Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-27
INSURANCE RULING MAY HALT
CONSTRUCTION P0AERLEAU 81 DC

III the suggestions contained in the
letter that has been received from
the New England Insurance EN-
| change Of Boston by City Solicitor
Frank Plumstcad are followed by the
| city government at the next meet
ing, Harry f. Pomerleau will not be
| allowed to continue the construction
of the building that he now proposes
| to erect on the Bonnie lot on Main
, street, the erection of which was
| stopped short time ago by Building
, Inspector Thomas Simpson on order
| of the city government. Mr.. Plum
stead has received a letter from the
| Exchange which indicates that il is
u" belief of tho engineer for the EN-
! change, John s. Caldwell, that the
| building as proposed is not of such
| a nature as would meet with the APP
prevail of the National Board of Fire
Underwriters. This matter was re-
lferred to the Exchange by Mr.. Plum
7 stead for an opinion as a question as
to the Interpretation of the Water
| Vile building code was brought to
the front at a hearing which was
held recently in the office of Ma OF
! Finnimorc. 1t was the Exchange
that. when the quest ION of adopting d
code for the city some time ago. fur
nished the city with copy of a uni
| form code which had been adopted in
many cities and the major part of
which was adopted here. 1t was Tor
this reason that the question of in
, depreciation was put to the Ex-
change. II is in this way that many
cities now have ordinances that are
satisfactory to the insurance inter-
csts with the result that better class
ificdton and rates can be secured.
Mr.. Plumstcad wrote to the Ex-
chancg on the 18th of December as
follows:
"The matter of issuing permit for
the erection of n building on the west
side of Main street in this city, with
in the fire limits, has been referred to
me IS city solicitor.
Il have the letter of John S. Cald-
we'll to E. W. Crawford. our city en-
gineer, date December Sth 1921. bear
file with the building inspector show
the building to be twenty three ieet
on Main street and running back
forty feet. seventeen feet high on the
front with cornice and ornamental
ton four feet higher. and sloping
back to height of twelve feet at the
rear end. This building is to be con-
structed of an iron frame and cover
ed o. the outside with "a guage sheet
iron and on the inside with 3-16 inch
asbestos wall board fastened to the
angle iron. leaving a two inch air
space between the wall board and the
sheet iron covering. The roof is to be
galvanized and the floor is to be hard
wood. The extension above the roof
and the cornice are to be constructed
of metal. The floor beams and stills
are of wood and are supported by
three inch iron pipe filed with con-
crete which rests upon the ledge
which is from four to six feet below
the surface of the ground.
The outside covering will extend
into the ground so that there will be
no communication with the interior
of the building except through the
outer covering. This building, if
erected, will abut q two-story wood
en- building one one side and be about
twenty-four feet of brick building
on the other side.
"Our building code is not explicit
in regard to buildings of metal con-
structon and we would like to know
if building of the above type would
meet the approval of the National
Board of Underwriters. Any infor-
nation YOU can give will be greatly
appreciated"
The reply of the Exchange was to
the effect that building of the type
described in Mr.. Plumstead's letter
comes under the heading of skel; ton
construction which, the letter says,
would require Pinch material to be
OF either stone, brick, concrete or
terra Gotta. The reply of the ~
change is as follows in part: THE
fact that wooden sills are to e u I'd
to support the metal framework fur
Their clinches the argument against
permitting the building to be erect
cd owing to the fact that combps-
tible materials enter into the con-
struction of the walls" 1t Is the be-
lief of the Exchange that the build
ing Is not of q nature that would
meet with the approval of the Ma