New-York tribune., 1877-03-08
FIREPROOF BTILDIkGS.

The fire in BOnd-st. on Tuesday night en-
phasizcd lesson which has been frequently
spread before the public within few years.
The building bore the reputation OF being
fire-proOf. 1t and its contents burned as
vigorously as pile of lumber. Chicago's
great fire demonstrated that several buildings
which had been called "lire-proOf" yielded to
surrounding flames almost soon rs struc-
lures that had made no such prctensiOn. Bos-
toms great fire proved that sOlid-looking
fronts of frowning granite might in
close nero ndcr-boxes, whose man
sard roofs Of frame scantlings furnished
nests for swift-hatchIng fame. The Bond-st.
fire illustrated the fact that building pos
scssed of many of the external evidences OF
safety might still have within all the materials
for complete and destructive fire; materials
so arranged and distributed that they were as
certain to burn as the paper, wood, and Goals
that are set in order in furnace before the
match is applied.
The first thing requisite in lighting fire is
usually quantity of paper thrown together
loosely so that the air can find access to all
parts of it at once. This was supplied IN the
BOnd-st. building, just where it ought to be
to burn freely and light the woodwork above.
1t consisted of 4 mass of cut strips OF paper
paper-shavings in fact-which had been used
as the packing for imported goods in cases. To
this mass the first spark may have come by
carelessness from within or from without; upon
that point there is room for divided OPINION.
The question as to just how this mass was
started into fame does not seem very impor-
tant; the stuff itself was well calculated to
burn, though of course it was not put there
for such purpose. Above it there WAS
vcntilating shaft, lined with wOod-a
wooden chimney for the flame. Thus
the progress of the fire throughout the build
ing was determined in advance. Finally, this
so o-caed iire-proof building had floors OF
Georgia pine. That there was an enormous
quantity of suitable material for a blaze was
perfectly evident after the fire gained head
way. The flames shot up in large volumes and
burned brightly for hours-a thing which would
have been impossible without great ab un-
dance of fuel.
We have said that the Bond-st. fire teaches
a lesson; it is addressed to those who delude
themselves with the belief that irOn-frOnted
buildings with iron columns i'll the interior
are tire-proOf. When merely the walls of
building are of incOmbustible materials, and
the interior is in large part woodwork, the
word fire-proof is entirely missioner. There
are scarcely more than a half-dozen really fire.
proof buildings IN the whole city. Of these
few we may properly mention The TRIBUNE
building as an instance, and point out what is
requisite to such standard. The walls must
be of brick, so thick that no fire from the out
side or inside can affect them. The beams
must be of iron, directly supported on the
brick walls. The partitions must be of
brick or concrete, without particle OF
lath An absolutely incombustible material
must intervene between the beams of every
floor The starcases must be of stone or
metal; preferably with treads of slate. The
outside shutters must be OF iron or steel. All
inside woodwork must be reduced to mini
mum. With these precautions, which have
been taken in THE TRIBUNE buildin <, and in
perhaps three or four other large buildings
down town, the word fire-proof becomes appro-
PIRATE; without them 1t is simply misleading.