The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-20
REBUILD FRISCO IN STEEL
WITH ANCHORED STONE FOh
WALLS rs BUILDERS SUGGESTION.
Experts VIII he Sent West to Observe inc
Erect OF Earthquake Shock on the steer
Frames That Survived All hut Fire
-~"Chronicle" Once q Good TYPE

Erect Of Earthquake Shock on eSteei
Frames That Survived All But FIRE
-~"Chronicle" Once n Good Type.
The big construction companies in this
CITY are taking a great interest in the San
Francisco disaster, especially as far as ene
damage to buildings is concerned. Every
particle of news dispatches relating to the
manner in which the modern buildings there
withstood the shock Of the earthquakes and
the condition they were in afterward was
eagerly sorutinized by the building en-
gineers in the offices of these companies.
Paul Starrett Of the George A. Fuller
Company said that he would start an en-
oineer for San Francisco some time to-day.
Mr.. Starrett said that this was not done
In the hope of securing new business as
much as it was to get a thorough line on
i,st what condition the buildings, and
especially the steel work, were in after the
shocks.
Theodore Starrett Of the Thompson
| Starrett COMPANY is due to arrive in this city
from Chicago at 10 O'Clock this morning.
There will then be a meeting of the heads
of the concern, and it was stated at the
Offices Yesterday that in all probability one
of the firms best engineers will be hurried
| 10 Jn6 EtTlChtl Clil W thNo NNNSs
the condition of the buildings. All OF the
building engineers are of the opinion that
a careful examination of the damaged steel
structures in San Francisco may lead to
some discovery whereby steel frame build
;nps NAV be put up in the future with new
devices that will make them proof against
earthquake shocks.
Great satisfaction was expressed at the
NJ. r. 49, npnnu,r-C Ito rratt INV
at the fact that the San Francisco Chronicle
building had withstood the shocks in good
shape and was practically uninjured until
assailed on all sides by flames. Theodore
Starrett drew the plans for the steel con-
str1ction of this building and, according
to the men at the company's offices, 1t was
almost as up to date as our new buildings
in this city. The Chron icie building was OF
steel framework, with the outer walls par
TALLY anchored to the frame.
q. George Simpson, the chief engineer OF
the Thompson Starrett Company, is OF the
opinion that the big modern buildings in
this city would withstand such earthquake
shocks as those felt in San Francisco.
The East, and especially New York city,
said Mr.. Simpson, lis far ahead of the
West in the matter Of thorough building
/ COIlSlI uNllOn. III ~ NNSS
buildings the steel framework sits on a
bed of concrete that has been pulit on Top
of solid rock foundation.
"Now. it will be observed from the news
dispatches that all of the steel frame
buildings in San Francisco withstood the
shocks, and the only damage done to them
outside of fire was the falling out OF part
of the walls. In these cases the outer
I'll 1900 -,oro1, hpilt pn tn the atnnl
work. With our big buildings the walls
are anchored to the steel framework.
That's. each big piece of stone has Embedded
in it a steel bar, from which another arm
of the same material rum in at right angles
and is riveted or bolted to the frame
work.
this is what I mean by anchored walls,
and in the event of an earthquake 1t would
take a terrific shock to loosen these walls.
Were it possible to erect an entire steel
building resting on a solid ~foundation'
there would be no fear from earthquakes.
In the Philippines they are now building
some churches Of steel framework with a
sheetiron covering. This is done in antlc-
ipation Of earthquake shocks
Mr.. Simpson was asked II he could &C
count for the collapsing of the low solid
structures tnat lOTIneu lne group vi p ui'N
ings at the Leland Stanford University.
He said:
1T is quite simple to explain the collapse
Of these buildings. They had no steel
framework and were what we term wall
bearing That is, the walls we're OF
solid stone and concrete, with the beams
merely resting on the tops of those walls.
The force of the earthquake shocks caused
the cementing of the walls to crumble
and the stones to slide, thus shaking away
the supports Of the beams
All of the engineers for the big building
constructing companies here say that
il New York builders are called upon to
rebuild San Francisco all OF the buildings
to go up would not only be of a strong
steel framework but the walls would be
thoroughly anchored.