New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-08
FIREPRo0F CONSTRUCTION.

-NO ICES an authority than Ira H. Woolson, OF
Columbia University. than whom there is no mora
eminent and competent expert on the question ~
hres and how TO prevent and control them says.
Inc term 'dreproof' is a misnomer and should
% discarded from our language We know OF
hothlng which Will not succumb 10 intense fire II
subjected 10 II for sufficient time This ASSERTION
cannot be disputed. but discrimination should he
mace as between fire retardant, or slow burning
The best that be hoped for the former Is that
thai II w dbcyeiy ADD 10 the c9nagration, but
olnty hold back the flames for such time as will
enable the fire suppressing agencies to arrive But
should the fire be from without and under head
way, as IN Baltimore. for example the so-caIIed
I-tpIooi WOODS ana other imperfect fire protecting
makeshifts become absolutely worthless and quickly
Sound and bT TesiSng mas more assuring
y y, G9ntines the fire within limits: that offers
snc ST. u ne names are within the building.
secuoh OF II, they cannot travel beyond or derive
self but must cease when the infiaImab contents
The aS Just as stove IRE goes out when
II must strongly isolate and protect It's contents
buildings in exstenca5 T. a. az mere any such
structure practicable? The march OF Invention and
undoubtedly possible for any owner. builder and
.LcAltect 10 plan and erect such building and az
e same yIine aflrmatiyely answer the crucial
question; VIII i pay?' This is treating the sub
the bargain counter sense. but well within the le
limits required by the shrewd, farseeng Investor
lessons learned by the Baltimore Rochester and
FINER IH great 1res must not be ignored Washington
baltimore fire demonstrates that hollow thing IS
noL the best means for freproofng floors. He
edeQuately protect the beams. In Baltimore he
Gotta reproons on the coum3s eaT ya aw sS
IN many cases at the floor. where It principally
means for hreprooang in the future" Further ieg-
more ne Gays IT Is an folly for any one at present
dition for reconstruction over II or not" Terra
Gotta, he says, crumbled into dust IN many places
unaer the neat, and concludes that concrete came
M Neouga f ne 9rdeai much more erediiably Fire
py western New-York architects expert
IN building is reported TO hold strong views
is far superior to brick and concrete either
in the arches OF the floors or for encasing the
ton Of the Granite Building and have yet TO
in the Cox Buding in the rear of the G;r anita
crete the IRON beams are exposed and many OF the
eirders are buckled. In view OF this condition of
OF many Of the experts who investigated the Raj
timore fire and declared that concrete is preferable
thus DO the doctors disagree. The truth seems 10
be that both are more than half right. Both
the same time, both have fatal defects Admitting.
however. for the moment. that both are perfect.
d. Post, the eminent New-York architect said:
closed door will be a fire barrier"
or. as Niels Poulson Of the Hecla Iron Works
restricted sense OF the word; Let every room.
hreproof whether in skyscraper office building
hotel. apartment house private dwelling so that
windows closed and allowed 10 burn ITSELF ot ana
Gle down for lack Of further material on which to
feed. Then you have true freproof construction"
that treats a structure in its entirety. that meets
al details and covers all points. from cellar TO roof
THE HECLA SYSTEM.
As example Of the best thought and endeavor
In the most modern efficient and scientific prin-
ciples Of hreproof building and the perfect adapta-
ton OF material to the purpose in view. may be
found In the "Hecla system, controlled by the
R Rses F9n works ri g Eyer
nc1ent Work ana guarantee or integrity and re-
What is the Hecla system? In treating of mod
ern IRE resisting structures, IL Is easier 10
stone shell the plumbing and the minor ad1uncts OF
a building do not fan within The province Of tho
the partitions. doors. door tambs, windows. window
parts the system is applicable meeting all the 70.
gurements Of a perfect fire resisting building ma
useful in a hundred different ways and practically
The basic material OF the Hecla system is
"hecla. compound that meets all the require
on taking piece in the hand one would at first
suppose from the smoohness OF the surface and the
not the remarkable hghtness indicate that its In
han not that 81 Eyo6 # Is ssg
magnisite and It's bi-products in combination with
treated the sisai grass increasing to wonderful
degree the tensile strength Of the finished product
This material is the result OF many trials and many
experiments and tests but the desired results have
at last been achieved after years OF patient
oeayor and the exact proportions OF the component
parts are now Well determined and the results
well known that the Manufactured article be
turned out OF absolutely uniform quality. the
only difference being in the finish, which is varied
70 suit the different purposes for which Il is TO be
USED.
The policy OF the Hecla company has been to
give out nothing until BY repeated experiment
ana the severcst test the high standard set for tho
system shall have been reached beyond all ques-
ton. Now. with their characteristics thoroughness
they have organized and planned a system that ia
broad and conpreh ensve. and TIT overs every
Detail or constrEction-save tn she-cT a
modern building No longer Is IL ~ Tor the
architect TO call an succession OF divers lied trades
as for instance the sOcalled rreprOOfer 10 ;,lace
MS tiles or concrete around the steel .uruns ana
beams the floor filling etc. the carp 'utcr " n
his floors partitions. windows and general min,