Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-12-05
FOOD FOR THE FIEND
NEW WORKS. "FIREPROOF" sky
SCRAPERG INVITE A HOLOCAUST.

Once Wen Started n Conf:agration Might
Wipe Out the Best Part of the Business
Section-Too Much Iron, Says Chief OF
Fire Department Bonner.
New Yorh's business section-that
part of the city that includes the newest
of modern tireprCof buildings - is in
great danger of being wiped out by fire.
| Capitalists who furnish the mC:lCy that
pays for erecting these u 4 djngs
do not seem to realize this / .nough
the veteran chief of the 1rp & pa tment
reiterates this statement about once a
year. Read what he says.
''That big section of lower New
York some day will be wiped out ly
fire is probable if existing conditions
continue" Fire Chief Bonner said to a
Press reporter.
These conditions are the height of the
buildings, the material used in their
construction, the narrowness of the
streets and the inadequacy of the water
supply
1t is favorite argument that if worst
came to worst, buildings ahead of a
burning area could be blown up, as the
farmer turns a dead furrow to check the
prairie fire. This theory is not advanced
any more by intelligent men, says the
chief.
"We can fight fire 1875 feet high, or
ten stories Above that we are we'll
nigh helpless. They say that the modern
tall fireproof building needs not as much
protection as the ordinary low structure.
But the tireproof building is yet to bo
built The communists couldn't destroy
Paris in 1871 even by the use of barrels
Of petroleum. In American buildings
are all the necessities of big, hot fire,
without the aid of drop Of petroleum.
The large structures i'll foreign cities
are built far more solidly than ours.
Having fewer forests and less wood,
European builders get alcng with little
inside trim of wood. Iron and steel in
these days have taken the place in this
country of masonry. Nothing with
stands fire as we'll us il we'll constructed
brick wall. Iron columns are covered
with four inches Of terra Gotta or brick,
which fire and water eau tear off in Il
short time. Then the stripped iron is
left to warp and twist and tumble. 1
believe the covering should be eight
inches.
with only one night watchman in a
building, in danger, like all mortals, of
sudden sickness or incapacity, and with
no night elevator, a fire could get
good headway i'll the upper floors of "a
20 Or 80 story building. Bursting out
of the windows and famed by strong
wind, the flames could easily leap the
narrow streets of lower New York and
fire of enormous extent and damage
begin.
81 have always opposed putting big
building in City Hall park, believing
that the time might come when that
area, needful as base of operations,
would be the salvation of the city"
Most of the new skyscrapers have fire
fighting appliances of their own Of more
Or less value. Tanks on the roof and in
the cellar are supplied and kept full by
various systems, but these are as much
for the ordinary requirements of tenants
as for possible use in fire. Some of the
|
side the wall. Legally there is no way
of compelling tie builders of what is
called "tireproof'' building to put in
more than the most ordinary fire appli-
ances, even above the 1875 foot line.
Building 20 story structure is much
like building dwelling house i'll one
respect-tEere's always deviations from
the plans and improvements upon them.
For every alteration from the drawings
filed with the building department. the
permission of the board of examiners
must be had. If the alterations are prop
er, consent is granted, but on condi-
tion that approved fire appliances be put
i'll the building, particularly in the up
per stories. These include stipulation
that at least one elevator shall be ready
to run at any time i'll the night in or.
der that the firemen can get up and
down quickly; the putting of hose and
fire buckets Oh each floor, and, usually,
standpipe, with couplings for each
floor. WEen the builders consent to add
these equipments and others deemed
necessary, including competent night
watch service, permission is granted to
make the alterations. This applies, of
course, only to buildings under con-
struction recently. OF those already up
there is small hope unless the under
writers offer of lower premiums appeal
sufficiently to the pCcketbook.
To the end that the fire resistance of
building materials slall be known posi-
lively, fire tests have been made under
the supervision of the superintendent of
buildings. Three such public exhibitions
already have been held and they will
be continued at intervals through the
winter. When finished, Superintendent
Constable will make report to the
board Of examiners.
The cry for more water in the lower
part of the city has been insistent for
years. Many have been the plans for
reservoirs at the Battery and on either
side half a mile or IL mile up stream.
Every tine an extra line of pipe has
been laid with tie object of furnishing
the needed surplus it has been tapped
up town. The fire and building depart
ments hope that the two As inch mains
being laid in Fifth avenue will be left
| for the relief Df the section below Cham
bers street. Cliief Bonner says the Forty
second street reservoir should not be dis
turbed until water is flowing undiverted