Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 74, no. 1896: July 16, 1904

Text version:

RECORD AND GUIDE July 16, 1904 Selection of Architects for Engineering Building. The conference committee of the three national engineering societies and of the Engineers' Club, charged with the respon¬ sibility of giving effect to the gift of Mr. Andrew Carnegie of $1,500,000 for the erection of the two buildings in New York City suitable for their respective purposes, has reached an im¬ portant stage in its work, and this week has made the selection of architects for the respective structures. It was the expressed wish of Mr. Carnegie that the competition should be a mixed one so that in addition to selecting six competent architects, the' committee threw the work open to all comers and pro¬ vided a prize scheme to compensate the best competitors in the open class. Since the middle of June the committee has re¬ ceived 26 complete sets of competitive plans for the two build¬ ings inclusive, comprising over 500 drawings, and with the as¬ sistance of Prof. W. R. Ware as expert adviser, has spent a good deal of time in the consideration of these designs, .all of which, of course, were submitted anonymously. The conclu¬ sions now reached are unanimous and are approved by the professional adviser. The successful competitor for the Unitea Engineering building is Mr. Herbert D. Hale of Boston, with Henry G. Morse of New York as associate architect. Mr. Hale is a grandson of Edward Everett Hale, and has done a largti amount of public architecture in New England and has con¬ structed some Carnegie libraries, besides doing a very con¬ siderable amount of work for the New York Shipbuilding Com¬ pany. The successful competitors for the Engineers' Club are Whitfield & King of New York, who have done a large amount of work in New York City and on various Carnegie libraries, and were also associated in work on the buildings of the Pan- American Exposition. The designs of this firm were also among those favorably considered for the United Engineering building, aw-arded to Mr. Hale. The successful competitors in the open class for four equal prizes of !f400 each in addition to Mr. Hale, are Trowbridge & Livingston of New York, Frank C. Roberts & Co. with Edgar V. Seeler. associate, Philadelphia, and Allen & Collins of Boston. It is interesting to note that a very large pro¬ portion of the competitive designs came from Boston, and thav the largest prize, namely, the award for the United Engineering building, as well as one of the smaller money prizes, has gont, to that city. Details have already been given in the Record and Guide as to the nature of the two buildings, which will re¬ quire for construction from $1,100,000 to ¥1,200.000. The United Engineering building will occupy land 125 feet front by 100 feet on West SOth street, while the club, with a frontage of 50 feet and a depth of 100 feet, will face on Bryant Park and the new public library. The United Engineering building, aside from quarters for the American Society of Mechanical Engi¬ neers, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the American Institute of Mining Engineers, as well as other socie¬ ties enabled to participate in the accommodations, will have several fine auditoriums and a magnificent library. The club building will be about llVa stories high, with the usual accom¬ modations of a club and some 60 or 70 bedrooms for members. The work of tearing down the old buildings and the construction of the new. Is to be pushed vigorously and will begin forthwith. tion of the terminal of the Lackawanna tunnel on the Man¬ hattan side of the river has been given, but wherever ifgoea a big slice of property will be taken, as in the case of the Penn¬ sylvania. Building for John D. Rockefeller. The Thompson-Starrett Company has just secured the con¬ tract for the 17-Ety office building to be built by Mr. John D. Rockefeller in Cleveland, Ohio, on the site of the Weddell House, at one time the best-known hotel in that city. There have been a great many stories about Mr. Rockefeller's building enterprises, but this, as we believe, is the only office building that he has ever undertaken. aovernment Elevator Contracts. The Marine Engine and Machine Company, with offices at No. 1123 Broadway, this city, have been awarded the contracts for ithG installation of the electric elevators at the new custom house and post office at Baltimore, Md., and for the new cus¬ tom house and post office at Covington, Ky., under specifica¬ tions issued by the supervising architect of the United States Treasury Department. Product and Appliance. CHEAPER STEAM HEATING. One of the greatest troubles in steam heating is apt to be that the air valves on the radiators do not work when they should. This often comes from tampering with the adjustment of the valve, and, too. the expansion post sometimes becomes warped or strained from poor adjustment or overheating. A new air valve has been brought out which Is non-adjust¬ able, and, consequently, cannot be tampered with, and which has no expansion post, but depends for its operation entirely on the expansion and contraction of air. Lackawanna Will Also Tunnel. The interesting fact that the Lackawanna Railroad intends building a tunnel under the Hudson River was adduced through testimony given this week before the commissioners appointed to condemn lands in Jersey City for the proposed tunnel spur to be built by the New York & New Jersey branch of the Penn¬ sylvania Railroad from the terminus of the Hudson River tunnel at the foot of 15th st, Jersey City, to Hoboken. William D, Edwards, counsel for the Lackawanna Railroad, said the pro¬ posed spur would prevent the Lackawanna from tunneling undei the Hudson because it would have to go so deep to get under the. spur that it could not re_ach the surface except by a grade too steep for the operation of trains. This makes four Hudson River tunnels projected, two being now under construction. No intimation of the proposed loca- A sectional view of the -valve is shown on this page whf will give an idea of the device. When the radiator is cold th(- air in the outer shell of the valve contracts, drawing the water from around the float through the hole at the bottom of the well. This allows the cold air to escape, and the radiator to fill with steam. When steam reaches the valve it heats the air. drawing the water out of the outer shell, lifting the fioat, clos¬ ing the valve. Those interested in watching the working of this valve can have a sample mailed free on application to the manufacturers, Norwall Mfg. Co.. Western Union Bldg., Chicago. 111. The Quarterly. The second Record & Guide Quarterly for 1004 is ready for delivery. This publication includes all the conveyances, mort¬ gages, projected buildings, alterations, auction sales i.nd leases, arranged alphabetically and numerically, recorded from April 1 to June 30, 1904. Price, $6; yearly subscription, $20. I naterial Harket. BRICK. The Diamond Stone Erick Company is completing a plant at Wilmington, Del., for the manufacture of sand-lime brick, and expects to begin operations within the next two or three weeks. These-brick are manufactured from silica sand and calcium lime. They will stand a crushing strain greater than any clay brick, and a greater degree of temperature; and the manufacturers guarantee a water absorption of less than 12 per cent. These brick improve with age in the atmosphere or under water, and will not crack or disintegrate by freezing. They can be fur¬ nished of any shade or color desired, but the natural color is a gray, resembling Indiana limestone or sandstone. The Charles, Warner Company, of Philadelphia, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., will supply the raw materials for manufacturing the brick, and will have the general sales agency. Delivery can be made by water to New York, Philadelphia, Trenton andCamden, N. J., Baltimore, Washington, Norfolk and Portsmouth, and via rail to intermediate points. Elijah Walsh, of Newburgh. is about to put the old Walsh brickyard at New Windsor in action again. It has been idle for several years. John Peirce, of New York, the contractor for the :-.cademic building at the United Statea Naval Academy, Annapolis, placed his order for the brick, amounting to 5,000,000, with the Cham¬ pion Brick Company, of Baltimore. Fredenburg & Lounsbury, 289 ith av, report business in front brick as holding up fairly from, all general points within ' the district. The largest contract of note that the firm has on hand is for the front brick for the Columbia College Dormitory, of