Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-09-05
RISKS A FIREMAN RUNS.
So Called Fire Proof Buildings Impsr
Special Grounds for Fear.

Special Groonds for Fear.
II there Is any one thing that dis.
hcartens a fireman more than another,
il Is TO be told that a building on which
he is at work is a modern fire proof
structure.
The speaker was an old fireman,
who is now serving on the insurance
patrol. and he had some reasons TO
back up this somewhat startling asser.
ton.
Ii may sound strange to hear of a
tireman's being at work on a fire
proof" building, but fires in so called
lire proof buildings are by no means
unusual, and everybody knows that
some Of these fires are the very ones
that result in frightful loss Of life.
Their size and height doubtless has
much TO do with this, while a sense OF
fancied security frequently leads 10
gross carelessness on the part Of the
inmates.
But while il is only these occasional
h~olocausis that attract the attention OF
the general public, firemen have To
risk life and limb almost daily, and
the manning of a man for the rest OF
his days is dismissed with the meres,
mention in the newspapers. 1t is the
unseen danger Of an ordinary fire that
men fear, rather than the exciting
emergencies Of a great conlagra.
ton, and il is because some Of these
modern structures are SO prolific in
these unseen dangers that they are SC
much dreaded.
A peculiarly dangerous feature in
the construction of many large bust.
ness buildings is the use of iron pill
lars, which frequently rise in series
one above the other from foundas6n
To roof These are especially common
in wholesale establishments covering
several ordinary lots, and sometimes
take the place Of inside walls alto
gether. OF course that is all right
where the floors are of iron, cement
and thing, but you won't find such
floors except in a few large office or
bank buildings.
The mere fact that you e iron floor
beams used in the construction is nc
indication hat il will be really fire
proof. Unless the floors are filled in
with some non-combustible material,
the iron beams are manifestly not OF
the slightest importance in preventing
the passage Of the fire. while the iron
pillars are a source of great and posi-
tive danger. The trouble with them
is that just as soon as a hot blast OF
flame strikes them they expand un.
equally, warp. crack, and then comes
down the entire structure. And il is
all down so quickly that the poor fire.
man has nc warning, and precious lit
tie chance to get out.
The extensive use OF iron in such
buildings at present is in fact a source
of danger all around. Even when
pillars are not used, inside walls are
supposed TO be strengthened at every
story with iron braces. In this case
the effect is similar, and as soon as the
heat has warped the braces out Of
shape. the whole interior is liable 70
fall Unexpectedly.
As regards pillars, good solid ones
Of hard wood are much better than
iron. They will burn, Of course, but
it takes a long time to burn three OF
four inches right into hard wood, and
SO long as the core remains solid, the
floors are safe. That gives the fremen
a chance to work, and unless the place
is otherwise a regular finder box, q
well equipped fire department will save
the building.
The massive Office buildings now SO
common in lower Broadway and in
Nassau and Wall streets, are really
fire proof. and although there will
sometimes be a mighty hot fire among
the furniture in q particular Office or
suite OF rooms, it car never extend
from floor 10 floor.
Another very deceptive style Of
building is the iron front, of which SC
many ere put up fifteen years or SC
ago. A peculiar danger OF these is
that in falling the front does not come
down piecemeal, but falls like a sheet
of solid metal. Half a dozen reporters
had a somewhat narrow escape a year
and a half ago at that big million dol
lar fire on Broadway, near Prince
street, from this. The iron front OF
one Of these buildings fell over as
straight as a pole, without either bend.
ing or breaking. until il struck the
ground and the building on the other
side Of the street
The reporters were standing on the
opposite sidewalk, only about twenty
feet To one side, and all the telegraph
wires over there were brought down
on their heads. Some of them had
their hats badly battered, and their
ears or noses scratched New York
News.