, 1896-11-13

Capitalists who iuruIsil tn" money tina,
pays for ,ryr,iuC luc,r Buw buiIiiugs
do not som trI,dli this flCt, although
the veteran chief Of tn" fire department
rritcratos tins St.;r.ntnt about once a
year. Read what he su-
''Thut Il big section Of love- New
York somc day will be wiped out by
fire is probable if EXISTING Cun4i,.Cu5
continue" Fire Chief RoLmer sp,l to f.
Press reporter.
These conditions are tue height OF TIE
buildings, the material used in their
construction, the narrowncsf Of tho
streets and the inadequacy Of tn Water
supply.
1t Is "A faNoritc argument that if worst
came to worst, buildings ahead Of IL
burning area could be blown up. us the
farmer turns II dead furrow toChrCk the
prairie fine. This theory is not advanced
any more 10y intelligent men, says the
chief.
w can fight II fire l25 feet high, or
ten stories. Above hat we are we'll
nigh helpless. They say that the modern
tall tircproof building needs not rs much
protection as the ordinary low structure.
But the tircproof 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 Il big, hot fire,
without the aid of Il 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 nave taken the place in this
country of masonry. Nothing with
stands fire as well rs Il we'll constructed
brick wall. Iron columns are covered
with four inches of terra Gotta or brick,
which fire and water can tear off in "a
short time. Then the stripped iron is
left to warp and twist and tumble. l
believe the covering should be eight
inches.
with only II night Waterman in u
building, i'll danger, like all mortals, of
sudden sickness or incapacity, and with
no night elevator, u fire could get II
good Roadway in the upper floors of u
20 or 80 story building. Bursting out
of the windows and famed by Il strong
wind, the flames could easily leap the
narrow streets of lower New York and
a fire of enormous extent and damage
begin.
Il ave always opposed putting n big
building in City Hall park. believing
that tho titnn niuht comm S-hnn that
area, needtul as Il base of operations,
would be the salvation Of the city"
Most of the new skyscrapcrs have fire
fighting appliances Of their own of more
or less value. Tanks on tho roof and il
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
structures nave standpipes inside or out
side the wall. Legally there is no way
of compelling the builders of what is
called Il 'tirCproof" building to put in
more than the most ordinary fire appli-
anccs, even above the l25 foot line.
Building u 20 story structure is much
like building a dwelling house in one
respcct-tEerc's always deviations from
the plans and improvements upon them.
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
or, consent is granted, but on Condi-
ton that approved fire appliances be put
i'll the building, particularly III the up
per stories. These include a stipulation
that at least II elevator shall be ready
to run at any time i'll the night i'll or.
der that the tirCmen can get up and
down quickly; the putting of hose and
fire buckets on each floor, and, usually,
a standpipc, with couplings for each
floor. When the builders consent to add
these equipments and others deemed
necessary, including a 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 10 the p~ockctboOk.
To the end that the fire resistance of
building materials shall 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 a report to the
board Of examiners.
The cry for more water i'll the lower
,n,t &C tl,, ,itx- bnp ln,p i,ciSfnpf for
years. Many have been the plans for
reservoirs ut the Battery and OH either
side half II mile or II mile up stream.
Every time an extra line of pipe has
been laid with the object of furnishing
the needed surplus it has been tapped
up town. The fire and building depart
mcnts hope that the two 4S inch mains
being laid in Fifth avenue will be left
for the relief of the section below Cham
beers street. Chief Bonner says the Forty
second street reservoir should not be dis
turbed until water is flowing u%ndiverted
through these mains to the locality that
needs it most and for which it is in
tended.
That New York will be brought face
TO face with grave peril from the 80
s,oricd structures unless precautions
plentiful and timely are taken is not
doubted by those who have studied the
problem Of maintaining safety with
mountainous firebrands in narrow
streets. New York Presa
Many political speakers, %clergymen,
and others who use the voice
excessively ra1y unon Ono Minute