The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-05-08
FIRE PREVENTION.


The modern building is to all in
tents furnace, the floors alone being
a sufficient charge of combustible ma
terial, if fired, to destroy the building.
The building only becomes q furnace
after the fire has made openings
through one or more floors.
Floor" is the only word for the
horizontal partition between the
stories of building, the upper part
of which forms the floor of the apart
ments above and the lower portion
the ceiling of those below.
Prevent all fire and heat from pass
ing up or down through the floor, and
fire will be limited in all cases to des-
troying only the contents of that story
or room where the fire originated.
By saving the floor we not only pre-
vent the destruction of the building,
but protect the contents of all stories
above and below. The only question
is, has cheap, practical mode of fire.
proofng floors been discovered?
To fire e-proof floors, the joists hav-
ing been set In the walls, first nail up
to the joists a ceiling of sheet iron
use the cheapest stoyepipe iron-and
ten-penny nails every five or six
inches; % or 30 gauge is heavy
enough and will not cost more than 2
cents per square foot. The tin from
old roofs or coal oil cans will answer
just as well. Second, then place on
this sheet-iron ceiling between the
joists from one and a half to three inches
of dry ashes. Tramp it down to that
depth, banking it little at sides of
joists. The ashes should first be
passed through sieve having a mesh
no larger than one-eighth of an inch
in order to seperate any Goals or CON-
bustible matter from it.
To prevent fire from burning down
through the floor put in the ordinary
deadening floor, then pack ashes in
solidly even with the top edge of the
ioists. Then lay the floor as usual.
Do not leave any air space between
the deadening floor and the floor
boards. One inch space is ample pro-
lection against fire, but would not
deaden sound sufficiently. Two inches
of ashes would protect the deadening
floor and ioists from all material that
could be burned ON it, even if piled
from floor to ceiling.
If no water was used to check the
flames, the contents of the story, the
flooring boards and the lath and plas-
tered ceiling and furring strips under
the sheet iron ceiling would be de-
stroyed, but the building would be
saved and the persons or contents of
all stories above and below would re.
ceive no injury. Should the burning
story be flooded with water, not one
drop would pass through these two
layers Of ashes TO damage goods in the
lower stories.
The earthly mineral particles re-
naming after the combustion of coal
and wood, called ashes, is the most
fireproof of all substances, and pos.
sesses the virtue of repelling heat to
the greatest degree. 1t always re-
mains in powdered state, and hence
smothers wood very effectually.
Having made the floor safe against
fire, it is certainly not difficult to pro,
vide for closing elevator shafts, and all
openings from story to story.
A light frame work covered with the
same kind of sheet iron, the inner
space being filled with ashes, will give
ample protection to all openings
There is no good reason why prepara,
tions should not be made to close the
openings between stories as well az
openings in the walls.
Five to eight dollars per square o
ten feet would cover the expense o
fire -proofing floors, giving greater Sc
curity than all other contrivance.
combined.