Evening star., 1928-06-17
F|REMEN TO WATCH
AS BUILDINGS BURN
Two Downtown Structures
Doomed to Test Resist
ance OF Safes.

For the first time In American his
| tory, so far as known, the fire and police
| departments of great city were con
centyating men and apparatus her,
early this morning to watch a spec
tacular fire of major proportions delib-
| erately started and allowed to burn two
large buildings to the ground In the
| business section
Seventeen pieces of fire apparatus
$50 firenan and more than 80 police
men began gathering from differen
sections OF Washington soon after mid
night In several blocks surrounding two
old buildings formerly occupied by the
seed store of F. w. Bolgiano g. Co, al
1909 Little b street,
The fire and police details were as
signed to watch the flames consume the
buildings. and prevent its spread.
Test of Resistance.
The fire was planned for the purpose
OF testing the fire resisting qualities of
safes and other record containers and
to measure the intensity and duratien
OF fires In buildings. It was one Of ths
most unusual Investigations ever un-
oertaken oy research laboratory any
where
The structures were among those
condemned to clear a site for the erec-
ton OF new Government buildings In
the Pennsylvania avenue triangle.
Every precaution was taken to nre-
vent spread of the fire and to keep or
der among the spectators.
CHIEF George S Watson of the Fire
department said last night he had
never heard of anything of the kind be-
fore. '~
Eight engines, six hose wagons. two
LADDER trucks and the water tower were
detailed to the scene.
All salvageable material had been
removed from the two buildings and
waste lumber and other combustibles
were placed within them to Simulate
conditions which would have prevailed
nao the usual business equipment OF
furniture, fixtures and records been
present.
Thermometers Attached.
Thirty-five safes and containers of
oifterent makes were placed at different
points In the buildings and filed with
useless records OF a typical nature.
Each safe and container was equipped
with thermometer and devices to
record the highest temperature reached
within each and the moment of i'm
pact as 1t falls through the burned
out floors into the debris below.
Inermo-couples, with leads extend
ing 10 protected place near the burn
ing buildings, were set to record tenn
peratures at so points in the open
spaces within the buildings, while 1t
was peing measured at As points In
the debris.
When the safes and record containers
nave cooled sufficiently the results WIFI
be transcribed from the recording in
struments and entered In the records
OF the Bureau Of Standards with other
observations made by experts,
AFTER the complete data have been
assembled and interpreted the results of
the unique test will be made available
10 manufacturers of safes. engineerg
architects and others. Several irlgur-
ance companies from out OF the city.
nearing OF the unusual event, have sent
men here to watch what happens.
Save Wrccking Cost.
The Bureau Of Standards has been
making tests OF safes and record con-
tanners Tor several years, but ali previous
studies Of this kind have Seen con-
Quoted In small buildings. 1t has not
heretofore been found feasible 10 make
sucn tests during the actual burning OF
Q IuL-sfzed ron-resistive structure.
Consequently there has been o lack of
data covering this important type of
risk which the investigations OF this
morning are expected to supply.
As the test was planned In the Sec
ton occupied by municipal markets
and other business structures. the city
authorities requested that the fire be
started Sunday morning In order that
plans for police and fire protection
might be carried out without inter-
ference
The tests have been made possible
through the permission Of city officials.
the Treasury Department. which au-
taorized the burning of the buildings,
and manufacturers who contributed the
safes and record containers. Incl
dentally. the fire VIII save the Govern
ment the cost OF removing the buildings.