New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-19
THE TEST IN BALTIMORE
PROF. WOOLSON'S TTEWS.
thinks Construction Can PrcJcHt
Rcprition Of Big Fire.

.... -.sr5e-e owners ~ large sJr-ct.-rs
81, .--s-ra-r. mon have been very much alive
81. lessons ~ iL5 baltimore hrc. since mo
= -..,,s CONGREGATIONS u chicago and Boston
1lS .r,- -r.r+v wears ego new materials and
~ construction have come into vogue.
-. -s,sf,rd more 1r less thorough test in the
.,,.r-e-tal city nearly fortnight ago
-...-.-ea-.fatf--as ~ Tho NCN-lurk Board or
. s,-o-fs~s and Of several ~ the insurance com
-. having headquarters in the metropolis have
rel. ..,,.--08 from Baltimore. Another excel
~ ..-.,~ff,- Professor Ira u. Nooson. Was ac-
''"- -. ,.,-tr-5rv however and talked about the
80. Sc Professor Woolson has made a special
s,. ~ materials used Do building. has charge OF
= .s.f-r "a laboratory in the Ems neeTln8 7oll"iils
------5fa T--lversIty. and has conducted num-
a. ,,,-f-rra--e for the city government in the
. - or two Though he has thus been ena-
a. : .---i,-s 81 number 81 conclusions. he was
- ~ c7nparinc she results previously al
80 with those of the more colossal oiaea- u"
-,.,-,o-a lie therefore visited that CITY re"
-, s-- an inspection ~ the burned district
c-'s -.-,-sa,- substantially as follows.
= l..-s,1a walls nothing equals brick. Granite
-. under intense heat and 50 does sand
7. was surprising 20 see how well cast IRON
-, s+or5 the heat but these are not 10 oe rec
,-5s5 Another remarkable Tact Is mat the
-. 7,y;Iiors. or upright divisions between
= I-5ov-g ~ the Continental Building sue
- Terra Gotta ranks next 20 brick in IRE
-. o,s,,f,es Possibly there was defective
..-,,..,or as there was with the rear wall. The
- - .re-e vas not bonded 10 the TneT layer,
ard III sal collapsed.
- .-rbes between I-heanls the hollow tie was
...-sirslv used A sood many holes were punched
-, !, Reinforced concrete seemed 20 MAKE a
-.-,-s In The United States Fidelity ana
- rYudirg there were concrete pillars ana
. ,-e' as arches. The structure was aN-
- An GOOD condition after the IRE lh l"e
s-..,,-al Bank ~ Commerce there were
-. and the arches were ~ REINFORCED C'l@. ~
60 ef-5--e The spans ~ the second n''i
-. 80 az three and one-haf or four feet ana
80 q ~ .ri-d floor rnca sured SIX or seven A
49, - --,-i,-rs~sri7 which brought the covering
-.f.1 ,sr down ;.ude- the beams " fai ouilo-ts
~ ~, beaded haurrh'-,eft The metal I'D s3ieil1ll
-z,.,s- When hollow tile are used instead ~
~ d. ts .-,sefrrs 10 give 10 che particular tile
- IN .ss beam projection downward ana "nN'I
-s,.r So rs -o guard e.. hUt did not happen
II. .-r f- Baltimore IN the buildings where
-.-,,s vras ,rse5 7 was not aale 10 identity any
80 containing stone and cannot 'udge or the rela-
,i,e -ner,-s af that and the einaer concrete el1
notice some ~ tIe latter, though. which nae oe-
haved admiralty -
..Ogite ana~t from resistance ofefed 10 'I'. ei-
,...- ching r--,st be considered in floors W mere
49,. ori.+s IKE safes are go b. used II IS neoes-
ss-y to -rirE about weight and the best "a- 10
distribute f. In The Equitable Building the Arches
we're ~ hollow tile. The upper layer or Wed 20
rf -r1 r0H q n
safe would 80 through this Boz no time unless y
-. covered on tho tile On this building were laid
49,. blanks or sgautuug Two inches ihich ana
81 20, az .he latter q finished wood fcor seven
sirr-rs oe an inch thick As soon as the Woo
burned out ihe weight ~ the safes vas '' No.
-r4te1 ~ small points. and the arches IN
-t-7urb ike egCsheIls. Something ike dozen
-. ~. ,,vogr1 ere floor after another 20 the
ers- The tile were much too thin anyhow
measuring only six inches through vertically. i'
IS conceivable that layer of concrete TWO or itee
,7-hes chick on top ~ the tile might have ois'''-
-.rs5 the weight - ne safes sut1cortE 10 lEe''N
accident but 7 am not sure that such an arrange
rreut might not be open TO some other oolec'l1l
However. an arch that was all concrete Woll'
stand any lead
Protection FOR tho metal pillars was furnished
d, several cases that observed With hollow tile.
and The latter were still place. could not tell
whether water had been played upon them. What
world nsr-er n they we're so treated CT mot say.
.r had no chance 70 see demonstration Of the
value of treating wood chemically 20 increase its
resistance Still. 7 have definite views on TWO
points HAD such material been extensively intro
Iuesd in the Hurst building. whore the IRE started
SPOT It's use I'D other buildings would have done
Ittle good when once the Ere spread
"sone windows in which wire glass had been
introduced gave way. The glass melted. and JET
nav have been with defective sash construction.
One window. with . metal sash retained the wire
the path Of the fire. and the test not altogether
convincing. shutters of iron would probably not
have done any good Even the wooden shutter
covered with iron. which IS a favorite safeguard
with Insurance men. failed i0 instances. Those on
Nhr Naylgv3 Trust Building burst. owing. per
haps 20 the deyelormer- of gases inside the wood
had no chance GO observe the effect % a wire
glass window and a shutter ~ this type In com
b1a-iCr
There b. no doubt f0 rly MIND from what 7
saw u Baltimore that ~ rs entirely practicable 70
construct building" which VII make such disasters
IS tlef fast Witnessed tuuHSsibIa. object 90 the
1EH p gf' r~-h
n heat u rho inter As Intense enough and S-sf-
contlF p-ol1uEc'. = like fire resisting better We
certainly can give 60 modern buldnre the qua ri-s
which vii check an outbreak ir its incipiency and
avert wholesale destruction"