The daily gazette., 1880-03-08
FJre-prOof buildings for York
i1I1nsegL.

From the Practical American.
The great conf ,gratioa In Chicago in
1871 was the cause OF n strong Impetus
given to improve ed and better fIe-prooi
buildiD Dgs than thus far had been erect,
ed. The hrst act was The passage of 4
law prohibiting the erection or wooden
buildings within the city limits; the sec.
ond was q step taken by the managers of
various savings banks who. wished 10
utilize as once the large mum ber of Lot.
which had been bOsght by them, after
| having been cleared OF its buildings 3,
the great cenhagration. This step was a.,
invnation 70 archii ects TO submit plaI a
for dwelling OF not less than fiyeroom,
and capacity of not less than $500 cut
10 feet, and Of store and dwelling COM
btned, to contain not less than 80 600 ou-
bic feet Of space. IL was an indispensa-
BILE condition that the buildings should
be az nearly fire-proof as possible.
An able cOmmiItee selected examined
the various plans received, and awarded
prize II $1,000 to A. j. Smith, arcbi.
tect, Of Chicago. for his schemes. for a
One-stOry house, ~ Dy AZ, to cost Sf2Ov:
u two-stOry, l8l By ~, 70 cost S170O; ami
two-srory dwelling and store combine,i.
~ by 81, to Cost $1,000.
Tue one-story buildings contain five
ROOMS each, Consisting of a parlor, l3 by
IL; diBiBg-foom 10 feet IN n3bes; =. xii.
chen, 10 by 10 feet inches, and two
bedrooms, 10 by q feet q inches, The
height of each room is 10 feet in The
clear between the floor and celling. In
the two-story buildings OF when the Ad-
joined ebgravings represent the eleva-
ton and plans of the two floors, there
are also i've roOms-A paTlur aud kltch-
en- on the first and three bedrooms an
the second floor. The first floor is 10 feet
high IN the clear, the second 8, and the
O 'llar 6. The total cost OF this building Is
only Sl7OO, notwithstanding it Is very
nearly re-proof- at lesst far more so
than the most costly ordinary dwelling
houses. -1i III = l-'
TIE way In which this has been secur-
ed In, with the other details, AZ follow:
The exterior walls are hollow, one be-
ing eight inches thick, the other four,
with space Of three inches between
wrought-iron bolts being used to tie the
shells. All rafters and floor beams are
protec' ed from above aud below " arti-
n cisl stone plasteriDg one and half In
ches deep. No wooden lathing or furring
Is PRINTED This plasteling, which is
the DR., proof material. Is applied very
SIMPLY. A twelve-Penny nail Is driven
INTO the bottom OF the jolt Qess, say,
three quarters OF an incb) every three or
four iuches. An endless strand wire is
then wound once around the head vi o
nail, aud is passed from one TO anotheI,
4 hitch being taken on each. A NOV
able platform, tue top surface Of which
In ono aud quarter iLchss from the
lower line OF the ceiling Joist,is brought
into use, and the plasterug Is then de-
posted upon the platform from the top
Of The joiet to the deplh OF two inches.
As sooD as the plaster sets the platform
~ lO u..A alamo nd
for another stretch. By arranging The
wires half an inch apart, the plaster can
be put on from the under side in the
usual manu1r, and has been known to
dry sutfi ciently in halt hn hour to bear
the weight Of a heavy man; it is COM
posed Of one half cinders crushed fur
nace-slag or tricks, Que fourth indinary
plastering hair mortar, and one fourth
coarse, strong plaster ofPAris. Where
:he platform Ii used, all the plas.erinR
required from the under side Is the hard
flush.
Some most important features reQmr-
I'd by the Chicago building committee
were, thai the partitions should be of
brick; that all beams and rafters be pro.
tected by the concrete desert bed; that all
sun oke -fiues shall be built In the walls, OF
burnt earthenware pipe; that all plaster
ing be done directly dn brick or stone;
that the cornioes be Of brick; the win
do -eaps and doOr-slls OF stone OF mar.
BILE, anu this roofs Of slate or Tin laid ON q |
bed OF concrete.
In regard to ventilation, this Is prov- |
ied Tor by flues adjoining the smoke
tues and topped out in the chimney. |
fsere is an AIR space beneath the RIound |
door. preventing dampness arising from |
he cellar or ground, and aaother be- |
ween the ceiling and the roof, which |
,uar,ls the rooms from over heating iE |
hummer. Each house Is furnished with |
! bathroom and facilities for thorough |
drainage.
This style of building has been severe
y tested, and ~ known 80 have resisted
! vast degree of heat and fame. In Ordi-
lary fires the plastering will prevent the
lam' spreading from one room or Aoor
o another.