Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-10-15
Bill LIONS GET INTO
NEW BUILDINGS
BUT CAREFUL METHODS OF CON-
sTRUCTIoN ARE URGED,
CONCRETE MUCH USED
Yet it is Treacherous Material I'm
less Mixed in Proper Proportions
Allowed to Harden Right-Fire
Associations Active for Safety

New York, Oct 9.-Never before
N the history of the world has there
been such boom in building COR
struction as is now taking place in
the United States. From all parts OF
the country reports are coming in
which show that billions of dollars
are being spent in the endeavor to
provide homes for a population which
is increasing BY leaps and bounds.
Chicago is enjoying a boom without
parallel in the history of that city.
Baltimore has just been celebrating
its remarkable rise from the ashes
of the great fire. San Francisco bids
fair to excel Baltimore's record. New
York is constructing new skyscrapefs
representing investments amounting
to $1OO,000,000, while in the city ana
outlying boroughs builders are ex
pending an average of $150,O00, 900 a
year in hotels, apartment houses.
dwellings, etc. The total number OF
buildings throughout the country is
close to 100000, valued at nearly
SIS, 900, 100000.
The materials used in many Of the
new buL dlngs a.e of such a ftinsy
character that, in spite of all efforts.
the terrible fire waste of this country
has continued unchecked, until ii
now averages $200,0OO,00O, a year.
The National Fire Protection assocfa-
ton, in an endeavor to reduce these
losses, makes an urgent appeal to all
interested to cooperate in bringing
about better conditions by adoptAlc.
improved methods of construction =
1t also recommends that MUNICIPALITIES
pass ordinances involving the adop-
ton of an improved building codrz
along the lines of the building code
recommended by the National board
of fire underwriters.
The need for such ordinances was
trag1cally shown in the recent col
lapse OF a concrete garage while in
course OF construction at Mineola. l.
Five men were killed and efgbt
badly injured. 1t was learned after the
collapse that some of the men mixing
the concrete refused to go on. saving
that the proportion of cement mixer
with the gravel and loan was not
enough to solidify it, Workmen said
that the work was being rushed with
such haste that sufficient time was
not allowed for the concrete to hard.
en-.
People are beginning to ask, When
is this sort of thing going to ston?
Since the collapse of the Darlington
hotel in March, 1904, the exceedingly
treacherous nature of concrete. uy-
less mixed in strict accordance with
the formulas of standard engineering
mas been shown in similar coIlapses
all over the country. The situation 10
becoming so serious, especially !,
view of the vast amount of money he
ing put into new buildings, that the
international congress of architects
at recent meeting in London, adop,-
ed the following resolutions:
That an inquiry into the cases NJ
failure of reinforced concrete and
their causes would be most desirable
mat where reinforced concrete ~
intended to be fire-resisting the great.
est possible care must be taken as TO
the nature of the aggregate and it's
size, and also as to the protection ~
the steel.