, 1873-08-03
FIRES.
Field & Letters New Building
Narrowly Escapes De-
styNction.
a Large Portion Of the Roof
Totally Destroyed. =.
The Building Deluged with Water,
and Considerably Damaged,
The Total Loss Estimated at SIS, 900
---Scenes and Incidents.
Destructive ConfIagratfon
i'll Portland, Oregon.
Twonty-thrco Blocks Burned 0vcr---
Loss Over $1,000, 900.
The Total Loss Estimated at SIS, 900
.--Scenes and Incidents.
Destructive Co1nflagratfon
i'll Portland, Orcgoas.
Fires Elsewhere.
CHICAGO.

AfTIANAOs
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
About o'clock Saturday evening u rurnor
spread abroad to oil quarters Of the city that tho
great Singer Building, on tho northeast corner
Of State and Washington streets, WAS on fro.
A genoral alarm had bcen aoundod, and tho
engines camo at full galop from ovory direction,
followed by crowds Of pooplo III horBo-cars,
omnibuaes, private conyeynnces, anu on foot.
This imposing structure hns been watched by
everybody with admiration a. it hna slowly md
motiodicaly risen from tho ruins of the Potter
pamor Block, formerly occupied by Field,
Letter / Go. Tho now building was about one
third larger than tho for1nor ono, md wnH nearly
ready for occupancy by tho sau,e firm for tho
retnil branch Of their dry goods business.
Since the great fire Of October, 1871, ITO such
excitement has boon created by local couf]a-
grafton Us was aroused when tho bells called
the department and tho populace to tho fire tn
this new aud handsome odlfice A vcrltablo
Rlock went through tho community from end
to end and as tho newa gained i'll volume and
magnitude as it travelled to tho suburbs, import
ing that tue whole block was in ashes, a very
dospondcnt feoling accompanied it.
Fortunately tho caae il not nearly 20 bad as
this. Tho city has boon Baved from 40 great n
catastrophe by dint Of enormous abor OF tho part
Of tho Fire Department, and ut tho expense Of
tho bursting Of great amount of liose. Tho
experience Of tho groat fire Of September, 1870,
which consumed tho Drakc-Farweu block, waa
almost repeated. A high building, fro in tho
roof, no adequate means of reaching it'll Before
wo proceed with tho narrative OF tho disaster 30
narrowly escaped in this instance, let us rccur to
tho LESSON taught in that grcater conlagratio1',
and inquire whether wo hayo lcar1cd anything,
Il,
thing, about protecting life and property against
fire.
IT will be soon by what follows that the ono
ELEMENT OF HEIGHT
was the obstacle against which tho Fire Depart
mont had to contend in this fire. It was this
elo,nent TINT led to the damage Of the building
to tho extent Of aomo 375, 900. It was this o1o-
nent TINT put in jeopardy not only tho
building itsclf, but all tho adjoining build
ings aud tllor contents. II it bo as
sumed tint height is necessity
in large city whore ground is costly, and tint
1re-proof materials cannot bo used i'll construct
ing roofs, cornices, and upper-tioora on account
of their great exponso, then adequate meanB
must bo employed to convey watcr to tho OK
| posed surfaces. Whom tho Drake -Farwo1l block
WAS burned with it's valuable contents, involving
| a loss OF MORO than million aud a half Of dol
larH,-the fire originating iu heap Of rags
| cloHe undoTnoatb the roof, aud communicating
| to tho whole block by means Of tllo woodon cor
nice,.-a writer in THE TRIBUNE mado tllo follow
| ing suggestions, which ITO now reproduce, mud
emphasize as earnestly as possible:
now TO DEAL WITH t1HEs ON uIoH BUILDINGS.
. First, mako statutory provision prohibiting
and plany for tho yame Lnyo locu Submitted for
approval to tho Doard Of Fire Commissioners or
propor authority. competent mud f.,lly olnpow-
aret to pas, upon tho design a1.d materials o11-
ployod. ,,.,
among @ other regul9sions 10, lot T. i DO eompnl
e ono.haIf ahe hnt bein t],o azo zn', of o',p
cnrine-houo). Llilt in md carried to tho roof Of
MI walls of certain height Mt proper diBtnnccs
such pipea to haye inletH At tho bottom, accessi-
p!o from tho slaomaak VIII conp!l,'g1 70 NJ ell,
@ rn,r ~ "ln ~, athnE n,nr ;,n;ia ia T's % HJ v
md md furnished with permanent ladders, maki,g
it practicable for d man to climb upon tho out
side, t ~ and carry hoso on to tue roof. ,.
molo - ga"IaelS 10 iirurensno rs i ~ ~ casy
frnn, nn7y1n Mt n 1,nit.1l nj i'm rat frou tI,n
prol,ni in from to mii1l1toy after lighting tho
incl in tho furnace wloro tho wafer Is kent cou-
stantiv hnt M Il IL bcro. 'Ii,iu iowavor cant,nt
In tnno thrnmrh ,lose niono' M tho prent waislIt
nS of o ionr nnap Of fnII ioso saend ea,'ses i
to Hbneklo" md collupao over tho coruico or
wiudow-sill where it outoru tho building. Mnuy
nj tia mills in Nov Enrlun.f oro n,pplicd viii,
nipes having a fu1lcct or outiot on cach uor i,l-
niie. 1Lis Ieyice viii wetor-tirht iioory and a
yirila,,t watcluun, rotuccg lilo ris} to u,i.,i-
nlu11l, and makos q corresponding saving in i1,-
surapso ;Pso ,ona,,on ,oro nrono..a FIR 1n;,,ors
nnrionrn haa n, 5,a nty ahown thnt ibnv w;i
aot tako tho nesessary precautions for tic 4afcty
|