Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-26
PREVENTION OF FIRE
NECESSITY FOR UNIFORMITY IN
BUILDING LAWS.
Mhemes Discussed at Meeting Of In
ternationa1 Society Of Inspectors
and Commissioners.

public meeting places. especially Win rei-
erence to the prevention of fire and panic
and the imperative necessity or UNIFORM
building laws of the various states ana
municipalities constituted the principal
topics of discussion at the session yesterday
of the convention of the International So
ciety of State and Municipal Building Com
missioners and Inspectors at the Halls OF
the Ancients. The convention adjourned
yesterday afternoon, but the executive COM
mittees will continue In session for the
next few days to carry out instructions of
the convention.
The Chicago fire. its cause and the re-
sultant calamity, was debated by the asso-
citation in connection with the consideration
of methods for safeguard against loss of
life through fire and panic. The enure
equipment of a theater was explained. ana
means for the perfection of the playhouses
of the country. from a building standpoint,
were cited.
The Baltimore fire, together with other
great confiagrations in other cities. was
also topic for discussion. A report on the
Baltimore fire was presented to the asso-
citation as matter of record. Inc entire
membership visited Baltimore "Wednesday
and made study of the ruins. The dis-
coveries made, it is said, will prove or vaiue
and will, in measure revoiutlonlze nre-
proofing ideas In the long run however,
it will result in the construction of much
better and safer structures.
Building Regulations.
In connection with the discussions rela-
tive to the construction of theaters 1t was
announced that some cities have already
incorporated I'm their building ordinances
provisions to the effect that all stage set
things should be coated with some kind Of
a pproyed fire yetarding paint and, in fact.
hot ha
can readily be seen how difficult 1t will be
for travelling companies to conform to haIf
ia dozen radically different ordinances, and
lit was decided to study out some scheme
lof the drop curtain. the auditorium and all
the stage paraphernalia, and recommend
that all the cities adopt this standard the
Iatrical regulation At present very few cit
les agree In their ordinances as to the fiber
strains to be allowed in building materials.
the thicknesseS of walls for the different
stories of buildings the loading capacity
of floors in different classes of buildings
and all such points. This society intends
making numbers of tests in all those mat
tiers and adopting certain standards for
them, and recommending their incorpOra-
ttion In the building ordinances of all the
cities, instead of having the different stand
ards now common
One of the striking features of the con-
vention was the apparent general tendency
TO discourage hampering legislation con-
many existing ordinances and the subSti-
tuition therefor of fewer but better rules
seemed to be the object desired. The idea
is to do absolutely nothing that would dis
courage people from building or that would
work hardShipS upon investors. but to en-
courage saner notions in construction and
therefore safer and better buildings than
we are getting today. though no more ex-
pensfve to construct
Cooperation Invoked
1t Is the purpose of the society to invite
the highest authorities and experts in the
various building lines. engineers of interna-
tional fame, chemists and others who give
time and study to the strength of mate
rial, their durability. fire-resisting quail
ties etc. to submit papers and opinions on
all these varied subjects. The association
Will also invite the cooperation of lawyers
of high repute In the general revision of
the building codes and the standardization
OF building laws and regulations.
The association is already engaged in
gathering from over the entire world in
formation, data, building ordinances re-
suits of experiments and everything of that
kind for general boiling down of all this
matter into tangible shape and It's distri-
button to the members of the society. 1t
is also at work upon a simple code of build
ing regulations suitable for the smaller
towns where no building inspector is en-
Experimentation that can be Intelligent.
ly enforced by the mayor or police or fire
marshal-and recommending the adoptiop
of such ordinances by all the smaller
places, thus securing even in the smallest
towns OF the countries represented a better
class OF building than now obtains and a
greater exemption from fire and general de-
Objects Of the Society.
According to the constitution of the So
ciety. it was organized ito secure a closer
official and personal relationship between
the representatives of the building depart
ments at home and abroad; to secure more
uniform building laws in all the cities: To
collect from every source information re-
lating to building matters, tests. ETC., and
the dissemination of that information
among the officers forming part of this So
clety; concerted action toward the adj
Nahcement or the art of building and the
sciences OF construction, particularly the
adoption by our cities of means to secure
as far as possible the prevention of fires In
buildings
The active membership Is limited to the
chle1 ofhcers of the state and municinaI
puiluing departments, while the honorary
membership is open to the architects ex
perts IN different lines of building. CITY
ofncers and ex-active members OF the 60
ciety. VINO by reason of their non-re-elec-
- .aae"PpoihtHfeht TO their state or
MUNICIPAL ofhces, have become ineligible to
active membership.
Inc onlcers nave been chosen as follows.
MT James Muicahy of Boston, president:
Messrs- Hamburger of ST. Louis RumriIl Of
Bunaio. Pittman OF Atlanta, Chaussee Of
MontIeai' Canada, Mccallum of Toronto.
canada, Houghton of Minneanolis vica
presidents; Mr.. S. w. Fitzpatrick of wash
lngton' secretary and treasurer Messrs
Brown or scranton, Ellerby of st. Paul and
COOK OF Wheeling, together with the nresj-
ueh', hfst vice president and secretary-
mittee. eoni-
Messrs- Dunn OF Milwaukee. Miller n,
Newark, Cassidy of Wilmington. Del
roster OF Manchester. N H: TIghe Of
ntid. n ss MASS, Loller of Youngstown.
ono moreiy or Knoxville, Tenn, were an
pointed chairmen of various committees