A WARNING.

Evening Star, Issue 3298, 15 September 1873, Page 3

A WARNING.

To the Editor.

Sib,— Through the columns of the Evening Star I wish to draw the attention of the Insurance Companies to a building that is now being erected in the Cutting ; not but the building will be strong and safe enough for the purpose it is intended for, but in the event of a fire taking place it is a dangerous building—a trap—and would probably be fatal to everyone within its walls. The back portion of the building is of one storey ; and 1 am informed that the front is to be three storeyed. Now, to carry the front portion of the building the height intended, two large beams, each supported by five cast-iron pillars, are placed across the lower storey, and upon these beams the back and front walls of the building are erected ; and, of course, those cast-iron pillars have to support the greater portion of the building. Now, it is a well known fact that in case of fire cast-iron pillars give way from different causes, and it is impossible to calculate when they will give way. There may be flaws in them, or they may be too weak for the weight they have to support. Throwing cold water on them when heated may cause an immediate fracture, and down comes the whole fabrication upon those firemen that happen to be in the building—caught like rats in a trap. Firemen will cheerfully enter a building on fire when they know that the upper storeys are supported by wooden pillars, for they know that such pillars will give timely warning of danger, while iron ones will not. Firemen, as a rule, are taught to get as near as possible to the burning material with the branch pipe ; but when it is known that the upper stories are supported by cast-iron pillars, and the building is once fairly on fire, they are nob permitted to enter —therefore the difficulty and danger of extinguishing fires in buildings of this class are increased. The following is a very clear proof of the inability of cast-iron to resist the effects of fire :—A chapel in Liverpool road, Islington, 70ft in length and 52ft m breadth, took place in a cellar on the 2nd October, 1848, and was completely burned down. After the lire it was ascertained that of thirteen cast iron pillars used to support the galleries, only two remained perfect; the greater part of the others were broken into small pieces, the metal appearing to have lost all power of cohesion, and some parts were melted. It should be observed that these pillavs were of ample strength to support the galleries when filled by the congregatou, but when the fire reached them they crumbled under the weight of the timber only, lightened as it must have been by the progress of the fire.—l am, &c., A Fireman. Dunedin, Sept. 15.