The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-02

The following interesting lellef !iolu -uI.
Powers, the sculptor, to one OF our citizens,
merits attention:
FLORENCE, December ., 1871.
Ny Dear Sir.---Iour letter recalls to my
mind what have more than once Sald TO my
COMMUNICATIVE, that the day was not dis
tant when one or more OF our American
cities would be destroyed by fire. ! made
this prediction to you, remember, and am
sorry indeed that it has been so soon full
tilled.
1t only requires a combination of circum-
stances similar to those which existed Ill
Chicago to lay in ashes any other American
CITY. Let the cold he below zero, with a
tenpcstuous wind. and the hour the dead Of
the night, when I'LL are rest, and fire begin
in some huge block of buildings full of COM
bustiblcs, petroleum. &c, and just i'll the spot
to lie taken by the wind and swept through
the CITY, and there will lie another Chicago
disaster. 1t is true that Chicago was built
for Il bonfire. Even the roofs were Of pitch,
have been told 1t was the strong wind,
however, which did the business, and will dc
il AGAIN with combustihle city. And l fear
that there is not in America Il city which Is
not combustible. There may he some fire.
proof buildings, but more depends upon
their isolation than their structure. The fire
1T Chicago swept away flre-proofs and all III
its way,
But it may asked, "Is it possible to make
city rc-proof:" | answer, yes; and
without amy great extra expense. To prove
this have only to say that although there
have been frequent fires i'll the city OF Flor
cncc during the thirty-four years of my resi-
dcncc III il, not one house has been con-
sumcd, except theatre, and that was not
ft,l f,f
have been heated like ovens by igllitcd cali
Goes. straw hats, &C., but Us the floors above
and below were nil covered by thin brick
tiles. the goods burned 1rith0ih ventilation.
And rs there was no flame, smell like that
of a coal-pit soon gave the alarm, and the fire
was soon eXtingushed by no other
engine than squirt holding about
gallon, which discharged well-dirccted
stream through some aperture. l once
| bcheld some tiTcmcn marching to hire III
| Florence Foremost were three men with
| picks, next four men with buckets, then
! three men with highly-polished brass squirts
| on their shoulders: all marching with an air
of pomp and importance! The fire was at
the residence of Mr.. Cleyengcr, the Amcrl-
can sculptor, and had been burning twenty
four hours Oh the end Of a joiSt just under
| his fireplace. He had smc!t something like
A coal-pit for some time, and at length per-
ceiyed smoke rising from the brick floor On
going below he found the room full OF smoke,
and a rllsh-bottomed chair just under ire
ioist was partially consumed. But the lolsL
was not yet burned off; and whyp Because
the fire was Gricked do,cn. 1t could not rise
and burst into flames.
The secret of tire-proof building, then, Is
this: 1t must be made impossible for the
,nbt bo ar
stairway. If you will have wood floors ana
stairs. Elv flooring Of the thinnest sheet iron
over the ioists, and your wood upon that; and
sheath tic stairs with the same material. A
floor will not burn without supply Of air
under it. Throw dry board upon per-
icctly flat pavement and kindle 1t rs it lies II
YOU can. You may make fire upon it and
in time consume it, but it will require long
time. Prevent draughts, and though there
will still be fires, no house will lie con-
sulued. The combustion will go on SO
slowly that discovery is certain i'll time to
| prevent any great calamity. But the
roofs, the roofs, how about them? Slate
or tiles? Zinc melts too easily. believe that
hard-burned tiles, if fiat would stand the
frost at home; and if SO, they constitute the
best roofing My house has no jotsts. All
the floors are Of tiles resting OH arches. One
of these arches was made over room twen-
tv-fivc feet square by four men in four days
| The bricks are about one and one-half lncles
thick, and laid edgetcise, With plaster OF Parls.
There was no framework prepared to lay
them on, unless you would so term four BITS
of wood which a man could carry under his
arm. And vet this arch is so strong rs to be
perfectly safe with large dancing party on
| it. never have heard of one of those floors
| falling, and they are absolutely fire-proof.
OF course LIGHT arches like these would not
do for warehouses. 1t would pay, think.
to send out here for an Italian brick-mason
who knows how to build these thin but
strong arches for dwelling-houses. know
that there is prejudice Mt home against
brick or composition floors. " Too cold In
wipter.n it is said. And so they are if bare,
but cover them with several thicknesscs of
paper, and then carpet them, and no one
can distinguish the slightest difference be-
tween their temperature and that OF wood
floors. Who doubts this, let him try the eH-
pertinent with the feet or the thermometer.
| The truth is that the brick or composition
floor is no colder in itself than wood-the
thermometer attcsts this-but it Is better
| conductor.
| do not insure my house, as / know that
it is not combustible.
Yours, truly, HIRAM POWERS.
Henry Ho,card, Esq, Phenix, r. I.
DUPLICATE NAMES IN CoNGREss.--In the
| present House of Representatives are twelve
| duplicate names Of members, US follows:
Two Blairs--Allstin of Michigan, and j.
G. Of Missouri; two, Butlers---BenJamln r.
| OF Massachusetts, and r. Il. Of Tennessee;
| two Clarks---Eree,nan Is. OF New I DIRK, and