San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-20
HOUSE TOPS.
SHELL AND GRAVEL ROOFING AND
ITS PATENT APPLICATION TO OUR
STORE HOUSES AND HOMES.

"A lc" cNculuRo tluCC " bNh tuC oVFCh
stars were In the zenith Of the sky, fiery
Orion not far away and Pleisdes smiling
serenely upon mother earth, LIGHT
representative was invited to a buggy
ride by Mr.. Thos. Kerr, the ell lent
proprietor OF the shell and gravel
roofing works In this city.
In conversation MT. Kerr said: 1t is
only few years ago when L
came to San Antonio aC the special
request of the International and Great
Northern railway company, to apply
our roofing to all their buildings here
and it was their first train that came to
San Antonio. Right here it Is in
place to safe. referring to the
work done at that time, that the
roofs OF all the warehouses, depot
buildings and all buildings belonging
to said company are now in as good
condition as they were when first con-
struCted.
Facts are generally established by
good evidence or solid experience" said
Mr.. Kerr, and the work that have done
proves the claim.
A tirst-c class water proof roof is
one of the essential and most indispens-
able parts to q perfect building-as much
SO as a good foundation upon which 1t
is built. The LIGHT takes the unstinted
pleasure Of recording few facts CLEANED
from the inspection of books and gener-
al information given by Mr.. Kerr, who
is devOting his entire attention I" the
roofing, paving and sewer business.
The contract entered into and success
fully completed by the firm with the In
terDatiOnal railway naturally attracted
great deal OF attention, and the firm
as 1t then existed were soon pressed from
all sides by builders and contractors
for their services, and though, rs
they thought, but temporarily here,
found themselves compelled to open
branch of their business in San Antonio.
A short resume or summing up Of
some OF the most prominent cont acts
entered into and successfully completed
by the tirm are many Of the finest build
rell block. and q large number Of other
principal buildings erected during the
last seven years, are covered with this
roofing. At Galveston 1t is con-
sidered the safest Of all house COW
erings ever used, besides being the
cheapest and most durable. Ball.
HutGhins & Co., l.. & Fl. Blum, Marks
q Kempner, and many others, use
and endorse this roofing. The Nor
gan steamship company hold 1t in such
high repute that for ID years they have
made use OF this class of roofing only.
The cotton compress alone contains
more than 1000 squares. Oil mills,
manufactures, and a majority of the
finest buildings have tested its good
qualities since its first Introduction, and
the firm is proud to be able TO refer TO
parties who have tested this roofing for
the past twenty years.
Ii is regarded by underwriters and
fire departments, as the following certiti-
Gates will show, as safe as any, If NOT
more so. The Methods of applica-
ton are simple. A two-ply felt is
rolled over the sheeting AMI this is
mopped with a heavy coating OF the
hot composition; this is folio wed by an
other covering OF felt and the cOmpO+i-
ton is again poured over 1t hot, its up
per and final surface being gravel or
shell.
Coming to home affairs, and as
final proof of its superior
qualities, Mr.. Kerr was employed
with his forces to cover the new
ago he took of new tin
roof of only three weeks standing
and owing to its faulty qualities WAS re-
placed by Mr.. Kerr with his roofing At
Taylor. Tex. several buildings, inclusive
OF the Taylor hotel, more than one hun
dred squares OF this roofing have b. sn ap-
piled. On all the Arkansas rail way build.
ings are used this same roofing, as we'll
as the Missouri Pacific and Gulf, Colo
RADIO and Santa Fe railroads; also the In
ternational and Sunset.
Mr.. Byrnes. the former partner OF Mr..
Kerr, though not any more directly COLI
nected with the San Antonio establish
ment, Is largely interested and doing
business on his own account ut
Galveston. In saying that the
finest and best buildings through:
out the United States are covered
with this roofing, Is NOT stating TOO
much, and only recently Mr.. Kerr was
called to Austin to re-roof a block OF
buildings belonging to Mr.. J. W. Han
mig. of this city.
MIR. Thomas Goodman, president OF
the Chicago Board Of Underwriters. un-
der date of October 2nd last. writes that
"in this city (Chic .go) think the pro-
portion Of buildings which have cOmp1-
sitiOn roofs Ia five out of every siX"
BOSTON TARIFF AssOCIATIoN,l
Boston, october II, 1873.
Messrs. Byrnes & Kerr.
GENTLEaEN-In reply To your favor of some
this city make any distinction in the matter of
roofing. and charge as mucn for tin roofs as
for composition. Yours truly.
OSBORNE HOwEs, JR.,
Secretary Boston Tariff Association.
No. 70 Kiiby street.
OFFICE CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPT,
st. Louis, October 8, 1883.
Messrs. Byrnes & Kerr. San Antonio.
GENTLExEN-YOu have asked me to answer
the following questions:
I. II composition and gravel roofs are al
lowed I'm the fire limits? answer yes.
IT 40, what percentage of said roofs are in
use compared with tin and other fire proof
rOotnsf answer about eighty 800 per cent.
OF all our roofs are composition anu gravel
roofing.
How II rates with tin and other roofing az
to durability and safety from fire2 With