New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-30
REDUCING FIRE LOSS
Work Done to Improve Various
Kinds of Structures.
PROGRESS SINCE THE sos
A Midtown Hosiery Which Is
Unburnable, According to
It's Owners.

In view of the progress made in the last
thirty years in putting up freproof build
ings il is reasonable to presume that each
wear will witness better buildings in this
respect with a decreasing fire loss In COM
harrison TO the total newer realty riches
..Suppose the building situation as to fire.
rroofne" said builder recently, was
,,ouar 70 that which prevailed in the sos.
rha aU-steel frame skeleton building had
.nor not heen built in New York. About
.,,bt ztories was the average height of the
.tructura IN the lower Broadway wholesale
s.,,ooods district and in the Office zone
south Of Chambers street. Even an eight
story building was considered aI 'ha' 'iiiie
to be about high enough
Most Of the skyscrapers called tall IN
,.osa davs were said TO be thoroughly fire
nroof: few really were. Extra precautions
800 taken by the Fire Department to pre-
want flames from getting TOO much mead
nav in the office building region 1t dread
al conf1agration that would spread TO
r,anv places and result In loss OF property
yaI,ed at many millions and might further
more. cause many fatalities. That was TIE
estimate of the Fire Department OF the
worth Of the fireproofng used in most OF
tho modern structures of that period.
"Tbe supreme test of the best type OF
building Of that epoch to repel fire and heat
did not occur until last year. Flames quick
" devoured a large part of the structure
and in a few hours landmark Of building
nrogress was an entire loss.
about thirty years ago a few manu-
facturers Of freproof material were able
10 make some buildings semi-freproof, A
few rooms could be made TO keep fire,
burning fercely among piles of paper and
highly infiammable factory products, from
spreading to other parts of the building.
But not all rooms could be rendered fire.
proof; hence no building was absolutely
hreproof
III the production of freproof material had
remained stationary the buildings of to-day
would not be much taller than those or the
SOS. Those. however, who make speclalty
Of this work have so forcefully demon
strated their claims and often under the
most unusual circumstances, that IT is no
cause for wonderment that one popular
hosiery in the heart Of old New YORK
carries not one cent of fire insurance. Inc
furniture and fixtures are insured. ana
also the possibility that water may damage
the walls and floors has not been over
looked, the entire structure being protected
by a heavy policy against damage ~
water Moreover the owners OF the oulio-
ing have safeguarded their realty asset IN
many other ways, but among all their
napers there is not one guaranteeing them
against fire loss on the structure Itself.
This is indeed. an exceptional Instance
NJ what 6reproofng material men have zone
toward the general advancement OF oulld-
ing in New York and elsewhere.
..yyith their help il has not only been pos
s,bIs 10 erect many thirty story structures
huf also a number of office buildings many
stories higher have been put up, and now
cononrise the tallest buildings In the world
"Dn Won know the name OF the indiVlouai
or nersons 10 whom unstinted praise Is due
FOR making material used in building aoso-
rteIv dreproof? If you DO you could tel
N. majority of persons something worth
i,,oaing The names Of these benefactors
should be writ in large letters on many
prominently located structures 90 'he pun
lie could read them"
Improved Entrances.
The speaker cited many other instances
-, huilding progress He added: Nearly
,,.arvhody remembers the first revolving
entrance door they saw in the office or
80, district Taller buildings and more
tenants under one roof were responsible Tor
this innovation.
with the old style doors swinging on
hinges the entrance halls or big oulldinss
were like refrigerators on wintry days
damp and gloomy on rainy days and stunV
in the hot season Of the year
III the doors swung too heavily frail per-
sons had a difficult time in getting In OF
out of the building; If they opened too
easily persons passing or seeking TO enter
the building were frequently hit oy the
doors and seriously hurt. AT times the
claims for damages filed against owners
OF buildings as a result OF just such accl'
dents were large and considerably reduced
the earning power Of the structures
"By the use of the revolving doors the
main entrance OF an office, loft or nos
,lery can now be right at the puliolhs
line. Here is big saving OF space AS
snace on Manhattan Island Is more Vaiu-
able than I'm any other place In this couh-
try that fact will afford an idea OF no"
much revolving doors have benefited own
.rs and helped to keep tenants more COM
winds Of winter hurting through the COZ
r,dors and halls of the buildings no"
this modern building convenience has oeeh
improved since its appearance In Ne"
York!
..Tbs latest style doors are revoiVed oS
electricity or other motive power l"o>e
nassing through the doors are able ny
nu.hing to slightly increase the speed vi
the turning doors, but not enough 10 hu'
per.ons behind or going In another olrec-
ton of their feet, thus saving every o"e
f,ono nossible serious injury.
The 'pinwheel' style door, "hlch re
volv.d several times a second II person
heavily pressed against one OF the "ihs''
"a seldom used nowadays. Too may per-
sons were painfully hurt by them.
"yUba, q task IL was, too, for any HUSKY
neyson 20 take down or put up one OF thoSt
original style revolving doors The ia'eS'
production of the manufacturers OF theee
door. ,s almost a marvel OF perfectloh'
They can be hung or removed In re" Sec
on6s. They can be kept In good oroer' .oo'
AZ less cost than ever before. Besioes' 'n.'
can n. changed In a twinkle TO Iooh NM
an ordinary door or permanent rai".
or.ned door II will thus be seen th0'
nroyre,s In building lines In about the ias'
tb,rtv wears. a period OF much Importance
,r ,ha reality history Of the greater CITY
has been general"