The Washington times., 1906-08-26
CHICAGO LAYS CLAIM TO
NEW FIREPROOF BUILDING
The Windy City Has Erected Structure on an Entirely
New Principle Said to Be indie
structble by Fire

Considerable interest has been stirred
In the Building Inspectors department
by the receipt Of a communication 70
Building Inspector Ashford from the
building authorities OF Chicago, 70 the
effect that IN that city there has re-
Gently been constructed a building Of
unburnable materials and model Tor
the whole country 10 copy. Mr.. Ash
ford has long made a careful study OF
the fire-resisting qualities OF certain So
called nreproof building materials, their
cost and probable benefits II adopted
In the construction OF District govern
ment buildings, and the information he
has received from the Chicago authOri-
ties is accepted with the keenest in
terest. Il is not unlikely. therefore.
that some attempt may be made 10
have building similar in construction
to the one ia Chicago erected in this
city in the near future.
Testing Laboratory.
The building referred TO IS the one
erected by the hve big insurance com
panies. located in the Windy City. as
testing laboratory IN which 1t is Intend
ed 10 put 10 a test every material and
device connected with the problem or
fire prevention
The building IS described as being one.
from cellar to roof. containing nothing
that will burn Its builders began the
project on the principle that II auorded
ample evidence OF the fact that Il -
not necessary that cOmbustible ma
terials should enter into the structural
parts or equipment OF a modern once
buildings.
The walls are vitrifed brick. cast iron
columns protected by hollow tile sup
ports with steel Orders for the floors
and roof. The floors. roof and paTtitins
are of semi-pOrous hollow terra Gotta
with thick walls. All the openings are
framed In rolled steel. There is no plast-
erlng in any part OF the building. Thir-
teen different makes Of freprOOf window
frame and sash have been used. all Of
them being sheet metal All the doors
are filled copper or steel. Large sections
OF hollow terra Gotta form the steps and
landing.
The first design for the building called
for SLOW burning construction" but II
was later decided that the Underwrit-
ers' Laboratories. as the building is
known OF all things. should be a model
OF fireproof design. Then followed the
change of plan In which hollow tile was
substituted for mill construction. In 9TH
er words. there was a change from a
kind Of construction that would burn
slowly 10 the kind that would not burn
at all.
The fire underwriters contend that
Americans need this lesson ir freproof
Al
Laboratories Will give in passing upon
the value of fre-hghtlng devices and
non-burning building material. The col
lossal fire loss in the United States,
they point out at the rate Of $3.50, OO0. coo
a year, is equivalent to q tax of $50
000O00 on every American family. The
total gold production Of the United
States. they declare, would pay only
one-third of IT, They were convinced
also that the death loss should appeal
TO the public in advocating fireproof
structures-this loss last year reaching
total of 6,672 human lives.
Commenting on the information con-
tnined in the building inspectors com
municatiOn, Capt jay J. Morrow. act
ing Engineer Commissioner ia the alb
sence of Commissioner John Biddle
stated that what was particularly need
ed was fire-resisting materials rather
than sO-called fireprOOf ones. Within his
knowledge. he said, there is no known
material that is strictly fireproof as far
as the general acceptance of the term
goes. Any building material, he con-
tends. if subjected to sufficient intensity
of heat. Is bound TO be affected by fire
In substantiation OF this he refers TO
The so-called fireproOf buildings con-
sumed in the disastrous Baltimore IRE
two years ago and those destroyed in
the more recent fire at San Francisco.
What We need in building construc-
ton. said Captain Morrow. lis a fire.
resisting material. one that will check