90 



and cobwebbed beams al- 

 most inviting a fire. The 

 feeling of absolute security 

 from fire which such a con- 

 struction as this presents will 

 appeal to those who have 

 suffered from the over- 

 heated furnace or defective 

 flue. In cities where the 

 building department is se- 

 vere, and requires that ceil- 

 ings of basements be furred 

 and lathed with wire lath 

 and plastered, there is not 

 so much danger; but this oc- 

 curs in only the larger cities. 

 In the smaller places and in 

 the country, where fire pro- 

 tection is least, no require- 

 ments whatever are made, 

 and no precautions taken to 

 prevent a fire in the worst 

 possible place in the whole 

 house. 



HOMES AND GARDENS 



August, 





12- 



-House of Mr. W. J. Steel, at New Dorp, Staten Island, is Constructed with Hollow Block Walls 

 and Reinforced Concrete Roof and Floors 



'Aft 



u 



II I JZ 



I'll' i r 



<5£CO/vn>JLooc2 



1 3 — The Plans Present an Arrangement of Rooms Equal to Those of Frame Construction 



1 4 — Skilled Labor is Not Required to Make the Hollow Concrete Block of Which the House is Built 



The fact that there is 

 nothing to burn about the 

 building might also lessen 

 the insurance, and in some 

 cases it might be disre- 

 garded entirely; but no cau- 

 tious owner would neglect 

 taking out insurance on at 

 least the contents of the 

 house, which are just as 

 combustible as in other 

 houses. The proximity of 

 other houses would deter- 

 mine whether there was 

 danger from external fire 

 entering the doors or win- 

 dows, but this is a circum- 

 stance which rarely occurs 

 except in densely built-up 

 sections. 



It has been said that the 

 interior partitions are of six- 

 inch blocks, which makes an 

 extremely strong partition. 

 Sufficient strength would 



