New-York tribune., 1873-03-01

OUR METHODS OF HEATING CONSTITUTE OUR DANGER
So much for the Europeans. who can teach us
something as shall see, about fre-proof bulid-
ing, but a good deal of their teaching we cannot
hope to benefit by. And. now, word about our
forefathers who are often poled at us in these de-
generate days; and, indeed, we might be a. young
as thsy were IT, like the crab, we could walk oacR-
warl. But until we can live as they did, us OF niue
use to hold up their example. They were as spar1ng
Of the comfort OF fire. and ignorant OF the uses OF
fire. almost, as are the Italians of to-day Men who
are not vet much beyond middle life remember well
when anthracite coal came into use, when friction
matches were unknown, when our only means OF
Lighting was by whale-oil in lamps, when we tray
eled by stage and saing-vessel-and think what
difference in the matter of danger from lire, these
differences in our civilization imply There were
few large buildings no large hotels no tenement
houses, and the building was generally better not
merely because labor and materials were cheaper
but because men built more slowly to meet more
slowly growiugidemand. People burned wood, and
later coal in CRATES and stoves, but furnaces were
unknown. Even the churches were warmed by
stoves and for long time were not wlrmed at all
There was a heated controversy that threatened to
split the Methodists "a to whether If was right or
wrong to put stove into church. But the people
who wanted to be comfortable carried the day. Ihe
fires were lighted, and the quarrel cooled down. 10
show how little we should benefit by the most sub
stantial building unless we adapted it to habits,
the fate of fine old house in bingham, Mass, may
he cited. This house, local celebrity for Its great
age and its handsome looks, was built upon plan
not uncommon in those times, though so curious as
to make search for its origin desirable These
houses were square, with chimney in the middle in
which were the lues of six 6repaces three in each
story In tue house we speak of, this chimney was
sixteen feet squared The house built before the
Revolution, and lasted as good as new down TO our
own times. The fTe-places were built lot burning
wood and if they had all been used every daV IRON
the Ist Of November TO the lst of April, they could
not have heated the great chiinneys to a dangerous
point In fact however, it was never subjected to
such proof. Perhaps two fres-one in the kitchen
and one in the sittingroOm-were kept gong all
dav with little fire night and morning in the bed
rooms. But coal was discovered and the way found
out to make the old house comfortable" with CRATES
and stoves The chimney became heated through
out. and one night a tremendous fall of snow pre-
venting the heat from being conducted off through
the broad and spreading roof it turned upon the
woodwork of the roof and the house was destroyed
in a few hours.
HOW TO BUILD FIRE-PROOF.
OF course we must learn Of anybody who can teach
us but after all shall gain most by the study OF
our own problem. We cannot be wise as Zeno and
Solomon were wise we must shape our wisdom TO
suit to-day Certain conditions exist for Us in New
York that do not exist in Philadelphia and Boston
In Philadelphia there is not tenement house. In
Boston there is no great hotel. On the other hand
certain conditions common to all our cities OF the
North. One the principal cause OF our hres' is the
necessity of heating our buildings by means of fur
naces. The problem of how to buildifre-proof con-
Germs US all therefore in consequence of this one
point of common danger and with your permission
will tell what l have learned about the matter In
talk with two Of our best architects.
Both these gentlemen are agreed that a principal
need is for legislation to put stop to the unsafe
building Of the present time But their notions as
to the sort of legislation needed are far from utopan
they are simple and practical One of them proposes
that instead of the whole authority TO examine INTO
the condition of buildings, and O.order changes,
being confined to one man choosing his own subor-
dnates as the here in city, there should
be a system by which the work of overseeing could
be we'll and effectively done-a matter easily enough
contrived one would think. Here is how it is done
in London. The city is divided into parishes,
wards" as we should say, each of which has ITS
own inspector of buildings with his corps of assist
ants. appointed after a competitive examination,
bv the Governing Board of the Parish. The laws
that regulate the erection of buildings are stringent
hut well devised and carried out well as any laws
are days. the English having the advantages
over Us that they have body of good precedents in
the ant of building and that they are not obliged to
build as fast as we. Any person may offer himself
as candidate for the place of inspector, but he can
not GET it without proving that he know sufficient
Of thGlaws Of building to make his opinion of the
safety or dangerousness of any structure worth lis
teninq TO- When once be has proved his theoretical
fitness for the place his is recorded with those
of other applicants and the vacancies filled in
order The inspectors well paid by fees regulated
by law.
TOO MUCH UNIFORMITY N BUILDING LOTS
Now, why is not this as good plan can be de-
vised and how easy it would be for TO follow it,
Of course does not insure universal good building
No law can do that. Mr. Ruskin has amusing de-
scription of how he went out driving fine after
noon, and returning by the same road was stopped
because fine new house had tumbled down and the
laborers were busy digging out the cook. But no.
body who walks drives about London can fail to
see that the building there is more solid and sub
stantial than with u.s. This comes partly from old
habit partly because they build slowly, but also the
matter is greatly forwarded by good, plain sensible
laws and minute subdivision of the duties of in
spection. Now think how this huge city of ours is
all put under the so-called inspection" of one man,
and he merely political oficeholder with no more
knowledge of his duties than the next man. Did he
not say, one day, that Mr.. Days theater was per-
fecty SAFE and did it not burn down to the ground
as it were the next days II there were good laws
and competent men-not ignorant in the first place,
and not overworked in the next place-tO carry out
the laws the Fifth Avenue Theater could never have
been built as it was OF would have been 80 altered
as TO make its burning down in the way it did, mpos
sible This is the of legislation that of the
gentlemen with whom have talked proposes The