Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/293

 ‘Aprin 5, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 275 punity allow vegetable and animal oils to be stored or employed in proximity to fibrous or porous - articles. These classes of substances should be separated to the greatest possible extent. Ship- owners, and those who have occasion to store coal in large bulk, may prevent spontaneous combustion by selecting varieties shown by analysis to be free from excessive proportions of sulphur, and, espe- cially, by purchasing only dry coals. Should sul- phurous coals become wet, the occurrence of a fire at any part of the mass is detected by keeping a few long iron rods in the heap, withdrawing these occasionally, and noticing whether or not they are hot; in the latter case cutting down to and extin- guishing the fire. Fire developed by the friction of machinery occurs only through the grossest inatten- tion. 2. As to the avoidance of fires caused by direct communication of flame, it is evident, as already indicated, that nearly all might be prevented by the exercise of a little intelligence. Indeed, for every fire to which an engine is called, probably many are thus prevented. Still, a vast number do occur. On reconsideration it will be seen that the sources of artificial heat and light—stoves, candles, lamps, and gas-burners, and the lucifer matches with which these are kindled, are also the sources of almost all mischief by fire. Fires resulting from the ignition of wood fixed near a stove or running into a chim- ney are not so common in recent years as before the modern Building Acts were passed; but in old dwellings, factories, and warehouses, such sources of danger may be suspected. They should be carefully sought, and any possible communication of fire prevented by the insertion of a layer or pad of non-conducting material—such as common brick or mortar—between them and the source of heat. Woodwork unavoidably near to stoves, hot flues, chandeliers, and “‘ sun-bnrners,” should also be well covered by mortar; indeed, any woodwork liable to be fired by sparks or the momentary contact of flame may be similarly treated. All fixed stoves should be mounted on slabs of stone, slate, or brick- work, which are incombustible. Small portable gas- stoves for warming baths or apartments will inevi- tably cause the charring of boards or oilcloth over which they are placed, unless a sheet of tin or other heat reflector be so fixed beneath the burner, and so kept from contact with the wood below by three or four little knobs or feet, as toinsure the occurrence of a layer ofair between the tin and the flooring. The precautions necessary to prevent the immediate or close contact of stoves, closed or open, with combustible materials will suggest the precautions which should be observed with candles and lamps, which are more dangerous than stoves to just the extent to which they are carried about instead of being fixed, or placed in insecure instead of secure positions. Jointed gas- brackets should never be fixed where liable to be pushed against combustible articles, One or more lightning conductors should be so attdched to all high buildings that the nearest points to a passing cloud are the ends of the conductors themselves. They must be of metal, and may be constructed of iron rod #in. thick, or of common iron gas-piping lin. or more in diameter. There must be perfect metallic connection throughout their whole length, as few bends as possible, and their lower ends must dip 2ft. or 3ft. into the ground. Two or three rods well connected with the rain-water pipes of a house form a good system of lightaing conductors. 3. Any allusion to the best means of preventing fires which result from actual heedlessness would resolve itself into a recommendation to householders, warehousemen, factory-owners, farmers, shopkeepers, and the managers or custodians of public buildings to do their ordinary duties of intelligent oversight. 4. Probably the only method of checking incen- diarism would be to hold an inquest in all cases of fires of suspicious or doubtful origin in the manner proposed in the Fires Bill now before Parliament. Such investigations are carried out in most cities on the Continent. How to prevent the extension of fire is a question of not less importance than how to prevent its oc- currence, for ‘‘behold how great a matter a little fire Kindleth.” Fuel, air, and a high temperature are necessary to the existence of fire; remove either, and combustion ceases. As regards fuel, if a burn- ing article is or can be separated from other com- bustible articles, it may safely be left to burn itself out; in a word, whether an article, a room, a house, or a block be on fire, isolation from other articles, rooms, houses, or blocks must be the one leading object kept in view. Muslin and similar fabrics may be rendered uninflammable by rinsing in a solution of tungstate of sodium before drying and finishing, and where such materials are liable to contact with foot- lights or other flames the adoption of the process will prevent fire extending from one part of a dress to another; but as a rule the isolation of such things as a curtain or a bale of cotton by hustling them into a grate or a yard respectively is a more practicable proceeding, while fire which has attacked clothes on the person is otherwise extinguished. In view of isolation in respect to fire, architects and builders should, as far as possible, avoid running the joists or other woodwork of one room into another. In- ternal and party walls should be made wholly of bricks and mortar, which are the only fireproof materials that are trustworthy. These walls should be carried from the ground upwards, and through and above the roof with as few doorways or other apertures as possible. The door- ways of warehouse apartments should be closed by double doors of iron, so hung as to be free to expand laterally and vertically when heated, and with two or three feet of space—that is, of air—between them, for a layer of air is an excellent non-conductor of heat. With respect to ceilings and floors, these are less easily constructed of fireproof materials, and, therefore, the isolation as regards fire of any one room from those above and beneath is more difficult than from those on either side. A perfect fireproof floor cannot be constructed in the present state of our knowledge, for the supporting bars must be of wood or iron; wood is combustible, while iron ex- pands and forees walls asunder, sometimes occasion- ing more damage than is directly produced by the fire. Moreover, under fire iron and other metals may melt, or when suddenly cooled by a jet of water an iron pillar or girder may snap, producing the collapse of a whole edifice. The nearest approach to a fire- proof floor which a chemist could countenance for warehouses and large buildings would be one in which long, low, brick arches were thrown from longitudinal beams of strong non-resinous wood well covered with mortar or other silico-calcareous plaster. Stone should be avoided, for under flame it either chips and exfoliates or is calcined to powder and blown away. With such floors as those just men- tioned, and, therefore, with such ceilings, and with apertures closed by double iron doors, any fire might be isolated in the room in which it broke out. Ex- cessive size in the rooms of factories and warehouses and extra large blocks of warehouses should be avoided, isolation of fires being thus rendered easier and loss correspondingly diminished. Isolation of fires is also, of course, much facilitated if combustible and incombustible, or the more or less inflammable materials, are not indiscriminately stored together. Clearly the supply of gas to a building should be stopped at the main tap when not being burnt, for many a dying fire has been resuscitated by gas flaming from a melted pipe. To arrest fire by pre- venting access of air, without which it cannot live a moment, is not often practicable; still, a flaming article of furniture, wearing apparel on or off the person, or a burning board, may rapidly be covered by a hearthrug, counterpane, blanket, curtain, or overcoat, and thus air be excluded, and conseqnently the fire extinguished. If people would reflect that the extinguisher of a candle acts in this way, they would be better able to apply their knowledge at a critical moment. The action of instruments termed fire-annihilators, &c.,, depends on the exclusion of air from the fire. They belch out gas of a kind and in a manner resembling that of a suddenly opened bottle of well-charged soda-water or cham- pagne, and the stream being directed on to a flaming article snrrounds it as by a blanket, and thus ex- cludes air. A similar incombustible gas is generated during ordinary combustion ; hence the extension of fire ina chimney, cupboard, cabin, or small room may be prevented if, by closing doors, windows, or other apertures, the exit of this gas and the entrance of fresh air be avoided. Water, however, is our greatest friend in ease of fire. Matter in a state of combustion it isolates from adjacent combustible matter by rendering uninflammable intermediate combustible material. It wraps burning bodies as in a sheet, or in an atmosphere of steam, and thus pre- vents access of that fuel of fuel—air. Thirdly, like the wire-gauze of a safety-lamp, it reduces the tem- perature of burning substances to a point at which they will no longer burn. Only burning oil, because it floats on water, cannot be quenched by water ; its flame is best smothered by sand or any loose earth, a good quantity of which mechanically prevents further access of air, and therefore further combus- tion. Still, wherever fire is possible, water should be close at hand. A little knowledge exercised by a thoughtful mind would obviously prevent the occurrence or the serious extension of most fires, but for those which get be- yond lay control the public, ever willing to pay for such insurance, has a right to demand that the police, the telegraph authorities, water companies, and fire brigades shall act in perfect harmony and with the utmost efficiency, having the one object in view of completely extinguishing a fire in the shortest possible amount of time. : eed BENEFIT BUILDING SOCIETIES COMMISSION. ene second report of the Commissioners ap- pointed to inquire into Friendly and Benefit Building Societies has just been issued. So far as it refers to the latter class of societies, the recom- mendations of the Commission are summed up as follows :— 1. We think that the form of the building society (the prefix “benefit ” might usefully be suppressed), as distinct from the joint-stock company, should be maintained, 2. The law on the subject should be consolidated and amended. 3. Building societies should continue to be registered with the registrar of friendly societies. There should be one registrar for the United Kingdom, with assistants in Edin- burgh and Dublin. 4. Before certification, rules should be deposited with some local authority, notice being given of the fact in the newspapers, so as to allow of objections being lodged with the registrar. 5. The registrar should have a limited discretion in certifying. 6. His decision should be subject to an appeal to one of the superior courts. 7. The registrar’s certificate should be provisional only until confirmed, or if no appeal be lodged, until the lapse of the period limited for appealing. 8. The registrar’s certificate, when confirmed, or if no appeal be lodged, after the lapse of the period limited for appealing, or the certificate of the Court on appeal, should be conclusive of the legality of rules. 9. The certificate of registration should carry corporate powers. 10. Without prejudice to the general question of exemptions, we think that the exemption from stamp duty on mortgages should be limited to securities for sums not exceeding £200. 11. The privilege of paying small sums on nomination or on intestacy without letters of ad- ministration should be raised to a maximum of £50 12. The privilege of priority against the estates of deceased debtors should be abolished. 13. Means should be provided for enabling building societies to, register as companies or as industrial and provident societies. 14. In addition to the matters now speci- fied in section 11 of the Bill, the rules should con- tain provisions—1. As to whether there shall be any power to borrow, and to what extent, so that it be exercised within the limits fixed by law. 2. As to whether preferential capital may be issued, and if so, within what limits. 3. As to withdrawals and redemptions. 15. The schedules to the Bill should contain—1l. Forms of rules (three at least). 2. Seales for repayment. 3. Tables for calculating re- demption values, &c. 4. Forms of account (three at least). 16, The forms of account alone should be made compulsory. 17. The limit of the borrow- ing power should be two-thirds of the total value of the amounts for the time being secured on mort- gage, or as an alternative for terminating societies, six months’ subscriptions ; but societies which take no interest on their advances should be forbidden to contract loans. 18. Societies should be required to produce their mortgages to the auditors. 19. The registrar should be invested with power—l. To audit accounts on the request of a society. 2. To settle disputes on request by both parties. 3. To wind up societies under certain conditions on the vote of a meeting. 20. Legal remedies should be given for enforcing the right of withdrawal against the society. 21. Theenforcement of the law should be secured by an efficient system of penalties. 22. The Bill should be harmonised with the laws of Scotland and Ireland, and amended as far as neces- sary for that purpose. 23. A few additional matters might be provided for—in particular, joint-member- ship. eee COMPETITIONS. Cuurcn or S. Paut, SanpGare.—Mr. Morley, architect, Mr. J. Gardner and Mr. Stallwood, architects, of Folkestone, at the invitation of the vicar and churchwardens, submitted designs for a new tower to be erected at the S.W. corner of this church, as a memorial in commemoration. of the recovery of the Prince of Wales. The committee at a recent meeting accepted the design submitted by Mr. Stallwood. New Presbyterian Cuurcu, Lrverroor.—The design bearing the motto ‘‘ We Fight to Win,” has been selected by the Committee in limited competition for this church, and is to be executed, the authors being Messrs. T. E. Murray and G. H. Thomas, architects, Liverpool.