Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-29

material lUdL can DC uStu III Dullulllks [
You may not have done any building Of
late, or been interested in the purchase OF
lumber, so this increase in cost may not
have been brought home to you; but, just
for example, go out and try to get plano |
box. A few years ago poor people used these |
for coal bins; piano boxes were a glut
upon the market, so to speak Today you
can't get one for love or money. The deal |
ors have to send them back to the fac
tories. and the freight rate is a stiff one. |
Individual initiative has given us the
5000 buildings Of more Or less flre-resisting !
excellence that we have in this country. |
We are grateful to those 5000 individuals |
and companies In most of their buildings
one more details have been forgotten
or neglected, just enough to endanger the
contents and to mako it possible that the
buildings themselves may be seriously
damaged. Witness what happened to the
skyscrapers Of Baltimore and Of San Fran
cisco. Yet, in spite of the fact that the
Baltimore ones were pretty badly hurt,
they served as a bulwark against the
spread of fire toward the residence dis
trict Fire spent its energy upon them,
and to their great bulk and comparative
excellence Of construction does that city
owe its gratitude that it was not entirely
destroyed. III New York and Chicago
there are, of course, the most so-caled
skyscrapers' and of the most correct con-
struction. Some people, and even some in
surance authorities, have expressed solicit
tude for the welfare of those buildings in
a fire, and, in fact. have contended that
they would add to its spread and look
upon them as menace. For my part, in
case Of a conflagration, i would rather be
in a New York or Chicago skyscraper than
anywhere else The latest ones are cx-
ceedingly well built. For instance, the
Singer building in New York is well nigh
perfect, 1t not only is positively safe in
itself and affords the maximum protection
to its occupants and contents, but it offers
exceptional advantages as fighting center
from which neighboring fires may quickly
be extinguished. More than that the
great financial district of New York
whose destruction would mean at least
temporary chaos to the nation-is protect
cd from the spread of fire from uptown by
| a rampant of skyscrapers. This was pure
ly accidental, but a most fortunate chance
From the East river to the Hudson, ap-
proximatey, along Cedar street, there are
seventeen huge fireproof buildings, such
as the Hudson Terminal, the West Street
building, the Trinity building, the City In
vestment, Singer and other buildings from
$50 feet to $50 feet and more in height that
spite of the alarmsts, would not only not
be means of spreading a conflagration,
but would effectually stop its progress
There has been in most cities an unnec-
essary amount Of agitation against the
| skyscraper. Reasons for going up high in
the air are many; the value of city prop
erty is a great incentive thereto. If prop
erly butt, the skyscraper offers absolutely
no element of danger individuals and the
authorities seem to recognize that the tall
building should be superlativey well built
and the best of skill is usually employed
upon it. In New York great efforts have
| been made to curb tall buildings, but l
doubt If 1t can ever be done, and, as far
as fire is concerned, there is not the slight
est necessity for it.. When it comes to hy-
gienic considerations, the light and air, and
the congestion of traffic in the streets,
those are matters that deserve thought
and speedy controlling action. Years ago
the Society of Building Commissioners
strongly advocated what even now seems
to be the very best thing that could be
done, the restriction of buildings to SO
many stories in height on the street line,
then a stepping back from the front SO
many feet, then the addition of so MANY
stories more, and another step, and on M
indefinitely, SO that the light and ali
space of each street would be widening as
the buildings assembled, thus doing away
with the chasm-like effect produced by q
lot OF tall buildings built right up on the
| street line. Architect No d
New York and Architect d. X. BOYD OF
; Philadelphia have enlarged upon this sug
r gestion, defined it, and put it into applt
) cable form, and the plan is at present be
} ing considered by New York's buildint
l code commission. Many cities now limi
the height of buildings to nine and tel
, stories, and in Europe they maintain 1
} still lower limit, but 1 am confident tina
, it is only matter of time before helgh
) restrictions will be removed everywhere
/. There will be regulations as to light ant
l air spaces. but the tall building has com
1 to stay So far it has been the best build
t ing built, and our effort should be still
a further to better its construction, rattle
( than to try to legislate against it.
Moreover these tall structures have ha,
t very beneficent influence upon genera
- SSAASsA NNhAOAA' 1AASJ AoNO 4dlHllldTlZeu GU
t people, to a certain degree, with the salien
t principles of fire-resistance in buildings
Q The individual who hasn't thought muc
t about the matter is. nevertheless, perhap
r quite unconsciously. going to initiate to
: certain extent the construction of the ia
d building in his four or five-story attain
Q And the influence is felt all the way dow
= the line. People occupy those building
r as offices and have seen them in construc
J. ton and they eventually inquire as to tn
S applicability Of those same materials TO
S the house they intend building in tn
d suburbs.
o In the main, millionares have been tn
l. first to see the advantage OF fireproo
.. construction and have built their house
IS in that manner, but examples are multi
n plying of more modest houses similarl
e constructed. In Pittsburg and elsewher
II houses of $1,000 and even less have bee
r, built of brick and tile and concrete, with
is out a particle of wood in their construC
e ton. The fashion of using merely stucc
y on wire lath for exterior walls is a ste
i in the right direction for the suburba
N house, and asbestos shingles and such no,
J. elites are coming into favor. And stl
!, farther out, on the farm, you may Sc
lie here and there a house and barn an
fence posts and bins and troughs of COZ