New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-05
FIRE RETARDING CONSTRUCTION.
Contribution to Discussion from Chicago
Expert.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir. An important article IN your issue OF Feb
mary q entitled Fire Retarding Construction, Is
attracting general attention in this part OF the
country The theory ana practice Of steel skeleton
construction with its encasement Of hollow tile
sror,-oosnr while II originated In the West, has
doubtless found its highest expression in New
York.
In view OF this. We are at a loss TO understand
the statement in your article as follows;
II begins TO look as II the question about the
riste merits OF concrete and hollow tile remained
Nbe~e il aid a month ago. Equally competent ex-
perts will probably continue 70 dluer as Iey nave
II SaS Pi bai that little save Eood aceog9, q
itself Apparently. too. me ales,a ~ "a
terial has found fresh dsmonstrationii Botn
kinds were represented ana b0th s'oou 'He resi-
wei.
The writer Sc AZ = loss 10 account for the
sWeeping ccneralitios contained In the above and
particularly that in reference 70 cndeT concrete
plenty Of which is 10 be found upon every moor
OF the great Continental Trust Building. OF Baiu-
more. IN q dlsintegrated condition. In TACT the
writer has In his possession SAMPLE Of this GIN
der concrete which was caught UP In the hands
and carried away in newspaper II can De
crumblec az viii and. Tar as constituting
structural possibility Is concerned. must be con
sdered OFT OF question. in view Of the Tact that
IL has demonstrated an entire lack Of FIRE resisting
qualities.
I-nadulteratcd concrete received no test In the
baltimore Ere except IN the Fidelity. Casualty and
Guaranty Company building. small structure
four in height ana standing twenty feet -
front In this building the column coverings OF
concrete are broken away. the floor arches cracked
in places and as shown by the camera. are
slightly detected This. too In spite Of the iaet
that the building was not sqblectSl 70 any $500 5,.S
of the piping along the walls, floors ana columns
on the third and fourth floors These sas Sr nc
IN no way affected by the heat The repotls o.
the engineers who conducte1 the tecnnleal tA IN
Continental. calvert and Urion Trust buildings are
erbers are absolutely intact IN each Of the great
slzyscrapers enumerated. except n the cas- OF one
-I, $1,000 ~ ne faci that the bottom webs
tFousb badIy damaged This condition. however.
OF completion OF the structure. when the bottom
webs OF the tiles were cut away by the workInen
putting in the ornamental marble work IN order
10 raise The ceiling levels ms VS. a eIIe
sidered any reflection upon the STRUCTURAL IN
Our western contingent here IN Chicago may.
perhaps be a little sensitive IL defence OF standard
never been In the worlds history a subjection 70
more severe heat test than that OF Baltimore. and
city are standing to-day Ike sentnels the only
surviving witnesses 10 The efficiency and staoily
OF dreproof construction seems 20 us 70 amount 70
a supreme demonstration and practice test SUM-
cent to convince the mGsi o9stinafs
Editor FIreproof Publishing Company
Chicago. March 4. 1861
1.-THE additional light upon a mooted ques-
ton which this letter affords is welcome. The
Tribune's comments we're based upon such tes-
tirlony as il could obtain from individual ex-
perts and technical journals, but were designed
70 constitute only a provisional survey, while
awaiting the report Of the special committee OF
the National Board Of Underwriters. At least
one observer, Professor Ira II. Woolson. OF Co
lumbia University, expressed the opinion that
concrete (some OF Il made with cinders) had
stood the test well in baltimore. though he
frankly explained that his opportunities for
observation had not been all that be could de-
sire. II now. appears that In some instances
Il failed AS the efficiency % the tile seems to
have been lacking in uniformity also Il IS too
soon. perhaps. TO render final judgment What
The Tribune wants, though. is 20 obtain the
fullest Information possible. IL recognizes the
fact that Nj. Clendenin is an expert and thanks
him Tor his contribution TO the discussion.l