New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-25

4 GOOD Word for Hoiio5c Tile
When Property Introduced.

The eea-. n, the Baltimore ere upon structures
believed 90 be- more less hrcproof has oeen c1l =
fully studied BY a special committee of the IA
+frrs1 BOARD - Underwriters. composed OF elsht
,--- Tl.af~ srdivi5ual opinions are in the hands
~ the secretary. i1 "a fraEmentary shape. MNth
these are embodied in report. the latter VIII pe
rasscd around among the members for revision anu
signature As the men live IN dllefeh' pa ~,
much time viii be thus consumed. The iepoi' VII
riroIaby not be printed for two or three weeks Se
I, tho mean time the members are reluctant 10
talk Cor publication and all other insurance tle'
refrain from expressing their ideas. They are
a,arf-o rhe outcome Of the committees inVeS1ied-
-fove and conferences with much eageTnesS a
architects builders and real estate owners.
,Sevr-yorll insurance man who is exceptionally
,,srfasl DID, experience aus recent observation IN
Baltimore 10 form helpful views. but who "ouId
not consent 10 the public use Of his name salu YES
;erday: 49,, o-.u-o,,
,,-,u5i-gs was rather Disappointing but on the
whole il was much better than has been repre-
sarted Little concrete was tested. because n''le
had been used. Apparently IL stood the oroea'
well This is particularly true 81 "a building IN
which the girders and columns were Of mat ma
terial. Terra Gotta tile for floor arches and the
protection Of the upright parts OF the steer Ilslle
more extensively emiiHEtG. HtN'ia - ~ -
in its service were discovered I'D S'lii, t.s
columns were left bare In other places archss
had been broken me iault oia ., lot al' a., 1rbt
with the system. though ne uIeS "eIe loo l.S
fOr The duty required. cor they were not properly
secured 90 tND members lil'A Mfl' me
tect or iu some other way tier" Lad beeh 4
sI,r1ufuC policy iu the construction / should AT
tribute 81 the trouble 10 false economy tnSIe
fore not 10 the inaueQuaCN ~ the material flSe-
willie 40 not doubt that concrete. properly
used win give as great satisfaction as terra GOTTA
have been inclined % favor the latter, ana 90 SO
Still The weak point With concrete. IN my. JUGS,
meut IS that after o. per cent has been MADE no
err1fp7 n q class manner. per cent may De
Adjective through the cartleSsneSs lazlneSs OF a
common 1ahOrer II the mix BIS not Just right inc
material will not become thoroughly uniform IN
eoTidfty or rnonOithic' The required strength VIII
De lacking. and air spaces VIII be LETT Win tle
the architect and owner VIII be defeated @-ter
construction begins.
WINE GLASS ID, hazed well. on the whole Where
falling walls nuurhed holes in H. Of course, i
welded tUr Dr. stood the heat cNcellently II Is a
valuable adjunct 20 good construction.
Metal clad wooden shutters also gave encoNraE-
Fr- results. Where there WAS I'm exposure Tor
hours 10 "a heat intense enough 20 melt the metal
Steel shutters. both on the government war h"g~e
and inside tho windows or some or the banks,
served their purpose admirably
"'T0 me the most important lesson of The Balt-
more fire is one that We are already painfully Ia
ri1iar with Great pains are taken 20 construct
floors that viii act barriers 20 ascending flames.
Then enormous holes are cut IN them Tor stairs
and elevators. and the IRE spreads through them
with awful rapidly II these openings were prop
erfv iurl0eed with solid partitions. as the IRE laws
in many places require the progress q the flames
would he retarded. and the fremeu would have n
decent chance 20 fight them. That the chief
defect of the Hurst Building the fire which started
tu the basement. is known from The automatic
and thus hafFed the efforts 20 stop the confragra-
tion fn the building where IL originated I can think
o. Improvement In construction that would be
more far reaching in its influence than the one here