The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-02-07
FireProof Buildings - Views Of the
Sculptor, Mr.. Hiram Powers.

FreProof Buildings - Views Of th
/, Sculptor, Mr.. Hiram Powers.
The Providence Journal publishes .
letter from Mr.. Hiram Powers to +.
citizen of Rhode Island, in which, after
ailuding to the burningof Chicago, b.
says:
But it may be asked, "Is it possible
to make city fire-p, oof?" answer
yes, and without any great extra ex,
pense. To prove this. 1 have only to
say that, although there have been
frequent fires in the -city.of Florence
during the thirty-fonr years of my
residence in it, not ono house has been
consumed, except theatre, and that
was not entirely destroyed. Rooms,
full of goods, have been heated like
ovens by ignited calicoes, straw hats,
etc, but as tho floors above and below
were all covered by thin brick tiles,
the goods. burned without ventilation
And as there was no fame, smell
like that of coal pit soou gave the
alarm, and the fre was soon eXtin.
guished by no other engine than a
squirt holding about gallon, which
discharged well directed stream
through some aperture. Ionce behcld
somo fremen marching to fire in
Florence. Foremost wero three men
with picks, next four men with buck
cts. then three men with highly pol
ished brass squirts on their shoulders /;
all marching with an a;r of import
ancs. The fire was at the residence
Of Mr: eleven GER; the American scu!p-
tor, and had been burning twenty four
hours on the end of a joist just under
his fire place. He had smelt some.
thing like d coal pit for some time, and
at length perceived smoke rising from
the brick floor. On going below he
found the room full Of smoke, and &
rush boltomcd chair just under the
joist was partially consumed. But the
joist was not yet burned off, and why? !?
Because tho fire was bricked down.
1t could not rise and burst into flames.
The secret Of frcproof building
then is this: 1t must be mado impos-
sibic for the flames to pass through
tho floors or up tho stairway. If you
will have wood floors and stairs, lay
IL flooring Of the thinncst sheet iron
over the joists. aud your wood upon
that; and sheath the stairs with the
same material. A floor will not burn
without supply of air under it.
Throw a dry board upoa " Prrfsu;;iy
fiat pavement and kindle it as it lies,
if you can. You may make a fi"e
upon it and in time consume it. but it
will require q long time. Prevent
drafts, and though there will still Le
fires no house will be consumed: The
combustion will 90 on so slowly that
discovery is certain in time to'prevcnt
any great calamity. :
But tile roofs, how about them ?
Slate or tiles i? Zinc mclts too easily.
I believe that hard burned tiles, if fiat,
would stand the frost ut home; and i'll
so, ,tAcy-,constitute the best,rcoting.
Ny house ehas no joists. All the floors
arc of tiles resting on arches. One of
these arches was, made over room
twenty FIVE feet square, by four men
in four days. phe bricks are about
one and half inches thick, and laid
edgewise with plaster of Paris. There
was 10 framework prepared to lay
them on, unless you would so term
four bits Of wood which man could
carry under his arm. And yet this
arch is so strong as to be perfectly safe
with large dancing party on it. l
never have heard Of one OF those floors
falling, aud they arc ABSOLUTELY fire.
~ oof. OF course light arches like
these would not do for warehouses.
It would pay, think. to send out
here for ar, Italian. brick mason who
knows how to build those thin butt
strong arches for rzdwelIipg houses.
know that there is q prejudice at
heme against brick or composition
floors. TOO cold in win ter" it is said.
And so they arc if bare, but cover
them with several thickncsses Of pa
per and then carpet them. and no one
can distinguish the slightest difference
between their temperature and that
Of wood floors.. Who doubts this, let
him try the experiment with tie feet
of the thermometer. The truth is
that the brick or composition floor
isI1o colder in. itself than wood--the
1hcrm ometer attests this-tut it is q
better conductor. Ido not insure my
house. as I know that it is not combus-
tiblc. ..---..