New-York tribune., 1902-10-19

OF the greatest dangers resulting from modern
The best method of protecting steel and iron col
umns Is sun an 3p.n question What is desired Is
some covering that VIII stay In place under the
action OF fire and water and Will keep the heat
stiHciA IN. stdHYS 40 .Viis as lItte Is
SUFFICIENT material 10 resist the flames, while in
The danger point Tests made under the auspices
-iSs 81 tull sized s,eoi ard cast ..Ol ul-.IS,
loaded 10 their safe capacities, showed tins the
steel columns fell at an average temperature OF
Il'g deStegs fanrenhet ana the cas-. iron iron s az an
occurring after exposure 10 the fire of from twenty
three minutes TO one hour and twenty minutes or
"A corresponding Yellow pine post Of the same
strength would be about Il inches by IA inches in
sic such post W., would sustain this lead until il
as can be readily seen, would not usually occur
tained In the posts 1850 degrees Fahrenheit
which II is not uncommon 70 melt with in fire.
protection 10 iron or steel 10 render it safe against
This necessity is further Illustrated in the er-
feet Of fire In The Washbun & Moen Nanufact-
April I6 in which case the unprotected seei
construction completely collapsed in short time
In explaining the requirements Of the Bureau Of
approved for iuclosing the walls Of an ele
vator shaft Superintendent Stewart said. These
requirements are that the proposed construction
shall practically remain intact after being exposed
10 a fire maintained for one hour AT temperature
OF iI"o degrees Fahrenheit and then subjected to
stream If water AT thirty pounds pressure for five
minutes
OF the use Of window shutters as q means of fre
protection the superintendent said: The OF iron
shutters tho first 10 suggest itself and Is still
sanctioned In spite OF the Objectionable action Of
the under fire, warping and thus opening
the for the communication Of flames. The
shutter should hc sufficient reason for its sup
planting the iron shutter entirely. In severe fire
In Lynn, Mass. about twelve in which
the heat Intense enough (i5j0 degrees
Fahrenheit melt most of the tin from tAe
side ne inmates covering the shutters of a
shoe factory, IL was found afterward by examina.
tion that the wood Charred only 10 q depth Of
about threr-eighthS of an inch. The shutters were
warped In some an inch two. but afforded
sufficient protection against the heat allow
casonally crept through This would not have
been possible behind iron shutters under similar
conditions A recently developed substitute that
bids fair to replace the hreproOf shutter entirely
IS the metal window frame and sash glazed with
wire glass a glass COMPARED
with rough glass without wire. made in 1895 by
the Phfladclphfa Fire Underwriters
the rough glass broke and fell IN after five min
utes' exposure TO fire. whereas the wire glass after
exposure Of forty minutes to the fire and a
had bent out shape hut had Welded In
this glass the netting IS In the glass itself
The superlntend ant thinks the great windows 10
be found in the front of t1e big business buildings
a fire, II has obtained hold on the interior
building bursts forth and across the street 10
aaother building AS an example he called at
tention the Manhattan Savings Institution
which was severely damaged and almost DESTROYED
from q fire IL n SIX story non -tiTeprOOf building
across the street such conditions said he
might be overcome to some extent perhaps hy the
introduction of some system such as the water
curtains placed on the Chicago Public Library.
This is practically sprinkler system set along the