Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-03
DEFECTIVE BUILDINGS
~
Carelessness in Construction the Bane of
American Methods.
Danger Arising From the Present
Craze for Tall Structures Free
quency of Fires In This Country.

From the Review Of Reviews
Our consular reports demonstrate that
loss of life and property by fire is far less
abroad than it Is here, although American
f1remen are considered superior. A chief
cause is the hasty and reckless construc-
ton of dwellings,, instances of which had
occasion to observe when first moved to
Long Island. AS I left for my office in the
morning frame was erected and wretch
ed family occupied the structure not yet
fairly inclosed before my return home In
the evening of the same day. Some of
these shanties could not resist the shock of
the first storm and were abandoned. I re-
member several which were blown down
the next day. To others paint had given a
respectable appearance. Remaining where
| first built, their ignitible presence threat
ems today the populated ward Of new
city with destruction. While our towns
were not generally thus created, frame
houses preponderate in all of them, but
they alone do not furnish infiammable ma
terial.
The manager of fire insurance company
| noticed a peculiar odor in his Office. Not
trusting his own nose. he employed the
nostrils of his clerks to ascertain the Or
igin. They located the spot whence the
smell emanated broke open the wall and
discovered a f1ue, running through charred
wooden laths, which might have kindled
the building. Instead of using brick, as
agreed, the contractor had endangered one
Of the finest s.fire-proof'' structures of that
time, in the financial center of our city, to
save a few dollars
Four years ago the Taylor building, on
Park place once considered sfire-proof' -
was consumed by fire and collapsed at
noon, while filed with workingmen. A
jury considered the case three weeks.
ELECTED the fact that the house was unfit
to bear the machinery which had been
placed in 1t, but could not find anybody to
blame for the death of sixty human beings,
whose charred remains had been delved
from the ruins! At the time Of this
writing, news comes that a ''arst-class"
eight-story building collapsed while in
course of erection on West Broadway,
burying sixteen persons in the ruins.
Among the numerous explanations the
most suggestive Is that the flooring was
not even strong enough to bear the build
ing material placed on it. 1t Is difficult to
foretell the final result Of the investigation
of this new disaster, but reports seem to
agree that the structure had been placed
upon unsafe foundations. which reasonable
expenditure could have made safe.
The Tall Building Peril.
Tall office buildings, called ''sky scrapers,"
which existed only in Chicago a few years
ago, have sprung up like mushrooms every
where. and are becoming so numerous that
they darken the thoroughfares of our cit
les. This fnordinate cupidity of land own
ers to the detriment of their neighbors
should not be tolerated. and may lead to
further disasters, The hidden steel beams
of these -colossaB!stnctures are liable to be
corroded by rust. while considered safe
now, it remains Ito he seen if they will he
always SO. especially when allowed to be
used for other purposes. Already offices in
older buildings Of this. class are begging for
tenants In every large city between the At
1antic and Pacific ocean. Their height
should by lawnbe restricted. ct Is now
twelve stories, or 1870 feet by recent en-
actment in the state Of Illinois, Their
owners ought to tbeirestrained from burden
ing the floors with presses. for their vibra-
ton must shake the structures until they
become as dangerous as the one on Park
place. 1t may be instructive to describe
here the demands made by experts on
structures over eighty feet high:
a. Only fire-pRoafr material to be used;
all columns. Orders and beams which sup
| port weight to be encased In such mat arial.
and an air space left between the iron and
outside lining.
b. For wood substitute wherever possible
tile or concrete in the floors. marble. iron
| CT other uninf1ammable material in the
| wainsc citing. stills and trimmings.
| clent fre-resisting qualities, may be used
| for facing, but not as supporting material.
In the case Of an ordinary building on
| Orchard street, which recently collapsed
| while In course of erection. a verdict was
| rendered that ito save expense certain
| contractors were criminally violating the
T building law and inspectors did not do
| their duty" Pale brick and poor mortar
| had been used. Walls that were to carry
| concentrated loads at certain points crunl-
| bled away, fell and killed four men. Cor
responding indictments were found by a
| conscientious grand jury. but 1 am not
| ha ha DllniShed
| for the crime.
Reckless Construction.
| Few persons realize the infiammable con-
| dition Of houses erected in conformity with
present laws. Partitions hollow inside.
| generally open on top, SO as to constitute
veritable fiues, with floors equally defect
| i've, divide the interior Of nine-tenths of all
dwellings in the country. so that IN case OF
fire 1t is next to impossible to confine 1t
to the locality where 1t originates. The an
nual loss caused by this recklessness is es-
timated at $4,000, 600, while the cost of fill
| ing partitions with cheap material, as is
| customary in Europe, would be trifiing.
| Builders should by law be compelled to
| adopt this system.
The use Of wooden dumb walters also lie
dangerous. One of these caused the death
| of ex-Secretary Belknap's wife. The mys-
| FERROUS fires which have occurred In many
fiat houses on the West Side must lie at
| tributed to their flimsy construction and
| careessness. AS some criminals have been
caught with property stolen from there on
their person, arson may also have been
committed to hide guilt.
In Germany everybody considers 1t his
| duty to guard against fire. I treasure,
| amongst the memories of my childhood, the
| recollection Of tall patrolman, wearing a
1 helmet and armed with halberd. This
| Nachtwachter blew his long horn ten times
as he passed our street at that hour of the
| night. With stentorian voice he called on
every citizen to beware Of fire and light.
| Then we left our studies and looked after
| stoves and fire-places in every room. The
| person on whose premises fire breaks
| out Is generally placed under arrest and
| suspected of having committed INSIDE
| meanor until he convinces the magistrate
| that due diligence had been used to prevent
| disaster. Only one fire occurred during the
| first fifteen years Of my life where was
| born.
| When propertyi is consumed by fire in this
| country owners usually first consider what
| percentage of the insured value they may
| recover A merchant who finds himself
| embarrassed by debts incurred for mer-
| chandise which he cannot sell, but which Is
| fully insured, is apt to wish 1t might burn:
| Too often this wish becomes the father OF
a crime, especially when opportunity offers
| temptation.