it to minimum. To this end
various municipal regulations are necessary,
and should be adopted In every town, regard
less OF its size In the FIRST place the width
of streets should be carefully considered, and
it should be distinctly understood that the
value of house is materially deprecated
by having its gable walls so close to adjoining
houses that jet of water cannot be thrown
between them. In the West Indies and trop-
ical countries, or exposed localities where hur-
rioanes and storms may endanyer the stability
of structures, 1t may do we'll enough for real
estate owners to build in large blocks, pre-
senting to the tempest such resistance as
the infantry square presents to the assailing
squadrons of horse; but elsewhere the only
object to be gained by close bnilding is the
saving of ground, the value Of which was
formerly enhanced by the difficulties Of loco
motion in large cities. Now, however, with
the cheap and quick transit Afforded by street
cars, the outspreading Of our larger towns
would occasion no inconvenience, and would
allow for wider Streets larger lots and
greater intervals between houses without
additional expense. The great fire in New
York in 1895 was intensified by the
flames leaping across narrow streets,
and thus propagating itself in opposite
directions.
Narrowness Of streets, failure or freezing Of
water pipes, the presence Of large oil works
or carpenter shops and lumber yards, seem to
be the chief causes OF the rapid and wide
propagation of great fires. The failure Of
water in the great fire Of London was the
chief aggravation of the calamity.
But, after all precautions against inAamma-
BILE materials, narrow streets, failure Of water
supply, &C., are duly taken, much, no doubt,
can be effected in architectural construction
to diminish fire risk. Where it is possible two
stories should be the limit to all public build
ings--an example furnished In the national
architecture at Washington, and one which
should certainly be followed in all structures
for State or natl onal archives and records.
One Of the greatest incentives to an active
copflagration ia found in the custom of ran
ming the sleepers of contiguous houses so
Close together in the same partition wall that
| when the sleeper takes fire and falls it makes
large rent, through which the flames leap
into the next house. This can easily be pre-
vented by the use of little brick and mortar,
and it is an inexcusaby slovenly and
parsimonious habit for house builders
to tolerate il. II there was no con-
nection between the slcepers of the
houses in row Of buildings, and no
wooden cornices, the communication Of fire
would be greatly retarded and time would be
afforded the firemen to get ahead Of the flames.
The use of iron sleepers and beams was once
regarded as q certain preventive Of q rapid
spread of fires. But 1t was found in Chicago
that they twisted aud curled from the great
heat, and In many instances gave way aud
Involved large houses in fall and ruin.
A recent suggestion has been made for rem
dering wooden beams freproof by soaking
them in solution Of soluble glass-a silicate
of soda or potash-then immersing them in q
bath Of lime. In this way the siIicate of soda
is dccomposed and a silicate of lime formed
ia the pores of the wood. The silicate of lime
is found in nature in mineral form, known
as Wollastonite, and is both freproof and
insoluble in water. Wood once coated with it
will never change its quality and never become
inflammable. Soluble glass is largely manu-
iactured in this country and used for many
purposes.
The application Of it as we have suggested
might be extended to passenger steamships,
sleeping cars and also to those exceptional
parts Of iron buildings made of wood.
EMANCIPATION IN BRAzIL.-The Bra
lillian Emancipation bill is specially re-
ported in the HERALD to-day. Our cor
resnnr,dent in Rio Janeiro supplies the