The sun. [volume], January 04, 1914, THIRD SECTION, Image 21

About The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916

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third Section
eight pages
Real Estate Market News
Financial World Reports
Country Life, Poultry, Kennels
mt
NEW YORK, SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 1914 , Copyright, 1914, by the Hun Printing and PubtUihing Associate.
CITY'S FIRST SKYSCRAPER NOW BEING RAZED
Original Steel Frame
Building Lasted Only
Twenty-six Years but
Gave to New York
Pattern for AH Its
Great Structures
WKUCKKRS will finish within a
few daya taking down Now
York's first skyscraper. It Is
ISO feet high, l'luus Were
placed on Hie with the Bureau of
Jtullcllnc? last week for the proponed
lii-il(l:im of thu Pan-American Htntcs
A- ' elation to occupy n whole block
and to he SOI feet high, or CO feet
burlier than tho Woolworth tower,
illicit now hold; tho recorder height
among t buildings of tho world. It is
jie-t twenty-six years since the city was
thrilled hy tho announcement of n high
building to be erected under a new plan
of must ruction in which a steel frame
formed an essential part, and manv wero
the predictions of its failure. Nobody in
thrilled today by tho I'an-Americaii
building plans, for they mark a Htep only
toward th-j 1.0! foot building which
everyone believe it bound to come unless
th municipal authorities take action soon
on pe proposed height limitation.
Th story of thu old Tower llulldltiK is
cii of the best illnt nitiotiM that tan be
siven of the rapidity with which New
Vork city has moved during the last
quarter century. It e.une as an expert-1
ment caiinKl success in spite of general
ridicule hikI fhnllv formed a beginning
for nil high buildings of recent time.
Now it has outlivd its usefulness. It
cannot compete, with tho giants of its
own family r.nd, like all ancestors, it is
to be laid away in lt grave, which in this
caw is thu second hand material man's
yard
Steel frame buildings like the Tower
Iluikling and the Columbia Uuildiug,
which followed it two years InteV, re
Milted from the generally lecognlzed
Advantages of buildings higher than tho
live or six story otructures that prevailed
up to the last quarter of tho last century.
The Chicago lire had taught tho danger
of nun-llreproof buildings, and here in
Nr fork builderj felt tliat structures of
sucn height that firemen could not com
bat llres on upper stories would bo but
poor investments. It was at a time while
such ideas were uppermost in the minds
of. men lnj.eret.ted in tlm upbuilding of
New York that Iir.ulford l. Oilbert filed
the plans for the Tower Building at !o
llroadway
Up to about lfe'O low buildings had been
tho rulo also because of tho imperfection
of tho elevator. Up to that year there
wero few passenger elevators in the city.
The first elevators wero oporatcd by
contrivances which would attract as much
notice in this day as then. There wero
(treat iron screws which reached tho
rdiolo height of tho elevator well, passing
thiough the centre of the cars in a steel
sleeve The turning of tho screw raised
ur lowered thu cars. Tho elevators, ,wero
slow but Nife.
It was tho improvement in elevator ma
chinery in the 'Mis that actually made
the erection of high buildings possible.
Vp to that time there were a few ten story
structures equippisl with the old fashioned
types, but their operation was such as to
give little attraction to olllces on upper
stories on higher buildings, It also was
decreed about tint time that buildings
ot mole than six storien should bo fire
proof High buildings even at that, timoj
werenot popular bocuut.o In noti-llreproof
tvpos outer walls had to bo made so heavy
that the most valuable space on the
ground lloor was taken up and foundation
work wa unduly expensive. Thero was
gr at relief among builders: therefore
when t lie l ower Building was erected and
demonstrated its own success.
l'lans tor the structure were filed on
April 1". lsss, It has a frontage of 21 feet
ti inches and is ION feet long. It was in
tended to provide a llroadway connection
In 1 .11 lid In i. ttttili irnnlitr 11I711 ill V,w
t-'.n-fi The walls were built in novel form,
hi-'c.ul of solid brick walls vertical lines
cf r iron columns were placed at varying
il I'iccs up to about eighteen feet apart,
) "g at (lie foot of each line a cast iron
" Kiting on tho foundation walls at
itiM 1 .-ement lloor level. Some of these
olur is oMond up to the level of tho
" . . siory Hour and part extend to the
roof ,. t. T)10 columns are in lengths
torn .aiding with the heights of tho
various stories and are bolted together.
Jn tuj, f t, hoverith story columns rest
(in of wrought iron girders and from
'I1.1t int on to the top of the structure
w 1 k walls rise twenty inches thick
foi ,1 i"iglit thirty-two feet and then six
tten niches thiol: "for twenty-llvo feet.
ltolied beam girdet-H between tho up.
right columns and connected to them at
11 tloor level up to the seventh support
th Honrs and carry tho weight of the
, twelve inches thick and built of
I'"- hove tho soventh floor tho walls
hi. ,d themselves, tho stool in this part
'l I i milling being merely for bracing
tl" ''ours and elevator shafts, The upper
ai- ie,iy tsan old fashioned brick build
in: pueiii on top of tho Hteol skeleton
I' pan llraciug against wind press-
is 1,101 uUti 4iv ili.irrnniLt steel braces
il lietweeii ivich of tho vertical col
s njid so constructed us to tnuisfer to
tin
r.
nidations a possible Wind pressure
el .
ot hi .
ins such as would be in a hurricane
v miles an hour.
hi-ation of tho t lino of the erection
01 I ,..
I building tells the interesting
Hnrj
'i the building laws did not pro
MM.
Ho 1
i.f
l"i
Il'll
of any such composite construction,
'H Heat ion of tho architect to build
I ei before tho Hoard of Htntnincrs
liluig Department, which was a
1 ii'powcrcd by Viw to grant or
1 1 iicailiiiis in cases wliero pro
' ' the law ilid not directly nnnlv
lnio uu equally jfood or ,dcuirabj
WHILE
METROPOLITAN TOWER.
MADISON AVE,ANJD.2T-HST.
SO STORIES,
6?3 FEET, iqP7.
3
' Mb.
S flrr-- Ilk tots bw
jafflBfrigmm
m m m mmm
m m m - in itt m
UlUUl JUUL .WUJUU.SUU.
mmm mm hi
Jff cOl-UMBiA BLD6,
BROADWAY.
2 32 TORIES,
2 5 FEET
I
warn
Twenty-five years progress in the
form of construction was proposed rtlmn
that required by the law. William J.
Kryer, who was n member of that board,
writint! later, said that lio well remem
bered tho discussion evoked In tho hoard
when Mr. Gilbert's plans wero presented
LAST YEAR'S BUILDING.
Vmr Ilelow An- Prrlud Since 100,
When t.eilr Wrut Into KftVct.
Statistics of building operations In
th Horough of Manhattan for the year
1913, an given out by Uulldlnir Superin
tendent Rudolph I. Miller, showa plans
were filed for C77 new building, repre
senting n total Investment of $73,J70,085.
The year was the smallest In building
operations since MOO, which was tho
year tho new building ciiilo went Into
effect, uud tho architects una uwutra
R
i. jsmmn aa w il ' m mm l mm ii '! n
NEW GIANT 800
, PAN 'AMERICAN BUILDING
TO BE EJECTED ON BLOCK,
BROADWAY 8cAMD57TiJ&58
14 STORIES 80 FEET.
SINGER BUILDING r-C-SSA
14 BROADWAY. TaTSS? All
1 1 1 ttl4H Wm ff-2' f: SYNDICATE BLDG.
lGQ
art of building skyscrapers shows
objection alone
for action. The strong preference of
some of the members for solid masonry
work, coupled with their prejudice ucainst
iron work in ftencral, mode it very doubt
ful for a time whether they would sanction
this particular combination of ironwork
Hied everything they could during 1S99,
thereforo the laclc ot building plans in
l'JOO.
Tho ii t n ii ii ii t of money Involved lnt
year would bo much less if tho plans
for tho contemplated llfty-ono story
Pan-American building bad not been
Hied at tho last minute of tho old year,
thus Increasing the amount by ifll',
r.uo,mm, During last year plans wero filed for
as dwelling bniisn.s, costing $S,7C1.0U0;
I r3 tenement luuisff, costing 27.sun;
10 hotels, costing $I,:IN5,)0(), 73 store
and loft buildings, coming i:i,i;r,H,coo;
20 c-flico buildings, coatliik' $1'J,7J0,0UU;
wr,'
"V A "WOOLWORTH BUILD! NO
1A. 1 WU. 55 STORIES.
an advance from an eleven-story building 129 feet high to a forty-four
can prevent the erection of a 1,000 foot building.
and brickwork ; but, finally tho board
approved the application.
It is said that had Mr. illlhert followed
the method of construction then in use in
erect Iiik the Tower Ililildituj tho thickness
of walN required for mfetfloven story
II factories and workshops, costing $3,
62,000; io sclinolhoues, costing $1,
225,500; II vn churches, costing $.180,000;
0 municipal buildings, costing $501,000;
100 places of 'amusement, costing i!,
321,875; 38 stables and garages, costing
$07-1,400; 5 hospitals, costing $880,000,
and 9t5 other structures, costing $19-1,710,
TltlMTV llltll.DI.VR TP.XAVI'S.
The I'nltt-d States Uealty & Iiuprovr
iiii'iu Ciiinimny Ii.ih le.iseil etlU'os In tlie
Tilnlty llullillng nt 111 lltomhwiy to
thu law Mini of liycUniiin, Oelaud
VCiihn, of which former JnUo IMt'ar .M.
Cullen in v. paitaer.
FEET HIGH IS PLANNED
builditiK would have left no move room
on the Kruuml Hour beyond a narrow
halhwiy He conceived a bettor method
howover, and to him belongs credit for
having first in the world erected a build
ItiK in which tho weight of tile walls as
$460,000 IN NEW APARTMENTS.
I'nnr o Me Until on I lie 11,-IkM nuil
Tit im llurlrm.
The first liilllillng plan to lie tiled this
year was put on record cstcnlay by
Ueorgo V, l't'lluuii, who plain four five
Htnry apaitmeiit houses fur the west side
of Nortliorn avenue from lT'.Uh to fsotli
Btrcrt, fo cost JUin.noo. The houses will
bo built by the Haven i'oiiMiui tlmi '"i
liiiliitlon, of which Cliitiiii 1 laiiiiiiu Is
prcslilnnt Two of ti-.im IiiiIIiIIiiks will
MUih hao a fioutiiKa of 5U kct and
i
story building 801 feet high.
City
well asthe floors was traiismitteil tliniunh
girders and columns to the footings. It
was this small beginning that made
possible such giants as the Woolworth,
Singer and Metropolitan lowers and the
coining Pan American llu'ilding.
depth of S3 II feet, and two will lie 75x90,
Tho facades will lie of brick with lime
stone trimmings, Two buildings will cobt
$90,00(1 each mid two $5,000 each,
m:w aimhtmiim's pou ii u u sr.
(irniienberg and U'tii'ht.ig, invhltiTts
fur the lllth Street Construction Cur
piiratlun. .Sunuiil liiisolt', mi siil. 'ill, bute
llleil pi ins fur tho cenrtl'lliilun of tun
thr stiiiy :iii rt nient houses uu lllth
htieet one at I" tu 4 1 West ami the
oilier at 3'.' to 3'1 West, cm-li liming u
IU"it'il'i of I-7 0 feet mid u ih'ptu nf
59 10 tut Tho entile cost tins been
eutimaU'il ill $150,000.
More Excitement Created
By i2q Foot Building
Than Would Be Now
b One of 1,000 Feet
--Some of Its For
gotten Romance
The pocond etccl frame building in
this rdty was not much of an improve
ment on the first. It was erected and
still stands at 2. Pino street next to tho
.Sub-Treasury. It is a ten story ructtirn
occupying a lot 21 feet 2 inches wido and
74 feet 4 inches deep. It was started just
as the Tower lluildlng was being com
pleted. Ileal progress was made, "how
ever, when In IMm the Cnlumbla lluildlng
was erected at 2li llroadway, corner of
Morris street It is twelve stories or 145
feet high, and for a long time it t-tood
out as the most prominent and most suo
cessful steel frame building in New Vork.
Its columns m m nf .ii and its outer brie!:
walls are twelve inclu ti thick
After the threo buildings which have
been mentioned showed that steel frnmo
construction was safe, practical and eco
nomical all older forms were abandoned
in sections wheto land values wero high
and space limited, Steel frame buildings
of greater area and greater height fol
lowed in quick succession. Tho Man
hattan I.ifu lluildlng was tho first step
toward tho buildings which to-day would
lie considered syksorapors. It waa th
llrst structure too of the modern kind
to havo a high tower surmounting th
princixil part nf the building.
With the erection of the American
Surety Uullding in lfcu; the llrst building
of more than twenty stories appeared,
and the first structure more than Him feet
high. It just went over Ixith of these
marks, for it contains twenty-one stories
and i 312 feet high above the sidewalk.
Its glory as the talle-t structure was short
lived, however, for it was only a year
later that the Park How Syndicate lluild
lng was started with its twenty-six storien
nnd its asn feet, of height, destined to bo
the giant among giant buildings until
the Singer folks conceived the idea of
putting up I lie original t-ky.-craping
tower on their plot at llroadway and
Liberty street.
There are a good many Interesting
side lights on the growth of tho sky
scraper in New York, but none proliably
hm more human interest than the story
of Ri It baser Kreisclier, a naturalized
American citizen and manufacturer of
lire brick, who made possible construc
tion tn tin almost unlimited height by in
venting the hollow tile block which now
is used universally in the construction
of floors in fireproof buildings. Cntil
Kreischer invented the hollow block
all floors were supported by brick
arches filled on top with cement to
make them level and then covered
with wood, The under side nf tin
arches was left epoed lieichcr's
invention not only lightened the weight
ol each (Toor so that the steel frnmo was
subjected to less pres-iiie. but it made
flat arches pocsihlo so that coiling lo-day
are flnt and not waved a of old The in
vention wa llrst u.-ed in the New York
Post Ollice Uuildiug in IsTL'.-iml in the same
year in a new structure in Chicago- Tba
hollow tile system of floors was then
I adopted widely and (Mine into le-o i-pe-
cially in tho erection of c.uly sky
scraiiers here.
' Presently tliem.ilterof tlie pnlciil on thn
block reached the com Is, whore a tight was
waged tor many years which ic.-iilled in
the court ruling that the l in-eher ..itctit
was void for want of originality under tho
'crucial test of publications Iroin all urls
J of the globe Thiough tbi ruling Kiei
scher was depi ived or an aluio-l unlimited
revenue, lor m later years hi invention
became mid I-. now one of the princja
need in buildiugcuii-liuction
With the iiicieasing height and weight
of buildings the matter of foundation
became a seriou problem which win
solvit in many ways until in IMU the '-inking
of pneumatic cai-son was adopted,
which ever since lias been the method em
ployed ill the election of sKwci-uper.
The llrst liiih building foiiiid.itioii.i were
laid on footings nf stone or concrete laid
upon the earth In soil or uimsliy places
whole the sale sii-tailillig strength of til"
ground wa inadequate ranging Umber
wete tesorled In or pile were driven to
solid bearings l.aler caino llio u-o of
lolled steel rail-, and beam 111 the form of
grillage resting on a bed of condole.
Still later the iim of grillage mis ex
panded until il cnered the entile aiea ot
the lot or tlie space to be occupied by the
building, like a huge r.ifl , upon which thn
superstructure wa erected
When the .Maiilinttau Life Uuildiug was
erected in IMKI l'lanei II Kiiulmll faced
the.problein of not disturbing the existing
adjoining he.ivv buildings on either side,
lly using a giillage on which to luiso hU
founditioiis it was feared lie would start
mud and quicKsnnd (lowing which might;
cause untold troubles. Looking abouC
for an avenue of escape, ho bit upon tho
pneumatic caisson, which bad been used
without tho pneumatic featuto in th
, construction of the Tilth avenue thnati
building The ciii-.-om of the Manhattan
Life Uuildiug were sunk thirty-two foot
below' the level of the main otc.-i vallon,
, and on reaching rock bottom worn filled
with concrete tin caino miniil the ursc
caisson construction
During the ye.ns Unit have intervened
since the pioneer skyscraper builders
worked mil l bo pioblem told nf horn
still more change have eomo about to
make the erecting of high buildings Isith
safe and economic;! I, but they uieiely sup
plement the improvement in the elevator,
tlmtise of tho steel skeleton, the Invention
of tho hollow tiht and the adoption of tha
unwimatio caisson
The New I'll n American building, thn
giant that i soon to rise to take the place
that tlio Tower Itilildiiig held a quartet' nf
a century ago, will in all likelihood Im the
hi! biiihlim: nf its tvno. lor it will not bn
I lung befnie legislatinii will be mulcted
.which will mike such structures impos
sible The plans tiled for the building
mo merely tentallwi and will be sub
jected to considerable lii'Mlllloiitlou So
that tho building might nm -otne under
the ball t Jim plans weie niched into tha
bureau of buildings on Now Year's ev.