The San Francisco call., 1906-05-22
BIC BUILDER
COMES TO CITY
Theodore Starrett of
New York Gives
His Views.

Theodore Starrett. president Of the
Thompson -Starrett Company Of New
York, with the probable exception Of
the Fuller Company the largest con-
struction concern In the world, Is In
this city. He Is accompanied by Frank
J. Fitzpatrick, builder and lumber man,
well known here. He announces that
his firm intends to take an active part
in the reconstruction of the city. A
full staff of engineers and draughts-
men is to be kept here, SO that the
work can go on under the same con-
ditions as In New York.
A conversation with Starrett will set
at rest any of the persons who speak
Of the impossibility Of rebuilding the
city within a number CT years. Starrett
has a number of photographs, show
ing buildings put up by his company
at different stages Of progress. They
seem to go up as by legerdemain. The
Thompson Starrett Company seems to
think nothing Of putting up seven
teen-story sky-scraper in few
months. 1t put up the Marie An
toinette. the huge New York apart
ment hotel, twelve stories high, in six
months and seven days. The Algon-
quin Club building, twelve stories high,
went up in six months and twelve
days. The record was made. however.
on a building at 68 Williams street,
in New York. 1t is seventeen stories,
and actually shot up to completion in
two months and two days.
To put up at that speed does not
necessitate a concentration OF the
whole staff upon one building, either.
During the last yea- the company was
putting up twenty EIGHT sky-scrapers
simultaneously Considering that the
Thompson -Starret. Company is only
one of many, it would seem that it will
not take a century nor a decade to
rebuild a greater San Francisco.
Starrett says that the effect of the
San Francisco fire upon buildings Is
much as 1t was in Baltimore. Steel
frame, fire-p-oof buildings stood, while
second class ones crumbled. The class
A buildings standing in this city he
considers still structurally sound. The
company rebuilt the Continental Trust
building Of baltimore. Three Of the
outside walls had to be stripped off,
but the steel structure inside was
found to be intact.
Theoretically, says Starrett, there Is
no such thing as d fire-proof building,
for anything will burn If only the heat
be great enough. But practically. he
adds. at none of the big fires, such as
those of San Francisco and Baltimore,
was a heat so great that structures
could not be built to stand 1t, and the
cost of such buildings would not be
prohibitive.,
The plan, he Wen. on, Is not to build
structures that can stand the terrific
heat of a fire such as devastated this
city. This is almost impossible. The
scheme is to have enough reasonably
proof structures to make it i'm
possible for a fire of such proportions
and degree OF heat to get started. The
modern steel-frame first-class build
ing is fire-proof to any ordinarily big
fire.
As to the prospect of the investment
of Eastern capital in San Francisco
Starrett was conservative. He said
that 1t would be impossible at the pres
ent moment to say how the Eastern
capital would view the disaster.
There is no doubt, however" he
added. that the starting up of new
buildings and the confident use of in
surance money by the local capitalists
will do much to restore confidence, and
that San Francisco, as Chicago, Baltf-
more Boston and Seattle before 1t. will
develop into a much grander city and
safer inves tment than before"