The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-25
The Cnlmer Building.

The erection of what appears to be I
solid wood front to the Culmer building on
First South street has called forth much
comment. and many are the complaints
that have poured into THE HERALD Office.
AS we have not a copy of the building
ordinance at hand, it cannot be printed this
morning, but the following communication
from Gunner Bros. will shed some light on
the matter
SALT LAKE CITY, June "a, 1889
EDITORS HERALD Most likely the item
in Sundays Tribune about large business
nuilding which was to have wooden back
ingon the upper stories OF It's iron 'front.'
referred to the block which we are putting
mn ON First South street east. 1t is not the
first time we have heard hostile criticism
on this feature of the building, but some
of the remarks have been obviously mall
cious. while others have arisen from lgnor-
ancc of the final character OF the structure
Up to the time when Inspector ROmney
met with his unfortunate accident
we had taken pains to have him
see and sanction every detail OF the con
struction and we had his assurance that
everything was entirely satisfactory and
according to law We were particular TO
do this because we had dared to erect this
building without the aid of any other
architect than one of our own house, MIR.
thoroughly good builder that we had no
Other need. But we have had several
proofs of what would be said whether we
built well or i'll, and if the TTibune'S asser-
ton has any truth that the parties build
ing adjoining make all manner of fun oft,
itOccasiOns US no surprise.
If the critics will kindly await the compile
ton of this Job, rather than condemn what
they do not understand, we shall he able
to show them a strong, well-conslructed,
handsome building as nearly hre Proc
any in the city Let them remember Thai
we are building it with our Own -.1rl-
earned means; it has been the ambition Of
wears and we have thought out every detail
There is no one that has considered, half
so deeply as we, what would be the best
backing for the iron 'front.' and on
this point we have consulted
the best authorities and had the
fullest advice. The cost has not been
considered in choosing the wood backing.
A prominent architect estimated that 1t
would cost 8, 900 less to back with brick.
Rut all frst-class authorities place wood,
when thus covered with iron, as the first
choice of material for the resistance of fire.
Insurance men should be good judges. The
underwriters for the Pacific coast will not
accent heavy cast-iron doors as FIRE proof,
but insist upon strong wood doors covered
with galvanized iron. The same thing ap-
plies to front construction.
Because one of our side walls has been
greatly DELAYED in building, and we have
been pushing the erection of the interior
partitions of the upper floors, there has
been an unusual display Of wooden stud
ding. but we can't help that. The rooms in
the Scott-Auerbach building and other
large structures are made of exactly the
same material, but the passer-by did not
. have so good view.
? There is no wholly fire-proof buildingin
the whole west: but we feel that we shall
have a very close approach to it, and shall
take great care to provide against fire, as
we are not forgetting that we should DE