Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-10
THE WOOD ROOF
The Senate Promptly Passes a Res
olution Calling a Halt.
CITY POST OFFICE MUST Be FIREPROQr
Work is Likely to Be Suspended
at Once.
A S B ESTOS PROPOSED

| "A ~ - u - " - N " L " b -
The worm has turned. The absurd anom-
| ally OF a wooden roof on ..nre-proof"
| building has at last arrested the indignant
| attention Of Congress. and IL the example
| OF the Sci ate is followed by the House
| there will be material change in the plans
OF the post office building before long. The
wooden sheathing for the basis Of the tile
roof on the new building has for some time
| been matter Of public comment. Inquiry
has been quietly made by certain Senators
! who take sn interest in such matters and
| the result.
| Bad Work Must Stop
Today In the mt RI ing hour the Senate
! passed Joint resolution directing the Sec
/ retary of the Treasury to tear out all the
| combustble construction that hes been put
in place On the post Office and to complete
the building in accordance with the law by
making il fire proof throughout.
| Shortly after the Senate convened Mr.
Cockrell arose and introduced this Joint
| resolution. and asked for its present con-
sideration. There was no objection to this.
| and the resolution went through the or
dihary ps rliamentary forms, until just be-
| lore Its third rea&ng. when Mr.. Pettigrew
| arose TO ask what difference this would
make in the cost of the building
| 1t will make difference, / suppose"
answered Mr.. Cochrell. because the exist
| ing law requires ii to be done Just as the
joint resolution specifies. Instead of the
rine that is being put upon the roof now,
| the most inafimmable material that they
could select. this is simply to cause the law
| to be carried out"
wants 1t Burned In.
Mr.. Pettigrew thereupon entered a De
culiar but emphatic protest against the en-
tire character of the post office building.
| He said: 1T seems to me that we ought to
| put as much combustible material into that
| building as possible. and that when finished
| 1t should be set on fire. Architecturally IT
| appears to me that 1t is an eyesore, and
always will he to every citizen of this
country. 1t ma s the appearance of the
avenue ,and 1 am very sorry to see any,
thing done that will prevent it from being
burnt up"
The lower part of the structure" said
and We do not want the upper part and the
valuable documents burned"
This ended the discussion. and the Joint
resolution was read the third time and
passed by the Senate
| The Resolution.
1t is as follows: THE Secretary of the
| Treasury hereby Is directed to construct the
I upper story and roof of the Washington
| city post office building in the District of
Columbia. of the best modern fireproof ma
terial. in order that said building may be
l thoroughly fireproof In all its parts as re-
Quired by the several acts authorizing the
construction of the said building, and all
material heretofore used in the construc-
ton OF the upper story and rocf of said
| building not of the hest modern fireproof
| kind and character shall be removed, and
the best modern fireproof material substi-
| tuted therefor
1t Will suspend Work.
This being joint resolution. action by
ha eli nft n 1a
| dent are Of course necessary before the
| measure can be of effect. 1t is thought at
| the Capitol however, that its passage by
the Senate will operate to suspend the
work in the construction of the infiam-
mable roof at once. 1t is to be noted that
| the joint resolution makes no provision for
| reimbursing anybody for work already
| done under the non-fireproof plan, and in
tect of the treasury for violating the stat
| utes relating to the construction of the
| building in a fireprcof manner.
The superintendent Interviewed.
There will not be the slightest difficulty
| in making the reef on the post Office as
| freproof as any In the country" said Su-
perinten6, mt Kinsey to Star reporter this
Afternoon, in speaking of the inilammable
| character of the covering that is now be-
ing put on the big structure. 1T has been
| the IL tention ell along" he snid, Ito line
the wooden sheathing with asbestos, ana
| when this is done no flame can kindle upon
| it. You can go over the country and ex-
| anime all buildings of this description, and
| you will find that general rule they all
| have roofs of the character now being
| built here.
| "A wooden roof is the lightest roof that
| is possible and is warm in winner and cool
I in summer If you were to put up a terra
Gotta roof you would have one exceedingly
heavy, and the slate nailed to 1T would
| work loose, no matter how carefully IT
was put on. You can't get a tighter roof
| than what we have. The slate will never
loosen, and the felting between the sheath
ing and the slate resists the summer heat,
leaving the roof story cool and comfort
| able and in like yer will keep it warm
| In cold weather.
| Objections to an Iron Roof.
eff 1t is desired to put on a roof COM
| posed of absolutely non-combustibe ma
terials it could be done by putting up iron
| purlins end tying the stating to them with
| copper wire. But such a covering would
make the post Office a bakeoven in sum-
| mer Fer lightness and desirability there
| is no roof that can equal the slate-cover-
cd wooden roof, lined with asbestos. IT
| is comfortable ami perfectly safe. 1t would
! be impossible to burn it, and for all prac-
| tioal purposes it is absolutely fire-proof.'
| When asked if the specifications provided
| that the present pine roof should be
| lined with the fre-resisting asbestos, Mr..
Kinsey replied that they did not, but that
L
| yising architects office, and had been ever
| since the character of the roof was deter
| mined upon, that such lining should be
| placed on its interior.
The Fire Danger.
| As for any danger from fire from the
| ventilatins shafts at the four corners of
| the building. which are square fues rum
ming directly from the cellar to the roof
| for the purpose of drawing OF the foul air
| from the cellar, Mr.. Kinsey secuted the
| idea and said that the wooden sheathing
| of the roof did not come in contact at any
| point with these shafts, but that at the
| top they were protected by metal lining.
He said that the roof was exposed to fire
! only from the ninth story, and he was
! positive that an asbestos lining would rem
der the present arrangement entirely safe
| and satisfactory. He believed II would be
a great mistake to put on any other kind
of a roof.
| Medical Changes.