May 28, 1910





RECORD  AND  GUIDE





1141





where discretion has been wisely used. It would doubtless be
more pleasant for the Commissioner now that the discussion is
opened to give the Commissioner either SPECIAL discretionary
powers or a Board of Appeal, But he can do quite well on
many matters If he only follows his honest judgment without
fear of the gradually established CUSTOM of his department.

In this connection Messrs. Mulliken & Moeller. architects for
a tenement on southwest corner of Central Park and SOth st,
state that tbey submitted plans in evident confiict witb Article
IV., Sec. 57, Par. 3, and the Commissioner wisely used discre¬
tion in accepting them.    (See illustration.)    The wall dotted in

















g















0







is legally needed but obviously would be detrimental to the ven¬
tilation. Again it is pointed out that the arrangement in the
second illustration is. similarly in violation of the provisions of
secton 58, Article IV. The "offset" being deeper than It is wide
is illegal, but by introducing the dotted wall the offset becomes
a shaft and is legal. Discretion is obviously needed to assist
this situation.

Again in the Vanderbilt tenement, illustrated in former issues
of the Record and Guide, the stairs are open. This is contrary
to law, and violation No. 4 stated that the stairs needed tbe
open space filled in to prevent confiict with Article III., Sec. 22,
Paragraph 2.    Discretion saved this calamity.

The discretion used by the Tenement House Department is
already considerable, necessarily. It should be granted more or
.given a Board of Appeal so that a designer of a new project
is assured of intelligent reception, otherwise the city is a de¬
cided loser.                                 HENRY ATTERBURY SMITH.

Mav 25. 1910.





THE GILLENDER BUILDING SOUND.

The steelwork of several of tlie topmost stories of the tall
Gillender Building at Wall and Nassau sts haa now been dis¬
jointed and brought down. During demolition it was
carefully examined to see what the tooth of time had been able
to do to it. The building was erected twelve years ago, in 1898,
and ranked as a good example of modern steel-skeleton con¬
struction. It was faced with granite and limestone, and to
some extent with ornamental tferra cotta. To protect traffic in
the streets below, heavy steel netting, overlaid by a shed,
stretches over both sidewalks and roadways. The contractors
for clearing the site, the Volk Construction Company, report
the steel members without a sign of corrosion, except in the
case of a few slightly rusted for some reason not apparent. In
the view of the contractors, steel construction has proved its
Indestructibility by ordinary wear. However, the steel work is
not all down yet and opportunity remains for further examina¬
tion.





Obituary Note.
Mr. George Hayes, a manufacturer and dealer in metal sky¬
lights, metal lath, fireproof (wire glass) windows and other
sheet-metalworlc used in building construction, is dead, at the
age of 'TO. Death occurred at his residence, 61 Claremont av.
Mount Vernon, on Monday, and the funez-al service was on
Wedne'sday evening. Mr. Hayes was widely known and of
high standing in the building trades, and had been in business
on bis own account since 1868. He was a member of tbe
Building Trades Employers' Association, past president of the
Roofers' Association and a member of the General Society of
Mechanics and Tradesmen. The year Mr. Hayes started in
business was the same in which the Record and Guide was
founded, forty-two years ago. and during all that long period
his business advertisement has regularly appeared in its pages.
His substantial business, at Sl Tth av, wiil be carried on by
tbe George Hayes Company, a corporation which ho organized
some years ago. He leaves a widow, three daughters and om;
son. Mr. Hayes was prominent In the Masonic fraternity and
was a past treasurer of the Grand Lodge of this State. His
birthplace was at Gloucester, Mass.





NEW BUILDING  FOR BOOKSELLERS IN 45th ST.

Work on the foundation for the new l(>-sty business building
for tbe Brevoort Construction Co., of 6-8 West 18th st, at Nos.
2-4-6 West 45th st, is now completed and it is announced that
the structure will be ready for occupancy by December 1, this
year, A special feature of the plan ia the large 30-ff. spans
used in the fioor construction, only five columns showing on the
entire .fioor. giving an unbroken floor area. Tbe plot has dimen¬
sions of TSxlOO ft. The upper flve stories will be divided Into
offices and the lower stories for lofts. There will be toilet ac¬
commodations provided for men and women on each fioor, three
high-speed passenger elevators, also a steam heating and elec¬
tric lighting system and janitor's quarters on the roof. The
entire  sidewalk  will  be  vaulted.    The  exterior  will consist  of







G.  P. PUTNAM  &  SONS  BUILDING.

SCHWARTZ & GROSS, Architects.

granite, limestone and copper for the four lower stories, above
that of brick and polyehrone terra cotta and limestone. The
building will adjoin the Fifth av corner and will have excep¬
tionally good light to the east from the yards of the avenue
buildings, and above the sixth story on the west and rear, be¬
cause of tbe low buildings surrounding. The basement, first
and second stories have already been leased to G. P. Putnam
& Sons, booksellers, now at No. 27 West 23d st. Messrs.
Schwartz & Gross, 347 5th av,  are the architects.





—Mayor Gaynor has approved of the resolution passed hy
the Board of Aldermen establishing the position of Deputy
Chief of Engineer in tbe Department of Bridges at a salary
of $7,500. for one incumbent.





HIGH PRESSURE TUNNELS.—The plan of the Board of Water
Supply to distribute the water from the new Catskill source in the
various boroughs by means of high pressure tunnels has been ap¬
proved by the committee of expert engineers appointed by tbe
Board of Estimate to pass on the scheme. The committee, which
consists of Clemens Herschel. Francis L. Pruyn and J. Edmund
Woodman, has reported that the proposed tunnel system would cost
only $26,000,000 to huild, as against $47,000,000 which it has been
estimated it would cost to build a system of pipe lines. The report
says; "Whether viewed from the point of first cost, maintenance
or future cost our opinion is that the city of New York will do well
to direct the immediate construction of the proposed Manhattan
pressure tunnel for purposes of distributing the Catskill water sup¬
ply in the five boroughs." A committee of the Board of Estimate
will hold a public hearing on the matter in the City Hall on May
31 at 8 p. m.