Food For The Fiend

New York's business section - fliat part oí the city thut includes the uewest of modern fireproof buildings - is in great danger of being wiped oat by fire. Capitalista who furuish the rnoney that paya fot ereotíng these new buildings do not seem to realizo this fact, although the veteran chief of the fire departinent reiterates tliis statement abont ouce a year. Kead wfaat ho says. "That a big section of lower New York sorne day will be wiped out by fire is probable if existing conditious continue," Fire Chief Bonner said to a Press reporter. These conditions are the height of the buildings, tho material used in their coustructiou, the narrowness of tho streets and the inadequucy of tho water supply. It is a f a vori te argument that if worst canio to worst, buildings ahead of a bnrning área could be blown tip, as the farmer turas a dead furrow to check tho prairie fire. Thi.s tbeory is not advanced any more by intelligent men, says the chief. "We can fight a fire 125 f eet high, or ten stories. Ábove that we are well uigh helpless. They say that the modern tall fireproof building needs not as much rproteotion as the ordinary low structure. But the fireproof building is yet to be built. The communists couldn't destroy Paris in 1871 even by the use of barrels of petroleum. " Iu American buildings are all the necessities of a big, hot fire, without theaicl of a drop of petroleum. The large structures in foreign cities are built far more solidly than ours. Having fewer forests and less wood, European biiilderset along with littlo inside trim of wofld. Iron and stee) in these days have taken the place in thia country of masonry. Nothing withstands fire as well as a well constructed brick wall. Iron columns are covered with four inches of terra cotta or brick, which fire and water eau tear off in a short time. Then the stripped iron is left to warp and twist and tumble. I believe the covering should be eight inches. "With only ono night watchman in a building, in danger, jikeall mortals, of sudden sickness.or incapacity, and with no night elevator, a fire could get a good headway iu the upper floors of a 20 or 30 story building. Bursting out of the windows and fanned by a stroug wind. the llames could easilv learj the uarrow streets of lower New York and a fire of enormous extent and damage begiu. "I have ahvays opposed puttiDg a big building in City Hall park, believing that the time might come when that área, needful as a base of operations, would be the salvation of the city." Most of the new skyscrapers have fire fightiug appliauces of their own of more or Jess value. Tanks 011 the roof and in the cellar are supplied and kept full by various systetns, but these are as rnuch tor theordinary requirements of tenants as for possible use in fire. Sorue of the structures have staudpipesinsideor outside the wall. Legally there is no way of compelling the builders of what is called a "fireproof" building to put in more ihan the most ordinary fire applianees, eveu above the 125 foot line. Building a 20 story structure is rnuch like building a dweiling house in one respeot - there's always-deviations froni the plans and improvements upon them. For every alteration froai the drawings filed with the building department the pertnission of the board of examiners must be had. If the alterations are proper, consent is granted, but on condition that approved fire appliances be put in the building, particularly in the uppor stories. These iuclude a stipulation that at least one elevator shail be ready to run at auy time in the uight in order that the firemen eau get up and down quickly; the putting of hose and fire buckets on each floor, and, usual Jy, a standpipe, with couplings for each floor. When the builders consent to add these equiprnents and others deemed necessary, including a competent night watch service, perruission is granted to make the alterations. This applies, of course, only to buildings under construction recentiy. Of those already up there is small hope unless the underwriters' offer of lower premiums appeal sufficiently to the pocketbook. To the end that the fire resistance of building materials shall be known positively, fire tests have been made uuder the supervisión of the superintendent of buildings. Three such public exhibitions already have been held, and they will be continued at intervals through the ■winter.' When finished, Superintendent Constable will make a report to the board of examiners. The cry for more water in the lower part of the city has been insistent for years. Many have been the plans for reservoirs at the Battery and on either side half a rnile or a mile up streain. Every time au extra line of pipe has been laid with the object of furnishing the needed surplus it has been tappec up town. The fire and building depart rnents hope that the two 48 inch mains being laid in Fifth avenue will be left for the relief of the section below Cham bers street. Chief Bonner says the Forty second street reservoir should notbedis turbed until water is flowingundivertec through these rnains to the locality that needs it most and for which it is in tended. That New York will be brought face to face with grave peril froni the 30 Storied structures unless precautions plentiful and timely are taken is no doubted by those who have studied the problem of maintaining safety witl mcuntainous firebrands in narrow i strets. -