The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
FIGHTING FIRE IN skY-scRApeas.
Chief swenie Thinks That Tall Buildings
Are Not So Unsafe.

chief Denis Swenie of the Chicagp
fire department II not -nduly alarmed
over the devastation wrought by flames
i'm two Of New York's finest sky-scrap-
ers. the Postal Telegraph building and
the Home Life Insurance building. in
Broadway, in the fire Of a recent sun
day night.
Il have never said the chief.
changed my opinion Of the skel".o 1
steel sky-scraper since the first one was
constructed here In Chicago. I said
then that the greatest danger was from
external fires. and I hold so now. That
was the case In the New York fie.
Here was a blaze that started I'm a COM
paratively Did building. filled with plen-
~ OF combustible material. A high wind
drove the flames with fury against. to
and into the offices Cf the upper floors
of the adjoining sky-scrapers. The fur
niture and the contents Of these offices
were OF wood and paper and other ma
terisls that made good food for the
flames. which had an angry start. md
of course. there was "a heap of flame
n a lot of smoke. But the latest re-
ports that came to me are that the tall
buildings are not so greatly damaged
as to require reconstruction
When the idea of the first skeleton
steel building was conceived here Chief
Swenie. while not opposing the scheme.
cautioned builders that the chief dan
XII W SUCH FlTutNuItH III ease vi IRE
would lie I'm the expansion OF the steel
trusses and beams under a fierce heat.
III they become expanded beyond the
limits allowed under normal condi-
lions" he said. something will have to
give, and the danger II In a collapse OF
the structure"
Since then the chief has had more
confidence i'm the modern sky-scraper.
for he says hat he regards them as
safe. except under conditions such as
exist where the floors up to the 1Oth n
18th stories are given up TO mercantile
businesses. and where the rooms are
filled with goods that gould burn free
ly and make mighty hot fire within.
There is" he said. more danger un-
der such conditions than in the build
ings devoted entirely TO office purposes.
The furnishings Cf the average office
will only make a good-sized bonfire.
and there Is every chance for the fire.
men To confine "A blaze i'm the room in
which IL starts. It's mighty different
where there's a lot OF merchandise"
Water thrown from the best fire ap-
paratus To be had Is effective at - feet.
and somewhat 80 even at a distance Of
l25 feet. but not against flames with a
good Roadway and easy material for
food That was the difficulty expert
enced In the New York fire. They could
not get the water up 10 the tops OF N
buildings. and Chief BOnner's explana-
ton OF this failure was that You can't
ight a History fire with a seven-story
fire department"
Have YOU "A History fire department
here chief Swenie was asked
No was his reply. "but we are gen
orally better equipped TO- high service
than the New York department. Every
sky-scraper In town Is provided with
several standpipes. which form part OF
the FIRE escapes as a rule. These pines
IA ~ NhA Wnnfa M ~.
pressure We can send the water up
there and fight the flames from above.
The New York buildings are not all
provided for in this way"