STRUCTURAL STEEL AND STEEL-FRAME BUILDINGS. 147 
the fire, it is being rapidly refitted for store and office occupation. 
The Western Pacific Bank reoccupied its old quarters on the first 
floor of this building almost immediately after the fire. 
FIREPROOFING. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS. 
It can be truthfully stated that perfect fireproofing of buildings 
in San Francisco, even in those of the newest and most modern 
type, was the exception and not the rule. The bent or broken 
columns and the distorted or disfigured steel girders in many of 
the burned buildings demonstrate this fact (PL XXVII, B). 
Wherever structural-steel framework was covered with fireproofing 
material of the best design, executed with conscientious, skillful 
workmanship, the steel remained uninjured after the fire. 
The lessons taught by the great Chicago and Baltimore fires had 
been applied by but few of the architects of San Francisco, on 
account of cost restrictions insisted on by owners, and very much 
of the damage inflicted on these high-class structures during the 
conflagration is directly traceable to the imperfect fireproofing put 
in, or to the entire absence of fireproofing. Some of the failures were 
evidently and directly attributable to poor workmanship. 
CONCRETE. 
There are two opposing parties in the matter of fireproofing in 
San Francisco — those who have favored the hollow-tile system, 
and those who believe in concrete as the best fireproofing material. 
The Bekins Van and Storage Company's warehouse, the only build- 
ing of considerable size in the city constructed of reen forced con- 
crete, has already been mentioned as resisting the action of the earth- 
quake and fire. In this building the concrete acted as a perfect 
fireproofing protection for the steel. 
Good Portland-cement concrete has won a triumph for itself in 
fireproofing in San Francisco, for wherever well made and properly 
laid upon the steel girders or columns, it protected the metal. In 
very hot fires the exterior portions were disintegrated, and in some 
places the whole mass was cracked, necessitating removal, but the fire- 
proofing it furnished during the conflagration was excellent. Exami- 
nation showed also that it protected well against rust. The heat to 
which it was subjected was very great, in places common mortar 
being fused and ironwork in walls melted. 
The steel beams and girders in the St. Francis Hotel, the Mer- 
chants' Exchange, the Mutual Savings Bank, and other similar 
structures that were thoroughly fireproofed with concrete endured 
the fire exceedingly well. 
