To the Editor of the "Norrn-Cuixa Datty News."
Sin,—Under the above heading in your issue of January 28 last is a report of a fire in Alexander Buildings, Yuenmingyuen Road—cause of fre supposed to be sparks or heat from a defective flue.
-It seems to me that two-thirds of the fires in Shanghai are caused by defective fines. I am not a building expert, nor an authority on chimney flues, but from what I have seen of the building of chimneys in Shanghai, I would class them as a rough hole left in the brick work of no uniform size, with a half brick now and again projecting out into the open space. Should a rat happen to run up one of the so-called chimneys,, there would be no result from trying to smoke it out, because it can generally get through the shoddy work into the main building. and so use the Shanghai chimney from either end asa main thoroughfare to the remainder of the building.
On one occasion I had to demolish a chimney of a new building. as a tenant, and at my own expense, owing to smoke nuisance, as it was found impossible ta use a fire, or even a stove running into the chimney.
On examining the chimney at the eave of the building I saw that a sharp outward bend had taken place. This bend was to clear one of the purlings, and all that was between the wood and the flue was a Chinese roofing tile half an inch thick.
To put a stop to such defective flues in the future, I would suggest that the P. W. D. should take the matter 1m at once, and if necessary have building rules to the effect that no plans he passed for houses with flues inside their walls, foreign or Chinese. unless the chimneys are provided with a flue pipe, nronerly jointed, composed ut cement, fire clay, or some other incombustible matter, and of a thickness not less than one and half inches.
These tubes made of cement are not expensive, and are of great advantage to the draught and aniiness of the chimney.
The whole of the chimney right from the arch over the fireplace clean out at the top. if fitted with fine tubes, would render the danger of fire from sparks or heat impossible.
The tubes most © lo for all purposes. ere of oval shape. say six by nine inches inside measurement, and this size of flue is large: eneuch for any dwelling howse. 1 have used them at home and am using them at the present time with the best results. I have a few spare tubes from a building re-he cently completed, and would pleased to show them to any one: interested.
Tam, ete.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.