New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-23
MIR. BEIiREl
TESTING FIREPROOFING MATERIAL
ITS USEFULNESS TO PREVENT FIRE FROM
SPREADING RAPIDLY DEMoNsTRATED-MAf
RE Used IN NAVAL VESSELS.

ITS USEFULNESS TO PREVENT FIRE FROM
SPREADING RAPIDLY DEMoNsTRATEp-MAY
BE USED IN NAVAL VESSELS
An interesting test OF freproohng material took
place Yesterday afternoon the vacant iot IN
Broadway. between Fifty eighth and Fifty-ninth
sts The test of liquid preparation which' II
Is said, will make wood nearly freproof III Is
manufactured by the Electric Fireproohng COM
pany OF this city. and the experiment was made IN
the presence of Stevenson Constable, superintendent
OF Buildings; his brother. Howard Constable Bat
talon Fire Chief Gcquel. representatives OF sew
eral insurance companies. officers OF the flre De
partment, members Of the Electric fireproohhs
Company, and a number OF builders and experts.
Two small frame structures had been erected IN
the centre of the lot Each one had door, ana IN
each was a short flight of steps. covered with cocoa
mating. The buildings were of pine ana the stairs
were made of pine, with ash balusters ana maple
wainscotng. Both buildings were MADE OF me same
kind OF wood. and Immediately joined each o'her'
The wood OF one OF them was prepared with the
drenroofng LIQUID and that OF the other was not.
BEFORE the test was made quantity OF kerosene
was sprinked impartialy over each OF the ouild-
ings The cocoa mating. steps. walls, noors ana
other parts were literally covered with OIL ana
under each pair Of steps was neap ol pine hinu-
ling. saturated with OIL
A strong wind was blowing as the kndling WOOD
under each building was ignted simultaneously, and
the doors Of each building tightly closed In Few
seconds one OF the buildings. of natural wood was
A mass OF roaring flames. Ii was on the Wlndwdrd
side of the ireproof or rather, burning sruc-
ure and in nine minutes II was a mass OF piazihS
ruins The kindling in the other building Dlazed
fercey and at last the prepared wood began 10
burn There a tremendous draught, ana the Wina
blew fierce flames from the other building against
the wooden sides of the standing building ne
owners OF the process asserted that there would De
no flames. but that the prepared WOOD w S3'na
simnly char There flames, but the DuiidInB
burned slowly. and when, after IT had been on IRE
an hour IL was pushed down. most OF the OUTSIDE
wood work was intact. though charred about tWo-
thirds of the way through. - -
SUPERINTENDENT Constable. who Is always con-
servative and reserved. expressed no opinion for
notification He was deeply interested however
Howard Constable thought that for slow-burhihg
construction for stairways and frame houses the
material had decided fitness. Chief GicqueI said
lin building would not have lasted so long under the
same conditions. and said the department was m
terested In anything that prevented names from
enreodng RAPIDLY, and that would make even tem-
norary fire escapes Of stairways.
The process consists in forcing sulphate and phos-
nhate of ammonia into wood by hydraulic pressure.
and is patented. The proprietors say that all the
Reconstructed and new ships Of the Navy VIII be
atted with wood prepared by their process; that
the wood will be used in the battleshps Iowa ana
The cruiser Brooklyn. and that Naval Constructor
Linnard, experimenting constructor at cramps
shipyard has been directed TO carry out Secretary
Herberts orders TO that elect