The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-08-21
FIRE PROOF HOUSES.

terprise inaugurated by the Merchants,
Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank of
Chicago, for furnishing cheap and COM
Portable fre-proof dwellings for the people,
and expressed our unqualified belief in
the practicsbility Of the effort to secure
plans at the low cost proposed.
Aud. the result, az now announced,
would seem to show that the managers of
the enterprise knew what they were dbout,
a. the officisl report Of the test herewith
published proves.
Our readers will remember also that for
the purpose Of ascertaining how cheaply,
approximately, 6re-proOf buildings adapt
ed to various classes could be obtained,
the Merchants, Farmers and Mechanics
Savings Bank. on the fifteenth day of DC
tober, 1874, published circular offering a
prize of 81 900 for the best set of plans
and specifications for dwelling of not less
than five rooms. and capacity of not less
than 8, 500 cubic feet, and q store and
dwelling combined, for use on the cheaper
thoroughfares of the city. More than
thirty sets of plans were submitted and
many communications wore received pre-
vious to January l.
The prize plans a. heretofore announ-
ced were awarded to A. j. Smith, archi-
tect and contractor, ~ Clark street, Chi
plans NJ hnnan
43, cost 81, 200; No 2-two-story house,
1926, cost S,7OO.
The one-stOry dwelling house is a build
ing 1890, of five rooms, consisting OF par
Tor 13x10-6, and two bedrooms lOx6-6
each, kitchen, hall and pAntries. The
height Of each room is 10 feet in the clear
between floor and ceiling. An important
feature of this plan is, that should fire
occur in the front part of the building, the
rear portion may be preserved intact, and
nee versa. The outside walls are brick,
hollow from Foundation to roof. The floor.
beams and rafters are wood, protected
from FIRE by concrete, one and one-half
inches thick on the ceilings and under
meath the floors, and the roof is covered
with tin on top Of the concrete; the par
titions are brick. Thorough ventilation is
provided by hues adjoining the hre-Aues,
and topped out in the chimney. There is
an air space ventilated underneath the
ground floor, preventing dampness from
arising; and there is also an air space ven
tilated bet Eeen the ceilings and roof, to
prevent the heat Of summer from affecting
the rooms. The fre-fues are lined with
hue-pipes eight inches square. There ia
drain-pipe connected with sinks and
closets and with main sewer, to carry of
all surface water. slops, etc. Cost 81, 200.
The two-story dwelling, Of which we pre-.
sented a front elevation and the ground
plans, is a building 56-6x18, with five
rooms, two son the ground or principal
floor, and three on the upper floor, TIE
size Of which are-parlor, l2x1O; kitchen
12x12. The three upper rooms are fol
bedrooms, the sizes Of which are, respec
lively, Ike, s-9x7-9, and S-9xS-9. Thu
building has a cellar for coal and wood, fit,
ted up with water-closet and bath Tn,
size Of cellar, within walls, will be 12x12
The upper story will be 9 feet in height
and the principal story 10 feet; the celia
6 feet 6 inches Cost, 81, 700.
The construction of the model building
erected on Sacramento avenue, near Cen
trail Park, Chicago, elevations and plans o
which are given, is as follows;
L. Wall brick, with hollow space.
2. Partitions brick.
8. All beams and rafters protected from
fire, both above, and below, by one anC
one half inches Of concrete, composed o
the one-half cinders; and fourth hair NOR
tar; one-fourth plaster paris, concrete OF
cealings, supported by No. IL galvanized
iron wire, strung from twelve-penny
nails set every four inches in lower face O
beams.
This Is the method Of ceiling used by
James John, plasterer, No. IA Dearborn
street, Chicago, who submitted plans il
the competition, and though his genera
plans, did not receive the prize, his con
struction Of ceilings met with the unanl
nous approval Of the committee, and ia
used in ire-prOofing ceilings in all the
houses now under construction.
4. All smoke-fues of burnt, earthen
pipe, built in walls.
.. Ventilating Aues in every room.
8. Transoms over all doors.
z. A CRATE and marble mantlepiece OF
slab in each front parlor
g. All steps and stairs of brick OF
stone.
9. Cornices brick.
10. Window caps, door stills and front
steps Chicago marble.
IL. Fronts painted brown, with cornices
and water tables darker shade.
IL. Ali plastering directly placed on
brick or stone, no wooden lath or Turing
in the buildings.
/ H. Roof of slate or tin.
H. A bathroom in every house.
10. Either city water or cisterns and
wells, with filters in each house.
16. Thorough drainage.
A large number Of these 6re-proof houses
are now being erected in Chicago, costing
from 81 900 to S6, 900. The same mode of
construction can be applied to all build
ings, and when this ns,O to- becomes
prevalent we shall hear less m great con
hagrations.
The M. r. and M sATi1gs RsPt is no"