New-York tribune., 1902-02-16
THE FIREpROOFTyG or WOOD.

competent authority, commenting recently on
what he terms the great caamities" by fire which,
during the past season. have awakened the public
a realizing Of this ever present danger.
says that conhagr will be a perpetual men
to life and property g long as inhamma b e
wood is used in all building construction In our
towns and cities There is resisting flames so
long this wood will resist flames; nor can
anything be ireproof unless this wood be ireproof"
He claims that IS per OF the hreproof' build
ings in New-York liable to destruction by fire,
and adds that, although iron and brick and terra
Gotta will not burn. wood will certainly burn unless
rendered hreproOf' and that I'm more than 80 per
cent Of ireproof buildings ir New-York the wood
has been left inhammable. and it is amazing how
small quantity OF wood. once it is on fire. will
suffice TO twist and collapse iron frames, to bulge
stone walls to destroy the building"
And he right. And that he is so is evidenced
by the fact that the Building Code Commission Of
the city Of NewYork has sought to meet the ext
gency in the provision that NO woodwork other
nfiammab BILE material should be used in any of the
partitions, furrings ceilings in any freproof
buildings. excepting, however that when the height
Of the building does exceed twelve stories nor
more than one hundred and nifty feet, the doors
and windows and their frames, the trims, the cas-
inEs the interior finish when filed solid at the
back with fireproof material, and the floor boards
and sleepers directly hereunder may be of wood
hut the space between the sleepers shall be soldy
filled with freproof materials and extend up to the
underside Of the floor.
II
twelve stories. or more than one hundred and fifty
feet the floor surfaces shall be OF stone. cement,
rock asphalt tlng. similar incombustble ma
terial, the sleepeTs and floors may be of wood
treated by some process approved by the Board Of
Buildings to render the same hreproOf. The
inside window frames and sash, doors. trim and
other interior finish may be of wood covered by
metal or OF wood treated by some process approved
by the Board OF Buildings to render the same fire.
proof"
L14tf fc hat is a
pa rtiaI remedy for it will be that it permits
the use OF inhammable wood in buildings under
twelve stories, or under one hundred and nifty feet
in height Except for Office buildings and hotels
there are not so many that do exceed twelve
stories" etc schools theatres. hospitals asylums,
institutions for the and treatment of persons.
department and factories and residences as
a rule do not. And as a matter Of fact these latter
are infinitely more dangerous risks than the former.
The desks and furnishings of the usual office In
the skyscrapers are not in the same class as re-
CARDS combustibilty with the inhammahle contents
of either the department store, the theatre or the
private dwelling Take the floor areas of un-
treated wood in theatres and department stores
alone and there will be found enough infammaue
material to start a confagration, without the dan
gerous accessories of combusuble goods scenery or
hangings
No, The danger Of confa grations cannot be min
imized without a law be passed and enforced re-
ouring that all wood entering into the construc-
ton Of buildings Of ALI kinds and classes shall be
6rcUrOofed. "Minimized' is used adNlSeuly, Tor TX
Is doubtful II danger from fire ever be entirely
eliminated The companies engaged in the fire
urooing Of woodland the writer has consulted the
New York Fireproof Wood Company the Fire
proonne Company and the American Wood Fire
nroofug Company. representing the majority OF
tben,-themseIves say there is such thing fire.
proof wood as understood by the generality of lay
readers: that it is simply retardant not that 1t
cannot be hreproofed-n fact II can TO the extent,
for instance, that iron or steel is hreproof but to
do this the wood must be crystallized. which rem
ders II unavoidable. In other words II is perfectly
possible To treat wood that II viii stand any fire