The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-25
PRAGH0AL ARCHITE0TURE.
How to Build Houses--Valuable sugges-
gestaons for Fire-Proof Buildings.


there is not an unnecessary word In 1t, for II
is written with brevity almost military, as i
the book was intended for the use Of the bri
gade which the author commands. Few books
lately published are more useful or deserving
OF q wider circulation. There is great deal
OF vagueness at present among the publie,with
regard to what Is and what is not fre-proe
building.
): The London Architect says that the building
acts have tended to promote this ignorance In
England, aud certainly our own building acts
are begotten In and produce ignorance upon
the fire-proof question, as well as upon al
other building questions. With us. building
acts appear to be framed solely ior the benefit
of bonus house builders, ana In portions dis.
plsy, lamentable Ignorance oftswell-known
and universally accepted laws OF construction.
A.etate of circumstances. can hardly be imag.
ined In which 1t Ia not possible for building
to be more or less injured by fire. To be truly
fre-proof, according to Captain snaw, ouiio;
Ing should he divided into compartments, ano
40 constructed that the contents OF any one
compartment might be consumed BY IRE With
out oalcining, melting, or otherwise destroy
ing the surrounding horizontal parutions,
and. therefore, without communicating nre 20
the other rooms or floors. Ofcourse. IN many
instances, such an arrangement ID lmpractlca.
BILE, as 1t would often ruin utterly the most
beautiful and important features Of bulldlng,
and would very much increase the. cost.
TIE PROJECTING WOODWORK
of roof is likely to take fire from the win
dow below; and 10 this city, where houses are
the same height, these corniceS are exceed
ingly dangerous, conducting the fire with
great rapidity from one house. to the entire
row. Thirty years ago these corntces were
built of brick-whlch is not only safer mate
rial, but makes of the cornices finer archi-
teetnral feature. There is no stone Which,
sooner or later, will not yield to heat, but, as
long as the world lasts. stone, II IL can oe
found, will fern the chief material for build.
incs. Forty feet from the ground, according
10 Captain Shaw, is the greatest height at
which assistance can be readily given to in.
mates by fremen; and sixty feet is the
greatest height which. can, be protected,
but, notwithstanding this, buildings OF
greater height must be erected. In TACT,
that has not some risk in its use. Capt. Shaw
says that no structure can be properly called
fire.proof II the ultimate strength OF 1t de-
pends on any metal; and this is especially
true of cast iron. At q temperature OF 2l2 de-
ereea Fahrenheit, or the boiling point OF
water, 1t. l0oses about fifteen per cent. Of
strength at sl2. degrees or the temperature
OF mOlL6u i0du, IL pIOuooiy noo no osoa6eA :
and 27s7 degrees, which Is likely to be below
the temperature Of the centre Of 9 large build.
Ing on Ere, cast Iron melts. Thereis is, however,
dangerin the use of columns Of this material,
but especially 80 when they form the main
support OF corner buildings. In this latter
case, Capt. Shaw would make 1t compulsory 70
have, instead, on tho outer angle, either good
walls, brick columns, or strong hard WOOD
story posts OF OAK and elm. To some extent
ond othar fhtnOa we'll ara
projected by having coating Of plas:
Ter. Instead of employing iron in the
fOors of buildings, Captain ShaWR Wonld
use it rather In the roofs. he recommends as
a roof which would have many advantages,
one OF corrugated iron. with sliding windows,
which could be easily opened to let the smoke
and heat arise, aud which would give facilities
to the firemen to get at their work inside.
The trusses he would have Of lattice glrders,
plated over and passing through the roof. thus
10 form party or fre walls. The openings OF
internal divisions, he says, should De ntteo
with single or double wrought-iron doors,
with gtiffners In the form OF ribs, rails or BARS
and the supports for these doors should be OF
wrought-iron or steel, and not more distant
from each other than two feet. Some OF the
most disastrous fires we're extended from the
warping or bncking Of Iron doors from want
of proper support.
REVOLVING IRON SHUTTERS
often form substitutes for these doors, aud
have advantages from their lightness and
fompaotness. But In all cases where Iron,
whetner wrought or cast, Is employed, allow
auce should be made for the elasticity and for
the expansion and contraction from changes
of temperature. There is no materla! Wnicn
Is considered BY Captain Shaw 80 unsuited for
resisting fire as stone. Sometimes IL calcines,
or will so crumble as not to be able to bear 9
load: besides 1t cracks and splits 10 fire, and
In failing is most dangerous. He does not tell
us whether he found any difference between
a sandstone, q granite and q limestone. Where
stone has been found to resist fre for some
time. he attributes 1t rather to the mortar or
cement. Stone ls found to be especially dan
gerous when used for internal work, such as
corbels, landings or staircases.
III there must be stair cases, he would have
the core or frame of wrought iron, and the
stone only employed as covering. For e1-
ternal work 1t sometimes answers, but never
40 we'll as brick, In order, he says, to Insure
q nigh degree of safety, walls should be con-
structed Of we'll burned bricks, or of some
other substance which cannot be Effected by
fire, such as concrete composed OF ashes, Stag,
lyburned. He regards mud wall favorably,
but unless It is formed OF great thickness IL
gets out of shape, If there ia not frame Inn
6edded 10 1t, and this latter becomes Itself q
source OF weakness from difference of expan-
sion between the materials OF the frame and
covering. A building on fire, practically, is
subject TO q variety OF strains arising from the
expansion Of materials, from falling bodies,
&C., and hence is the necessity of q thorough
system Of bonding.
WALL OF HARD BRICKS,
laid In good mortar or, cement, is no doubt
very sound, but even such wall, Captain
Shaw saws, is likely to fall, on an emergency,
If not firmly bonded into cross wall, and
enormous loss has been occasioned by the alb
sence of this bonding. He suggests, that In
stead of bnttresses, Lie-rods, &C., walls should
be secured by constructing them In zig.zsg
form, with q strong bond at the angles. Front,
back and side walls. he says. should be proper
ly tied In or bonded to each other, and this
would prevent what is very common after
fires, viz: the parting OF front and side walls.
External walls should be firmly tied to party
and return walls by strong wrought.iron an
chors OF strength and number Sufficient to
keen the whole outside Of the building
firmly fixed without the assistance OF floors.
roofs. or internal ties Of any KIND, and
walls should under no circumstances be
lied together by the floors or roofs, 80
that II floors are burned 1t may not affect
them. Cornices should be firmly hung on, or
secured by iron anchors, each Of good length.
Bond timber In walls ls dangerous, and should
not be allowed; hoop-iron forms q much bet
| ter bond. The effects of fire reach to the
foundations, as at such time unequal settle.
ments arise, and what the freulen call the
L-. H. nlR,lx