New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-11
rREETER SAFETY IN STEEL.
- Iron Columns IN the Darlington Eote!
COLLAPSE.

1 -. Scientific American" n its issue of
n o says: Commenting editorially on the
4 N.rcrrr Hotel disaster. a day OF two after
's,,,ened we said: Long before the falling
4 re building. IL was suspected that a con-
II liable amount Of jerry work was being done
1 -. bastard steel structures which are being
un continually in this city. We use the
= q,astard' adrisedly; for a structure that
.,ss ten stories in height and depends fo-
,,tditv upon the lGSs and aaGges Of n,iser-
y, T-,le rectangular cast iron columns has no
-s.,sl claim 10 The reputation for strength
81 security that goes with the term steel
obstruction.
i !. she intervening month since these words
=. written. the testimony presented before
!. ,oro,e-s jury has abundantly substantiated
-. +-1,th 4 large number OF possible causes
! ll he collapse were suggested. such as faulty
/ ~ -5o+ior-s excessive loading Of the top floor.
,-.-rrgrvnrk being out OF plumb changes in
- although apparently only minor. i'm
paus tarItrg up Of the lower framework
80 replacing a defective cast tron column.
.a.-a Of a cast column about the fourth floor,
- others Probably several Of these causes
..one--a ted 70 start or intensity the ruin, but
". nror1inent fact was referred TO again and
80. both on the stand and the street, namely.
- lv,proper use Of cast iron columns in
=. srrluded in the jury report. perhaps because
- criminal features OF their work demanded
because or a natural nut
-.ts.alzen reluctance 10 3ntagOnize local foundry
1.,~ss.s We say mistaken reluctance, for the
- farsighted iron founders agree on the
sa-sI,s.,- of endeavoring 10 force the usa Of
-n.s~5aI into lines for which Il is unsUited.
soo5 cast iron IS strong when subjected to
,on.r~ession but against tension or bending
.-e;ns Il is VIGOROUSLY weak. ana Us reliability
e sr-ther decreased on account Of hidden IN
..--si defects. The practical inpossibility Of
.s-r5ne sound castings from even the most
~s5utabe founcries is borne out in the Darling
- 81, .
Buildings Department and the District Attorney
s,,,r5 that the fairly good" cast iron columns
nseS possessed fanges from One-third TO -
re- cent defective. As 4 result Of these latent
ssfsa+s tensile wea knesS, internal cooling
GRAINS and the danger Of water freezing in
sse ana bursting their hollow shells. the use Of
cssf i.oa columns should he limited 10 simple
cases Of direct compression where there are few
counlcatinE elements.
The skeleton frame OF a building is subject TO
.po kinds Of strain. namely. direct compression.
s-on The weight Of the structure and contents.
and a bending tendency due 10 wind, which in
bgh buildings with narrow base is considerable.
M low buildings where there is no other con-
sseration lut direct compression sound cast
non columns form a suita bic material; but in
lorfv structures even this direct stress is com
riioa-ed ify the tendency Of all loaded columns
n buckle sideUise when their length is eN-
cessive and this must be resisted by lateral
h-acing Tor which cast iron Is not adapted;
moreover. when there is added the bending due
10 the overturning efforts Of the wind, there
arise conditions OF design and detail to which
cas-; columns are entirely inadequate.
There are many architects and engineers in
Nev-York who can safety be intrusted with
the safety Of public laboring, and property
interests in the design Of such structures; but
Cor the much larger body Of the less experienced
The building code should be carefully amended
end enforced. Demand has been made for
Fupernt endeuts with five years experience and
Cor sufficient stan OF competent inspectors en-
powered 10 enforce the code: but the Darlington
disaster strongly teaches that all obscurity
should be eliminated from the code itself. and
specifically that the use Of cast iron columns be
absolutely limited to wall-bearing buildings and
10 those less than seventv-fve feet in height.