Real  Estate   Record





AND BUILDERS^ GUIDE.





Vol. XXII.





NEW YOEK, SATÜRDAY, AUGUST 17, 1878.





No. 544.





Published Weekly by

TERMS.

ONE YEAR. in advance....SlO.OO.

Cotniiiunicatioiis should be addres.sed to

C.  \V.   SAVEET,
Nos. 345 AND ai7 Broadway

MADE GROUND.
Üf the manj- problcms of topogniphictii cn-
gineering that the surface of our i.sland pie.sents,
there is none, we believe, that calls for more care¬
ful studj' or more conscientions nuinagemenfc than
the treatment of the manj- low and swanipj'
spots that exist throughout the uniniproved sec¬
tion of tlic citj*. It is the great drawback to tlie
sjiliibritj' of New York that its surface is indented
with frequent niarshes nnd bogs; and the liealth
of future generations. as \vell as the sanitarj- rep¬
utation of the city, depend greatlj' upon tho nian¬
ner in which these beds of disense ure handled in
their final treatment. The ancient method of
dealing with these plague spots was to graduailj-
fill them in w-ith bouldere, rocks, stumps of trees,
street refuse, garbage, swill and ashes, none of
which ingredients was capable of overconiing tho
iuherent defccts of such localities for building
purposes. Contracts nsuallj- call for the filling in
of sunken lots with clean and ivholesome eartli,
but the fulfilnient of this stipulation is the rare
exception in mod^i'n times. And j-et, anj- other
method of filling is as useless, or, w-o maj-
«.IJ', as surelj' destructive of the utilitj- of such
land for building purposes, as if the blocks were
flooded with water and reserved as the beds of
Inland lakes or running streams. AA'hen these lots
are improperlj- filled in. it becomes a formidable
task to find a satisfactorj- foundation for building.
No reputable or painstaking builder ivould be
willing to take such lots as a gift, coupled w-ith
the Obligation of building ou them. The nature
of this improper filling prevents even the driving
of piles—a device by which tho risks of a w-et bot¬
tom can ordinarilj' be overcome. Consequentlj-,
the.se sunken or wet lots, with their crude filling,
are apt to fall into the hands of dishonest build¬
ers, who are reckless enough to stai't their work
without regard to the securitj- of foundation or
soliditj- of sub-structure. Oftentimes, buildings
so erected commence settling from the founda¬
tion up, and, by reason of their being tied and
jointed together in a solid block, will often reach
asafe or lirm resting place—a State of tie at which
thej' luay stand unchanged for a long periotl.
Such buildings, however, cannot be relicd upon,
as further Settlements are liable iu time to occur.
The innocent occupant besides being annoj'ed by
ghastlj- seanis appearing in the side walls, en-
dures the constant apprehension of having the
building tumble about his head some day, and the
certain calamity of chronic ill health in his fam¬
ilj', arising from the unwholesome nature of the
soil. There are manj' blocks of lots in the upper
part of the city wliich now require filling, for the
execution of which work the Board of Health
will presently be obUged to issue its mandate.
For the future good reputation of our city, for





its complete healtbfulness, for tho prospective
value of propertj- whicli will thus bc brougbt
iiito the market, and for the honor and credit of the
building trade, we would present the importance
of lu-iving these lots filled with clean and whole¬
some earth. as the law- demands, and as the onlj-
lilliiig that can render made ground improvable
or habitable.

No filling at all is far preferable for a builder's
purpose than tho use of rubliish and such un-
wieldj- nias-ses of stone fir wood as cannot be coii-
vonientlj' removed in digging for a firm founda¬
tion.





RECONSTRUCTION IN BROADWAY.

Tliere is hardly a New Yorker bat will remember
the old Apprentice's Librarj-, on the east side of
Broadwaj-, between Broome and Grand streets. It is
not six months .igo thai the okl hall, the .sceiio of so
iiiaii.v lilerary Iriuinphs on the part o{ iiiaiij- whose
names liave bccoiiie hoiisehdld words iu tlii; odiica-
tioiial historj- of Now A'ork, was still a point of
attraction to the nmiifious joiith of lins citj-, whose
Position and relationship enabled thom to obtain
the good liook.s so neces.sarj- to mould their aspiring
intellect. Today, an iron building of no lucan prc-
tensions Stands on the spot, and has been partiallj-
oecupied already by the clothing firm of Levy Broth¬
ers, who leased the propertj- somo tiiiic last year.

So far .OS a pieco of energetic building can be
pointed at, there is probably no .iob in New York that
can at all cominire with il, considering I1u> soliditj-
and dm-ability of the building. The shape of the
structure also, with its l(i.9 feet front on Broadway
and 100 feet frontage on Crosby street, running right
throngli the block, a distance^of abont 200 feet deep
—making tho building assume a T shape-did not
assist the expeditious nianner in which the work had
to be done, and yet Mr. Cauvet, the architect, with¬
out aiij- loss of time or onerous expenditure succeed¬
od in making the structure readj- for ociipaney on
the 15tli instant. It was onlj- in the beginning of April
that the old librarj- was torii down and within a few
d.ays of August the clothing flrm owning the struct¬
ure are moving in, with the aid of numerous trueks
and an army of Clerks ready to take hold of the
promising fall trade that is once more to bring life
and clieer to New York'.? commercial circles.

The structure has five stories and a basement, the
iron front being from the well-known fomideries of
Z. S. & A. S. Ayres. Fortj--flftli street and Tenth
avenue, who are slowly but steadilj- making their
work known to the satisfaction of down-towii
property owners. The mason work. bj- A'an Dol¬
sen & Arnott, of West Twentj'-seventh street, has
also been energeticalj- pushed forward, a iiiinute
examination of their work showing that tliej- have
fulfilled their contract to the verj' letter from
the Sheet flling to the top of the building. The
walls vary in tliickness from 28 inches in the base¬
ment to 21, 20 and 16 inches at the top, the wall of
tho old Pacific Bank having, it must be admitted,
been used as a party'wall to a considerable extent.

The yellow pine lloors throughout the building have
been laid bj- Jolm J. Brown, of Forty-ninth street,
with a caro and ossiduitj- which would oo held iip as
an example of conscientions work even in a prominent
public building. The snbstantial carpenter work
throughout the building, all of which has been per-
formed bv Mr. Brown, shows that notliwithstanding
the rapiditj- in whicli the building has been erected,
great care has been taken in attending ever to minor
details.

The fireproof columns on the interior, holding up
the rear of the building, have also been provided by
the Messrs. Ayres.





Messrs. Hall, Ilatt & Parker, of Newark, have con¬
structed the elaborate stairs on tbe Broadwaj- as well
as on the Crosby street side. Mr. AVilliam Parker,
who has had Charge of the plastering has acquitted
hiiiiself of his work in a most satisfiictorj- nianner.

The gas fltting and ]iluinbing have beeu satisfac-
torilj- finished by Pierson & Denike. of Tbirty-.sev¬
enth street and Sixtli avenue, who have made a
thorongh good job of the various closets and iirinals
that aboiind throughout the building. The advant¬
age of having two sewers, one on Croslij- street
and one on l'.roadw.aj-, h.as faeiiit ited the .archi¬
tect and bull ler of finding all l'ie required oiitle!:;
for siiperl''ioils matter. In .additimi. however. Jf;-.
Cauvet has succeeded in making all the .sewer ;,'as
run up to the roof, so .asto keep thebiiililiiigthroii.jh-
out in a thorough sanit.ar.v eoiidition.

Mr. .lames Diiiiseith, of West Fortieth sireet, a.
Ihorough mechanic. has had cliarge of the steam-
healiiig and elevator fittiiig.s. the elevator proper being
froni Otis Brothei-s. The iv.nfiiig and tinning of the
building, a matter of no iiieaii iniporlaiiee consider¬
ing that an iiiiiiieiise warelioiise of goods is emi-
stantly exposed to Ihe oleiiieuts-has hc^eii coiiseien-
lioiislj- linished hj- Air. .laines Kennedj-.

Oll examiniug Ihe triinniings and inside fittiiigs of
Ulis peculiar stnieture the writer notieed that everj--
thiiig had been finished in a piain, and still in a strong
manner, and that the architect has closely followed
the desire of the owners in giving them snb.st.antial
works without taking too much niouej- out of tlioir
-pockets. Thero is one feature wbich reiiuires e.sp.x'ial
mention, and that is the manner in which Dale's
cement light has been .juiliciously applied in a tuiild-
iiig wliere, owint; to its peculiar shapo. it was diflicult
to p"'"'•'^ii'^i^'cin; raj's f)f light where most required.
The architect has, with the airl of these lights, eon-
trived to erect an arch wliich has a wonderful elteet
in traiismitting light on the spot where most needed.
These Dale lights have now been used for the past
eight years and have alw,aj-s given great satisfaction.

The Offices for the Jlessrs. Levy. who occupy a por¬
tion of the building, have been finished in the Queen
Anne style, more with the view to Utility than show.
And as their iinnieiise stock of goods lies displayed
there for the inspectiou of the trade, one wonders how
such a metamorphosis could have been created on
this identical spot within the iucrediblc short space of
time it took to replace the Apprentice's Library by a
large warehouse.

MARKET REVIEW.

REAIi ESTATE MARKET.

At the Exchange Salesroom, tho follow-ing were
the so incipal sales held during the past week. Un¬
der foreclosure proceedings the five-story brick builtl¬
ing. with lot 25x100, known as No. 148 Forsj-th street,
ea.st side, 175 feet north of Delancej- street, was sold
for g10,900 to Jane JIcMahon.

By order of the Court, in partition proceedings, E.
H. Ludlow- & Co. sold a plot of land on the southw-est
corner of Ninth avenue and Fiftj--seventh street,
100x125.5. for §19,150, and the house and stable.
with two lots, on AVest One Hundred and Twentj--
fiftli street, north side, -itM feet eost of Eighth
avenue. running through to One Hundred and
Twenty-sixth street, were sold for $10,750.

At a sale held pursiiant to the order of the Surro¬
gate, on Tuesdaj- last, tbe premises No. 112 AVest
Fortj'-seventh street, south side, 606.3 east of
Seventh avenue, was sold to E. S. Hoffmann for
?7,500.

Siuce our last report the onlj- noteworthj' plan
filled for the erection of buildings is that of J. C.
Thompson, Jr., who intends to erect on Fifty-seventh
street flve four-story brown stone dwellings at a
cost of 817,500 each.