Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-18

Ever since the renewal OF dsltdtioli
for the construction by the government
in Washington of a Hall of Records
which may be a repository for all OF the
important documents OF the various de-
partments and of the records or the
courts, construction engineers have been
taking a lively interest In the possible
form which this building may take. IL
is generally conceded that the structure
must be fireproof not only in It's walls
and floors, but in it's every appointment
because countless thousands Of the docu-
ments which 1t will contain will be In
valuable. Many papers and reports and
books never could be replaced IL de-
stroyed.
TO be sure. every government depart
ment now maintains its own storehouse'
where records are placed. and II was
the very fact that documents OF immense
Importance in such places as the supreme
Court, the patent office. the pension OF.
nee. State, War Navy. interior and
other departments are continuously ex-
posed to danger from the destroying eie-
ment-nre-that led to the demand 1or
one central structure as nearly ,I nLe.
il. for the storing of all of these papers.
Congress made an appropriation, and the
ground for the Hall OF Records was pur-
chased, but there the matter stands at
the present tlulS, DO IL 10 oOSAcs va SNS
amount available would not pay for. both
ground and building.
But since the purchase of the ground
spells much toward the success OF the
plan. and since the selection OF any one
material for such building means prac-
tically the Endorsement by the United
States government of the f1reproof quail
ties Of such material, the advocates or
various flame and heat resisting construc-
ton methods are, iguratively, on their
q nnafttfOn which
ensue before Uncle Sam chooses one or
another for use in the making of his hall
of records. Concrete. terra Gotta, brick,
brick and steel. stone. granite, marble,
granite and steel and brick. and all of the
combinations of these various materials
are, by their representatives, on the qui
vive. and great will be the rejoicing In
some one camp when its pet material
draws the prize of approval by the gov
eminent engineers.
Local Expert Speaks for Concrete.
One of the most active figures in the
preliminary skirmishing is Edward P.
Cowell. formely industrial representative
of the Philadelphia and Reading railway.
who is now q resident of Berwyn, Nd
and actively engaged in the local building
field and he is an advocate OF concrete,
first, last and all the time. Mr.. Cowell
Is an authority on concrete, and In an
interview yesterday he presented num-
Hall of Records. but every structure
whose builders are interested in protec-
ton from fire. should be constructed of
concrete. He quoted literally from other
authorities, and from government and
from underwriters reports.
The Pennsylvania railroad has decided
to build a reinforced concrete building for
the preservation of records at its home
office in Philadelphia" said he. THE
boards of underwriters in New York.
nd q
concrete up to LOO degrees Fahrenheit.
with quick reduction of the temperature
of the test walls by subjecting them to
streams of cold water at high pressure.
and concrete has come out victor every
time. In the Baltimore and San Fran
cisco fires concrete showed better resist
ance to the heat than any other material.
The term f1reproof is a misnomer. Fire
resistant Is much better.
IF. w. Taylor. NJ. E., and S. E. Thomp-
son. S. B.. writing on Fire and Rust
Protection say: Observations of steel
imbedded in concrete which has been ex-
posed to fire or to corrosive action and
experimental tests prove conclusively
that two inches of dense Portland cemen,
concrete. made in ordinary proportions
with broken stone. gravel or cinders OF
good quality, and mixed wet, will effectu-
ally resist the most severe fire liable to
occur In buildings. and will prevent the
corrosion of steel even under extraor-
binary conditions. In buildings concrete
has been found a more effective hre-re.
sisting material than terra Gotta and
fully equal or even superior to first
class brickwork. Brickwork cannot exist
in q structure except in combination with
some other material like steel or wood
both of which are seriously affected BY
fire, whereas concrete reinforced Will
steel may replace not only brickwork
but also the steel or wood columns ant
beams
Results In Actual Fires.
Numerous experimental tests hav'
been made showing the value Of concrete
as a fire-resisting material. but the bes
proof Of its value in this respect lies II
the fact that it has actually withstoot
very severe fires. The fire In the four
story reinforced concrete factory Of TIT
Pacific Coast Borax Company. Bayonne
N. j., built entirely of concrete except
the roof, utterly destroyed the contents