New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-10
REBUILDTNG BALTIMORE

when baltimore once faces the task of
! placing the structures which have just been de-
| stroyed, the opportunity win be afforded for
I adopting q new policy. Although the municipal
/ authorities must have been aware that many of
the old buildings were not freproof, ii was hard
! IL practicable 10 compel the owners to tear
them down or make costly alterations in them.
Baltimore. after all. was really no worse on In
this respect than many other cities of the same
age and size The most that she could reason
ably demand in the past was that all new con-
struction within The fire limits should conform
to certain requirements. The situation is now
changed. In the very heart of the city work
must begin all over again. II higher standards
are deemed essential 10 public welfare compli-
ance Herewith can be demanded without any
appearance of heartlessness or tyranny. I'm
Questionably the underwriters and architects
will be only too glad to promote any reform
which the city government may think ii eXpedi-
ent TO insist upon. The municipality itself can
not too soon consider the wisdom Of n revision
OF its building laws.
There arc two general classes Of danger
against which precautions should be taken
One is that extensive damage may be done
within the four walls that originally contain a
fire. The other is that the trouble will spread
TO adjacent buildings Against the former a
highly effective. Tile floors. stone stairs, con-
crete or metal ceilings. glass or tile partitions
and automatic sprinklers and fire alarms are a
few Of them. Besides trying TO check the ad-
vance Of the flames from one room 20 another
on the same floor. and from one floor 70 an
other. measures should be taken 10 shield the
steel framework Gf there be onel from serious
injury. Metal can be so completely inclOsed by
cement or tile that it wiz not be weakened.
Defence against fire from outside calls for
another set Of precautions. Granting that Il
has a front Of brick. iron or stone. building
may nevertheless be vulnerable at several
points. metal or gravel roof ought to be I'M
perviOus TO sparks and embers from burning
structures I'm the neighborhood. but n wooden
cornice or mansard roof is a terrible temptation
to the destroyer The small amount Of wood
work in a window furnishes another foothold.
and unless such openings are protected with
iron shutters the invader will get in without
much difficulty. More than one building which
has in every other respect proved to be fire
proof has yielded at this point. Again. defec-
tive construction OF party walls. especially on
the upper floors. often leads 10 amazing cOnse-
quences. Insurance men recall fire in Worth
ST, in Ncw-York City. over twenty years ago.
in which the flames spread from building
10 another rs if there was no division between
them. Later II was discovered that the brick
walls were not carried out To the iron front in
the attlcs Losses amounting TO millions OF
dollars resulted from that oversight. In "Fire
Insurance and How 10 Build" Francis s. Moore
expresses the opinion that buildings should be
so constructed that any fire breaking out IN
them would be confined thereto That is a high
ideal. but II is certainly not unattainahle