Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-09

proposed to make even the trim fire resist
ing, and while various methods have been
devised an entirely new fire-proof trim
has recently been patented. 1t is construct
ed of thin sheet metal and concrete, which
Is entirely non-combuStible. The doors,
lambs. casing. baseboards, picture molds,
chair rails and thresholds are made OF these
materials making each room a fre-proof
unit or vault and thus preventing the
spread of fire from one room to another
where the walls and floors are OF ,hre-proof
material: thus there could be nothing to
burn but the contents of the room.
The construction of the interior trim is
entirely dierent from all other methods.
as IL will be completed In the factory, even
including the fitting of doors, the hardware
and all finishing with the exception of the
coat 1t is then taken to the building and
erected, thereby laying out all partitions
for other mechanics and doing away with
all wood framework for openings and wood
grounds for the plaster necessary for other
trims which alone will be a great saving
in the construction of buildings. 1t can be
used on all kinds of fire-proof partitions
The walls are built after the trim Is IN
place, and when plastered the trim becomes
a part OF the wall itself. the wall being
built In the socket OF the fire-proof frames.
baseboards. etc.
II the wall is of tile, such tile Is erected
and then piastered after the trim is In posi-
ton ANY other construction of wall can be
similarly built After the wall Is erected
and finished the trim is cleaned on, II need
be- the chances being that more or less
plaster will have been spiashed OF dropped
upon It.
There are no nails. screws or bolts used,
with the exception of the stove bolts that
secure the door hinges to the frame There
are no cracks between the trim ana the
plaster to catch dirt, no swelling, shrinking
or varying of doors, and no openings OF
joints.
General Building Conditions
Reports from some fifty OF the leading
cities of the country. received by the
American Contractor tabulated and COM
pared with those of the corresponding
month of last year show In the case OF
| two-thirds OF the cities an increase over
| the operations OF 1906. In Greater New
| York the gain Is small only 1 per cent. but
| this Is a remarkable showing when the
enormous. record-breaking business of last
| year, with which the comparison Is made.
| is taken into account. Chicago breaks all
| its records with SO 494, go, a gain of GO
| per cent over May. 1905
Some of the cities showing loss have
| enjoyed building boom for some years
past and diminished building was almost q
matter of necessity Taken altogether, the
| report is OF most satisfactory ana en-
couraging character, and leaves no reason
| 10 doubt but what the building operations
| of the season now fairly under way viii
break all records This seems all the more
| remarkable when It Is understood that botf
| wages and building materials are now
ruling very high.
A Group Of Sixteen Houses
Mr.. Charles ]. Walker has commenced
| the building of sixteen houses for himself
on the north side of Irving (Kenesaw avs
| nue) street near 18th street northwest
They will be twenty feet front each. Thu
| material used will be pressed bricks and
Indiana limestone. with mansard roofs
The two stories will contain six rooms and