New-York tribune., 1905-04-24
TURN TO HAYES
Seek His lid against FreproOf
Wood Requirement.

Wei known architects and builders OF this city
have appealed 30 Fire Commissioner Hayes for his
support in their effort set relief from what they
cal useless and unjust requirements Of section or
the Building Code relating 10 'hreproof wood n
buildings over $50 feer in height. Among The peti-
1loners are such firms of architects rs Meh-m
Mead & White Bruce, Price Desibour Frances
Kimbam and Clinton g. Russell while among me
builders ars the George A. Fuller Company ne
Thompson -starrett COMPANY Charles ]. Wis
Charles A. Cowen. Norcross Brothers. Y j. l'ecoeA
a. Son the Murphy Construction company ana
Marc Ei6u-z a Sons
The for he appeal are set forth an lelteIS
OF which the following was sent 20 the Fire COM
missioner by the George A. Fuller Company;
We make this appeal 10 yoa because TINS section
OF the code does relate TO matters oi cossius co
degree OF flre prjtettion Specifically il calls for
me use Of wood treated y ,se, 9il in beisht The
GENERAL construction 81 which under ot..er
the code must De @; modern hrspIo"l hrspI I,,i,5tne
ir irsuf5cient 10 feed amy conaRration II - nov
Ie6ticed 10 = minimum and The treatment oi ms
wood by dreprootng processes IS uaiiecess'''s '
IS impractiea for the following reSsoiis; .,,j fire
proohng They an have small capital anq p.SgsS p1ls5
Of ihadequate capacity. Flrepr3ohls Moou ,.-r,l,.
done. and in cases where material : req1@lleo @
quickly in large operations We have never go. eeTii
able 10 get wood treated l4i . NAME -oT,js
20 the Buildings Department. OF. ia ollet &
of tie rival concerns which did not get The order
can pick out pieces which are aot }s "a
The chemicals forced into the wood render IL NeIg
e,5 ises,-ine tie appearance OF The finished wood
VorG very badly Wherever water or damIness -
gets al the treated wood il draws me hIepipots tt
out of the wood and in short time II Is no better better
than n i had not been realeo M "a froI1 time 10
tinle. Pieces Of floor and baseeoard taken ron 9
parts OF buildings whore hreproofed WOOD was IN
stailrd several wears ago burn as reaoilE aS NON
Fe2rooseS wood was first adopted for in
struction OF ships for the navy before u was placed
in buildings. i has been found by the NAEg "a te-
ha fre7TeT TrqFfF a
he IRE underwriters do not recognize II as OF any
value in hreproof buildings. They charge as hieil
rs.p for a building With dreproOfed wood as with
The law simply states that wood used in buildings
over 80 feet IN height must be treated oy some
process approved by the Builolags bei'',tli i5lt nv,
Even after contractor mas iau lllis uotie, I tl
had his own men at the freIroonng works 10 over
sec me work ne ls eohtlll.ss Ii5 - - iila
FOR al the defects of On impractical provision OF
As head OF the city department controlling these
matters. We ask YOU 70 careaLIy ~ he
Mayor and Board OF Aldermen as the fse's VIII
warrant
McKim Mead & White write.
our experience and the result Of our inyestiga-
RiouE into the matter lead TO believe that the
Hreproof qualities of so-called hreproof wood eyapo-
using other methods OF conforming 10 the require
ments OF the law, and We believe unoer The clreul-
building Code so far as they refer 10 hreproof
wood arc oneTous and that they should be repealed
Theodore starrett president Of the Thompson
EtaFrett company. writes:
II WOOD Is used spaTilgly ia fTeDroof buildings,
proper methods OF construction now dictate.
thGre IS absolutely Of attempting 10 render
IL freproof. II q Well known fact that the furni-
cure and oraperes IN the modern hotel once build
ing other structure infinitely more dangerous
food for flames than would be the trim and
flooring in old fashioned freproof structures.
where the use Of double floors and heavy panelled
TgainEcoLng customary.
The Murphy Construction Company protest says:
NeW-York is the only city in the world that oo1ld
have been imposed this way for long a
while and no other building code in the world
Lains this provision, and venture say that after
AeH-fork'S s experience and mine other will
The writer from = personal experience OF MANY
-earE and the construction Of buildings over $50
feet IA height assures you that the other require
nerve OF the Building Code are SO thoroughly con-
aucfee 70 real hreprOof construction that the small
amount OF wood that enters into a building Ger
lainI. caguot add 70 the fire risk any apprecable
fhient u rs a well known fact that in the build
lngS OF this city in which freproof wood was in
stalled some hVe six wears ago the wood has
tong since lost whatever fire resisting properties
might have temporarily been given 10 ~ asd the
WOOD is now in the course or decay.