Show SAFEGUARD AGAINST FIRE the time has come tor for builders and architects to look further than mere mechanical safeguards against overloads and stresses in planning and erecting buildings of all kinds said robert beck president of the longacre engineering construction company in the new york journal ot of commerce they should give attention to definite protection against the spread ot of ire fire we are every year burning up property worth something in excess of 0 a sum more than sufficient to build the panama canal and in reducing this huge aggregate ol of values to inconsequential ashes we sacrifice thousands of lives there are no detailed records available but it is estimated by the national board of fire underwriters that the fatalities total annually and that in addition some persons are inbur ed by burning this enormous waste of 0 human and material wealth is largely due to structural detects defects that can and should bo be corrected in new york and in other large cities where one finds flats fiats and tenements and where housing conditions have caused the conversion ot of the older dwellings into small apartments there have recently occurred many tires fires in which the loss ot life has been heavy architects should lead the way in educating the public as to tire fire resisting methods ot of construction |