Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 81, no, 2090: April 4, 1908

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April 4, 1908 RECORD AND GUIDE 597 house was constructed in 1SG9, but it was not until thirteen years later that fireproof methods were used in the building of the Navarro apartments on SSth and SOth sts and 7th av, followed by the Dakota on West 72d st, Knickerbocker. 28th st and Sth av, Chelsea on West 23d st. High buildings may be said to have had their start in 1870, and were made possible by the improvements made in the con¬ struction of elevators, combined with the rising values of land, making additional floor space in the upper stories of build¬ ings a necessity. With the incoming of high buildings came a safer construction. The requirements of the law necessi¬ tated all buildings above six stories in height to be fireproof, and for some years eight or ten stories in height were the rule, as it was not advantageous to go beyond this, because under the law. the extremely thick walls necessary In the lower stories used up the first floor space too much and made foun¬ dation costs too high. In 1SS8-9, however, a new era began, in the designing of what is now known as "skeleton con¬ struction" buildings, that is to say, a framework of iron or steel columns and girders, which carry the weight of the outer enclosing brick walls together with the floors down to the foundations at initial points. The flrst example of this construction in New York is the Tower Building, SO Broadway, an eleven-story building fronting on Broadway, 21 feet 6 inches, - and running back 108 feet in the narrow portion. In order to avoid the necessity of heavy bearing walls, which would at the sidewalk level have been so massive under the then existing building law that the flrst and lower stories would have been simply a passageway, cast iron columns were used to carry the wall and floor loads, and the masonry work was consequently cut down to a minimum. Thls method of construction was so revolutionary to all existing ideas that when a permit from the building depart¬ ment was asked for the matter was referred to the Board of Examiners in the department, a hoard empowered by law to grant or reject applications in cases where the provisions of the law do not directly apply, or where an equally good or more desirable form of construction is proposed than that required by law. The discussion in the board was very exciting and it was only after two months' debate that a permit was flnally issued, the building was commenced June 27, 1888, and finished Sept. 27, 1889. The Tower Building was constructed of cast- iron columns, the usual method adopted in nearly all buildings up to this time where columns were required. But the second building of the "skeleton" type to be erected, the Lancashire Fire Insurance Company Building, was built with Z-bar steel columns on a lot 24 feet wide and 74 feet deep and 10 stories in height. The use of steel columns, enabling the constructors to make riveted connections at all points, thus giving a much stronger, rigid building, and better calculated to withstand wind pressure. This building was commenced in October, 1889, and flnished in 1890. Other ''skeleton" buildings of greater area and height, followed in rapid succession, among which may be mentioned the Columbia Building, 29 Broadway, the Manhattan Life, seventeen stories, with a height or 'J42 leet to the main roof, above which a dome and tower rise 108 feet more; the American Surety Building, 21 stories, 312 feet high, the Park Row Syndicate Building, twenty-six stories, 386 feet high. Empire Building, 21 stories, and 300 feet in height- The new method was so generally adopted after this, that it is now the rule rather than the exception to construct build¬ ings in this manner, so that it is now applied to offlce build¬ ings, hotels, apartments, schools and in many cases private residences, and to enumerate them in any way would he to practically repeat in a large measure the list of new buildings published in. the dally papers. The increased consumption of steel demanded by the use of steel columns made of Z-bars, angles and plates, or channels and plates, with the usual beam construction, for floors, was very marked. In 1890 the total production of all the rolling mills in the United States, of beams and channels, structural shapes, such as used in building work, did not exceed 100,000 tons, of which New York City did not consume more than 20.000 tons, yet so constant and increasing has the demand been that it is calculated tbat Greater New York City alone in 190G contracted for 400,000 tons of steel in the shape of beams, channels, Z-bars, angles, plates and bars, for use in buildings, bridges, tunnels, etc, and the record for 1907 is equally good. To many this statement will seem incredible, that in less than twenty years the consumption would Increase 2,000'?c; but a glance at the tonnage of a few of the more prominent structures will easily convince the sceptical that the statement is not far-fetched. To quote all the structures would be superfluous, but we note below a few of the better known buildings, such as: American Surety Building, 3,000 tons; BowlIn:g Green Office Building, 5.500 tons; Empire Building, 4,500 tons; Trinity Building, 5,000 tons; U. S. Realty Improvement Company Building, S,000 tons; Singer Building, 9,000 tons; Singer Build¬ ing Tower, 8,000 tons; Barclay Building. 3,500 tons; Hotel Belmont, 7,500 tons; Kent Av. Power House, Williamsburg, 6,000 tons; College of the City of New York, 4,000 tons; Hecker-Jones-Jewell Milling Company, Water st, 3,500 tons; apartment house. Central Park West, 73d and 74th sts, 2,500 tons; new headquarters, Police Department, 1,500 tons; Stuy¬ vesant High School, 1,600 tons; Engineers' Club, 1,000 tons; United Engineering Building, 3,0(X) tons; U- S. Express Com¬ pany Building, 5,500 tons; Mills Hotel, 35th st and 7th av, 2,000 tons; New York Edison Company, new Waterside Station, 39Lh st and First av, 12,000 tons; Altman's store, 34th st and Fifth av, 8.000 tons; Post Offlce Building, Lexington av and 43d st, 7,500 tons; printing house, Charles Scribner's Sons, West 43d st, 2,500 tons; Apthorp Apartments, Slst st and Broadway, 7,000 tons; Hoffman House addition, 24th st and Broadway, 2,000 tons; National Biscuit Company factory, 15th st, 3,000 tons; Abraham & Straus warehouse building, Brooklyn. 3,000 tons; Academy of Music, Brooklyn. 2,500 tons; Trust Company of America, Wall st, 5,000 tons; Lawyers' Title BuOding, 146 Broadway, 2,000 tons; Piers 3 and 5, North river, 7,000 tons; Piers 60. 61 and 62. North river, 10,500 tons; Silversmith's Building, Maiden lane, 2,700 tons; City Investing Company Building, Broadway and Cortlandt st, 13,000 tons; Metropoli¬ tan Tower Building, 8,000 tons; Hudson Terminal Buildings, Cortlandt, Dey and Fulton sts, 28,000 tons; Pennsylvania Bail- road Station, 3Sth st, 50,000 tons; New York City Subway. Manhattan and Bronx. 89,000 tons; Blackwell's Island bridge, 70,000 tons; Manhattan bridge, 65,000 tons; Williamsburg bridge, 45.000 tons. The extension of the flre limits in New York City, combined with the growing scarcity of lumber, and consequently high price for same, will in years to come make still a further increased demand for fireproof buildings, and if New York- grows as rapidly in the next twenty years as it has in the past, the total consumption of structural steel will be some¬ thing stupendous and past belief- The value of the structural steel, erected in position, contracted for and used in Greater New York alone, during the year 1007 was about $28,000.- 000, and the number of men engaged in erecting this work, known as "housesmiths and brldgemen," approximated 5.000 with a yearly payroll of nearly $7,000,000. BULLETIN OF THE TENEMENT HOUSE DEPARTMENT. Bulletin No. 21;—In new buildings hereafter erected less than four stories in height, and which also do not contain more than four families in all, the department will not require the doors to be omitted from the ends of flre passages. In new buildings hereafter erected four stories or more in height, or containing more than four families in all, no doors will be permitted at the ends of any fire passage except where such passageway extends through the entire length of the cellar as is usually the case where the passageway is provided in the centre of the building. In such latter cases, no lock will be permitted upon the door at the rear of the passageway in the cellar. The door at the front end of the passageway may, however, be provided with a bolt only upon the inside. This order applies to all new build¬ ings in course of construction, and to all plans not yet approved where this question is involved- (For further bulletins from 1 to 22 see issues Oct, 26, Nov. 2, 0, 16, Dec. 21, 28, March 7. 28,) Larger Autos and Garage Constniction. The rapidly increasing size of automobiles is having its effect on construction work. At present the heaviest auto is under 6,000 pounds, at least as far as builders of garages are aware; but dealers in the horseless carriages are looking ahead to machines double that weight, judging by the size and strength of the elevators being installed in the latest homes for autos. Not long ago the National Elevator Company, 400 West 23d st, put in two elevators, each with a capacity of 8,000 pounds, in Mr. George Bolt's garage, erected by the General Supply and Construction Company, after the design of Architect F. M. Andrew. This was thought at the time to be about enough lifting capacity for all of the machines that would be manufac¬ tured for a few years to come. But in the erection of the Knickerbocker garage, just completed at 1G18 Broadway, be¬ tween 48th and 40th sts. the owners showed greater expecta¬ tions, or were looking farther ahead. The elevators installed by the National Elevator Company have a capacity of 12.000 pounds each. This building was also put up by the General Construction and Supply Company, the plans being those of Architects Marvin & Davis, MASON BUILDERS' BANQUET.—The flrst dinner held by Lhe Mason Builders' Association since the eighties was that which took place in the Hotel Astor last Monday evening- Mr- Chas, A. Cowen, the president, officiated- The gathering was pre-eminently an informal social reunion, but some of those present were called upon for a few extemporaneous remarks. About eighty were in attendance, including Mr, Daniel Herbert, an honorary member, who is an octogenarian and one of the oldest of the masons in New York, The offlcers of the asso¬ ciation are as follows: Chas. A. Cowen, president; F- E. Con¬ over, flrst vice-president; Hugh Getty, second vice-president; Arthur Stone, treasurer; Wm. Poster, secretary.