New-York tribune., 1896-09-30
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAILS.
DANGER IN sKY-sCRAPERs.
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN
TAKEN IN MANY MODERN BUILDINGS

NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN
TAKEN IN MANY MODERN BUILDINGS.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Several DAYS ago there reached me al this
place an article in your issue OF last Sunday heauec
Danger in Sky-Scrapers." and read with interes.
your representatives. report Of some remarks OF C"ei
Bonner Of the Fire Department on the dahger "
New-York City impending from the impossoin'y oi
that Departments appliances reaching more 'i""
125 feet from the ground-that Is. about nan the
height OF more than one existing or progressing SKY
scraper II rightfully recall the hgures anu o""-
slderably less than the half OF some OF those III o
foundation each successive builder OF being APP
parently ambitious TO carry up his structure hisnei
than the last And, though 1t Is not strictly corie''
10 say that each story Of our towering s'eei-0"ee
framed structures independent Of the others ana
carries simply it's own weight there seems TO De no
constructional reason against new sky-scrapers "es
carried up to a height OF 800 feet or over "ha'e'ei
might eventually be the fate OF AT ieast soine "
them in case OF New-York being visited by se'eie
earthquake or by such cyclones as nave OF ia1e
years been reported from own West ana from
various other parts OF the world. For particularly
IN the earliest and most experimental stage OF hisn
building growing out OF the apparently hni-'eS
potenialities Of the elevator-and. indeed tne ""o
system Is yet largely experimentai-specidi pro-
vision it is to be feared. has not always been iaue
against excessive wind pressure acting on the I'M
mense surfaces o the blank walls rising ABOVE 'he
adjoining old-style low structures. nor perhaps ha
there always been sufficiently careful Inspection n'o
OF ne fastenings at the functions OF inc
vertical and horizontal members OF the metac shc'e
ton so as TO guard against their becoming Ioose anu
shakv nor adequate precautions taken against thcSe
and other covered up weak points becoming ruS'eu
and being rendered worthless by the undiscovered
nroads Of the elements . ..~,,otior with
But leaving out questions OF construc,lor M o,I -
aferonce m nossble increase CT altitude, as wen q
those of danger to health arising from a,
"a ID; ~ ,erv high bulldogs, and conining myseIt
to the poiut Of danger from connaeia w lvi' -,
eIad to md the building public warned Dy NE hne o TO-
sii IN uhorn is vested the chief responsibility lor
preserving them from fire; your lepo, rs,ate the
liner For instance he does not strongly eihpHaF -
size the fact that what. from the oI renroof
view may fairly perhaps be caHeu d ,nsd ~ 81 20
hni,dipr can strictly speaking, only be naneo -
relatively After the great ilre OF C@losU M m cd
~ ~ a., a,narican Institute of Architects TO wrlte d
nor on the subject OF hre-prOonlE' WIZ a,r
PuDhs5ne4I ,oot ~ thp eround~and ! have never seen
e. s,,ccessfully controverted-that sptahHs ..sra
npnof building in the absolute sense Of the tdrH
Lgan Mr. Bonner might reasonayhy ~ Fsct that the
,norc nronounced statement as TO the laCt ;,c
iI Iohniit business structures are not oIy i pis
deserted by professional men IN a. commercial
with up-,o-ddaegg otnraee space Not only are the
tenants tenants Goors Of office buildings" ALREADY ever
over IN solne ht The upper stories also; and tniS
oil viii inevitably increase the more t"0 o1
ngs 90 oHt ol sonrce Of satisfaction to me to see
his authority on fire questions calling 6 danger Of
nav We ~ Hre manic which is sometimes nei,riy a. a.
fata arising from the almost Of g"1Gsrf pscns the ee
resards these high budthg5b, 5 taPrcase or in its
Immediate proximity. ~ l., .bo necessity of
isn,ating the situation by making me 9W 1 no ~
every building above the hes9t 'se OF structure rue with
partment's appliances supply s ,ae own constantly
avaiiabe under the direction of th1 nTe rre @lso in
IL 70 enforce such regulation pelhB ,,,r
in the Building Department prSyylqed dnrofessionai
COLI. u1,norted by competent scentihc anu ny
cRsnca assistance in the nteresIk 1 That this
liu r,,,ent should be administered IN such q Sti
and with such cooperation has DeTn ba be American
urot,J,"fe of Architects for some thirty SS,op
ctonington, Conn., Sept. IS. 1895. a. D. Di-oO"