236 Transactions of the American Institute. 



forming a solid floor only three or four inches thick, consisting of 

 artificial stone on a strong skeleton of wrought iron, which is fire- 

 proof. On this is laid, if desired, a floor of boards. Partitions are 

 made by setting up a row of rough hard-wood strips with spaces 

 between them, and, with the aid of boards placed temporarily on each 

 side, plaster of Paris is introduced, which solidifies, forming a solid 

 stone wall, one and a half or two inches thick, with its wooden 

 skeleton. Thus the walls and floors are not only solid without 

 spaces, but they are non-inflammable. Such buildings are little more 

 expensive than our combustible structures. 



I remember I was once passing the Palais Royale in Paris, when a 

 fire broke out in a room in the second story, used as a restaurant. I was 

 at that time, like other young men, very much interested in fires, 

 although I was not a member of a fire company, and I ran to the 

 scene of action. I was very much struck with the difference in the 

 circumstances of a fire there and at home. Several times I was com- 

 pelled to take to my heels to escape the police, who charged on the 

 crowd of spectators to secure men to pass buckets of water. Instead 

 of a steam fire engine, I noticed a very pompous body of men com- 

 ing down the street with a hand engine apparently about the capacity 

 of one of our garden engines, and instead of having such a suction 

 hose as we are accustomed to see attached to our engines to draw 

 water from the hydrants, the water was actually brought from a 

 hydrant a block distant in a barrel on wheels, and poured into the 

 engine, which could hardly throw a stream to the second floor. 



I was utterly astonished not to see the entire building wrapped in 

 flames. And yet the only loss sustained was the furniture and con- 

 tents of this one room. The reason was that the partitions were 

 solid, the floors were solid, and any room might be burned out, and 

 rarely set the building on fire. 



And as I went away from that fire I moralized over it. At first I 

 •was inclined to ridicule the French pompiers (pumpers). But on 

 second thought, remembering that prevention is better than cure, I 

 concluded that they exhibited their wisdom in making their build- 

 ings so fire-proof as to need no steam fire engines or efficient hose 

 companies. 



We have attacked this question from the rear, a tergo ; we began 

 by providing a most efficient fire department ; though lately we have 

 secured a very good fire ' and building law, and shall by its enforce- 

 ment greatly diminish the dangers of fire. Still much remains to be 



