The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-05
FIRE PROOF WOOD
IS EXAMINED
1t Is Found to Be Lacking in
Great Value,
BURNS WHEN HEATED
But With a Smaller Flame
and So Slow.
BURNS WHEN HEATED

Insurance experts and engineers every
where have become so much interested
in the resulting qualities Of so-called FIRE
proof wood that the experiments conduct
cd by Edward Atkinson and Prof. Charles
/. Norton have attracted widespread at
tention. Professor Norton's report on the
subject is disappointing in the extreme,
and suggests that the protection hoped
for has never been achieved. However,
this may be. the conclusions reached by
the British Prevention Committee
are interesting in showing what may be
expected OF the wood under certain fav-
oring conditions, while the American tests
demonstrate its usefulness as a covering
for surfaces where contact with electric
wires involves dangerous hazards.
Professor Norton holds that the social
cd freproof wood is similar TO untreated
wood except in these particulars; It is
slightly less liable 70 be ignited BY brief
and feeble application of heat; it is less
likely TO be ignited permanently by con
tact with hot body, as an electric wire
or a fragment Of a projectile; and, fur
ther. it is not likely TO cause so rapid
q spread Of fire in some cases, as 1t
burns with less fame. ''F'ireproof wood,
he says, is almost identical with IN
treated wood, in that it smokes about
the same temperature; it can be ignited
at about the same temperature; il will
continue TO burn, in many cases; it IS a
good fuel. and it makes a very hot fire
When exposed TO a blast of hot gases,
the amount of the treated and untreated
wood consumed is about the same
Professor Norton gives this interesting
description Of his tests; a furnace, made
OF a half dozen bricks and six-inch square
OF wire lath serves to hold . double hand
full Of "freproof" kindling. A piece two
inches long sawed off at the end Of
board and then cut into pieces varying
from 4 10 55-inch square answers admir-
ably for the fine kindling being better
than shavings Add further a second
couble handful of little blocks. Apply be-
meath the CRATE crumbled up newspaper
end a lighted match and add rolled-up
balls of newspaper as the first one burns
out. for minute or so. The so-called fire
proof wood will be harder to light than
urtreated wood bat, when lighted, you
will make a good. lasting fire. In such
& furnace. using treated wood for fuel.
I have melted up several pounds of lead
in ladle and have then added larger
blocks Of the wood. and burned them up.
As final experiment. have lighted
such a furnace without newspapers for
kindling, but by the successive applica-
lions Of some half dozen matches The
fire. like any other. lights more readily
and burns better if it is provided with
draft by means of chimney, which may
well be made OF a length Of tile pipe.
lone of my assistants. an excellent me
chanic substituted a bundle Of about
twenty sticks. in the hndling to be used
by his wife in lighting the fire with which
to prepare their breakfast Although the
major part of her kindling was fire
proof" the unsuspecting housewife made
no comment, but made the fire as usual
and burned up all the wood Noting the
comment on the part Of the manufac-
turers who saw my furnace glowing,
md flaming, that large pieces could not
BE- made to burn. the following expert
rents were made: in a large fireplace,
between two hard. dry pieces Of pear
wood. four inches in diameter and welve
inches long there was built a fire of news
paper and 'freproof kindling: over this
were laid on edge four boards Of fire.
proof wood from different manufactur-
ers The fire spread M and along the
boards. and in about two hours the whole
contents of the fireplace. except
the pieces of pear wood, were consumed.
The two logs were all afre. but went
out after the 'fireproof wood had been
consumed. The room. in the meantime.
had been rendered unbearahly hot Icy the
fire. which assembled a good camel coal
IRE in appearance.
zone other experiment was made. to
show how misleading is the test made
by taking the wood out of the fire and
noting how long it glows. A box Of pipe
three inches square and thirty-six inches
long. open at the ends, was made Of the
different kinds of hreproof wood. This
was held vertically over a blast lamp
until well aiire at the bottom. The lamp
was then removed. but the wood continu-
ed to burn until the box was much more
than half consumed and fen apart. break
Ing into n half-dozen pieces. No one
OF the boards would have been burned
BY itself nearly as much as it did when
there was another heat near tia condi-
ton of course. which a fire in a building
nearly always provides.
In the light Of the results Of these
experiments IT would appear that no more
can be claimed for -hreproor Wood than
this. that when heated. it gives of
gas which makes il more likely to fail
70 keep burning than an untrcated piece
of wood. and that when afrc. il gives
out less fame. ana hence is not rs likely
70 cause nre 10 spread II is uot incom-
bustible. il is not inEammable: i is q
good fuel: il Will under many conditions.
support its own combustion il Is de-
strOyed by external heat nearly as rap
idly as is untveated wood il is not IS
easy to work AT high speed. it may cause
rushing Cas so some of these specimens
and the mechanical strength of The wood
is slightly Impaired. While II may be said
20 be an added safeguard "a use this treat
e wood in tan buildings It Is So slight
a safeguard as To be. in my opinion. OF
Questionable value
1T should be borne in mind too that
these samples. direct from the manufac-
turers. are of a certain standard ct ex-
ctuence which would hardly be reached
in general without most rigid and ex.
pensive examination. / can suggest no
sure method Of examination Of the wood
furnished Tor building which would
be satisfactory and not Yet inordiratelv
expensive IN consideration. then. OF the
physical properties Of such wood as has
been examined ard OF the difficulty Of
assuring ones self ~ the nature If the
product: and. further. i'm view of the pos
s-hle deterioration Of the wood or the