Hartman Testifics to Practicability of NonCombustible \(/ood in Shipbuildins

Appearing before the senate commerce committee on May 19 on the pending safety at sea legislation Ernest F. Hartman stressed the need of wood in ship construction to secure protection against fire.

With one inch of wood giving an insulating value equal to seven inches of ,con,crete it was pointed out that conflagrations can be guarded against only by better fnsulation of the structural members of ships. Weight, so all .important in the superstru,cture of ships, was stressed as one reason for the preference of wood by shipbuilders and shipowners. Mr. Hartman pointed out the experience of the British and Fren,ch who acknowledge it has been found impracti,cable to eliminate wood in cabin spaces for reasons of comfort, condensation, conduction of heat and cold and prevention of noise, but who require such wood to be noncombustible. As examples that a similar course ha'd been followed in building the United States liners "Manhattan" and "Washington," he called attention to the entirely satisfactory results on these ships.

The attention of the senate committee r,vas called also to the necessity of insuring against the passage of smoke into the corridors and the need of requiring doors to be equal in fire resistatrce to that of the wall or bulkhead in which they are placed. Records of the National Bureau of Standards and Columbia 'University, covering tests for,fire resistance and srnoke passage, were submitted on doors constructed of fireproofed wood. Actual results in fires were also submitted to show the superiority of wood doors as against doors made of other materials in preventing the spread and passage of fire and smoke, as well as preventing high transmitted temperatures.

Mr. Hartman took exception to requirements calling for steel or "shall be of metal," suggesting that in lieu thereof "material and construction suitable for the exposure" would give consideration to new materials as yet unknou,n which on the morrow may demonstrate their fitness.

He urged that the United States Bureau of Marine In- spection and Navigation be empowered to make rules and regulations and that congress limit itself to passing an enabling act that will make it possible for the United States, as regards 'construction and operation of all sea going ships, to be placed on a parity with other more advanced maritime nations.

Mr. Hartman is president of the Protexol Corporation, Kenilworth, N. J. His voluntary appearan'ce in behalf of the lumber industry was fortunate. He was probably the only wood-minded individual to attend the "exploratory fire tests" on the S. S. "Nantasket" capable of analyzing the value of the tests on whi.ch Senate Bill 1916 is based. As chairman of the committee on fire-proofing of the American Wood Preservers Association and as a member of committee C-5 on fire tests of materials and construction, American Society for Testing Materials, his appearance as a technician was most opportune.

Mrs. Edith L. Nicholson

Mrs. Edith L. Nicholson, wife of E. A. Nicholson, formerly president of the Pacific Door & Sash Co., passed away of a heart ailment at Winterhaven, near Holtville, Saturday, June 19.

Mrs. Nicholson was a member of a pioneer Southern California family and was born in El Monte in 1881. She was a graduate of the old Los Angeles Normal School and had taught school in Los Angeles.

She is survived by her husband; two sons, Francis and William; four daughters, Dorothy and Marion Quinn, Mrs. Ralph Collette of Los Angeles, and Mrs. Kenneth Shipp of Berkeley. Six sisters and three brothers, residents of Los Angeles, also survive.

Funeial services were held in Hollywood, Wednesday morning, lune 23.