Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-18

Once Well Started n Coniagration Might
Wipe Out the Eest Tar. of the Business
section-Too Much Aon. says Chief Of
Fire Department Bonner.
New York's business section-that
part Of the city tina. includes the newest
Of modern freproof buildings is in
great danger Of being wiped oat by fire.
Capitalists who furnish the money that
pays for erecting these Few buildings
do not seem to realize this fact, although
the veteran chief Of the fire department
reiterates this statement about once
year. Read what he says
''That a big section Of lower New
York some day will be wiped out by
fire is probable if existing conditions
continue" Fire Chief Bonner said to q
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 q
burning area could be blown mp, as the
farmer turns 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, @,
ten stories. Above that we are wei!
nigh helpless. They say that the modern
tall fireproof building needs not as much
protection as the ordinary low structure.
But the fireproof building is yet to be
built. The communists couldn't destroy
Paris i'll 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 along 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 IS well as a well constructed
brick wall Iron columns are covered
with four inches of terra Gotta or brick,
which fire and water Can tear eff in q
short time. Then the stripped iron is
left to warp and twist and tumble.
believe the covering should lie eight
inches.
with only one night Waterman in a
building, in danger, like all mortals. Ct
sudden sickness or incapacity, and with
no night elevator, a fire could get a
good Roadway in the upper floors of a
90 or 80 story building. Bursting oct
of the windows and famed by strong
| wind, the flames could easily leap the
| narrow streets of lower New Yolk and
| fire of enormous extent and damage
begin.
II 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 10y
various systems, but these arc as muci
for the ordinary requirements of tenants
as for possible use in fire. Some of the
structures have standpipes inside or out
side the wall. Legally there is no Way
! of compelling the builders CT what i.
called ''fireproof" building to put il
more than the most ordinary fire appli
ances, even above the 125 foot line.
Building 90 story structure is much
like building dwelling house in on,
respect-there's always deviaticns from
the plans and improvements upon them
For every alteration from the drawing
filed with the building department thu
permission of the board of examiner
must be had. If the alterations are prop
er, consent is granted, but on condi
ton that approved fire appliances be pm
in the building, particularly in the up
per stories. These include stipulation
that at least one elevator shall be read,
to run at any time in the night in or
! der that the firemen Gag get up an,
down quickly; the putting of hose an,
fire buckets On each floor, and, usually
a standpipe, with couplings for eacl
floor. When the builders consent to ad,
these equipments and others deeme,
necessary, including a competent nigh
watch service, permission is granted I
|
course, only to buildings under cen
struction recently. OF those already u
there is small hope unless the under
writer's offer Of lower premiums appea
sufficiently to the pocketbeok.
To the end that the fire resistance c
building materials shall be known pcsi
lively, fire tests have been made unde
the supervision Of the superintendent Q
buildings. Three such public exhi bition
already have been held, and they viii
be continued at intervals through tn
winter. When finished, Superintendent
Constable will make report to th
board of examiners.
The cry for more water in the lowe
. part of the city has been irsistene fo
years. Many have been the plans fo
. reservoirs at the Battery and on eithe
side half mile or mile up stream
Every time an extra line of pipe ha
been laid with the object Of furnishin
the needed surplus it has been tape
up town. Tie fire and building &c par;
ments hope that the two AS inch main
being laid in Fifth avenue will te LEI