New-York tribune., 1902-10-19
MAKING BUILDINGS SAFE
r1PEPROOF MATERIALS AND
METHODS OF con-
,STRUCIION.
.,. raAT BUREAU OF BUILDINGS
rNFoRCEs- HOW FIRES FREQUENT
IY SPREAD - CHURCHES
OFTEN UNSAFE.

Ns,y-york is fast disappearing before
-. = already becoming Grander New-Nork. The
.srv with which The old buildings OF this city
I"fD,. r,e torn down seems a fearful waste 10
,.,.rs London, Paris and Berlin, they say,
O.+is6sd with aye and six story buildings and
az ,sonle There are aEhast 10 see NEWCOMERS
',trg structures higher than any buildings
-, can be found abroad, and. in some instances.
-, Greater age than thirty years, to make way
- ,be cloud soaring sSyscraper.
.Tts amount Of building which is now going on
-, R,roIeh oE Manhattan alone" said Perez
!, StaNart Superintendent Of the Bureau Of
-.rIirrs Yesterday. "surpasses that Of any city
p me world M amy time in its history. The cost
&c buildiles Tor this year VIII exceed $780,.
80. and / would not be surprised il the figures
- ,ss we're stiu greater
-, 4 for This reason that too great care can
~ taken ir the i-s tion Of the various ma
80 pg' used in these a....fngs in order 10 prevent
- .c,rreuc, of great conflaErations such
-, wrought destruction in SO many smaller
=. receDtly no one say that great IRE,
,at the present time. is impossible. in spite OF
-. hgb efficiency of our tire department and the
- degree Of resstancy 10 fire TO which building
-.,suas have been brought
q, order 70 insure materials nearly fireprooS
rossible the Bureau OF Buildings will not permit
s,r nse IN construction until they have been thor
nghv tested by experts. We welcome any new
hind Of building construction and give ii fire and
,sneth tests al the citys expense. II il can pass
,bs ordeal successfully its use is permitted; il not,
!, ,s nrohibiteG. This competition stimulates
,0,s,ant study the part Of builders TO better
,he,r materials TO make them stronger and more
nearly freproot. while at the same time seeking
minimum cost
The tests OF building materials in this borough
are conducted at the foot OF West SiXty-fourth-st
uBder the inspection Of Rudolph T. Miller. the chief
engineer OF the department Different kinds OF con-
struction are subjected 10 great a heat as that
which would be generated by an actual hre, and
then streams Of water under tremendous pressure
are turned upon them. A close examination Is then
made by means Of special instruments. and a report
Is made TO Superintendent Stewart
The activity and persistent demands OF the
building interests said AIr Miller yesterday, FOR
the introduction OF new forms OF construction.
which would at the same time be stronger and
more nearly freproof. well cheaper and lighter
Of weight, led Stevenson Constable who ap-
ptnted Superintendent OF Buildings by Mayor
suuug in 1895. TO make fire and strength tests, as
ga now done. 1t was intended in these tests TO
u-uximate the conditions that would obtain in
nlctual fire, and a method was devised by G. c.
Ez,ing engineer OF tests. This consisted Of plac-
IA proposed form OF floor construction, for ex-
llpse on a brick structure about II by Il feet IN
sze and 70 feet high. in which a wood fire was
maintained al q temperature OF about 1000 degrees
for four hours. After exposure 10 fire the floor
then subjected 10 a stream Of water from q fire
hose at the pressure ordinarily used by the Fire
Department In fighting fires
As this pressure varies with conditions, in order
TO make the tests uniform. pressure OF 60 pounds