Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 92, no. 2367]: July 26, 1913

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166 RECORD AND GUIDE July 26, 1913 ^ PICTURE THEATRES MUST BE MADE SAFE New Construction Rules in Effect August 8th—Two Means of Exit and Possibly Three—Inspectors to be Appointed—Gallery Stairs Must Not Lead to Main Floor. Mmmswaif^tmMmi*-' THE MORGAN BUILDING. ANEW ordinance in relation to motion picture theatres will go into effect on .\ugust 8. The Board of Alder¬ men and the Mayor were a long time in coming to an agreement as to the nature of the regulations that should be framed to control what has become a considerable department of construc¬ tion, but the bill as |inally approved was substantially as when first introduced. Doubting the wisdom of permitting galleries in very small buildings, the Aldermen were for a long time divided on the question of the minimum width of building in which a gallery should be permitted. The ordinance as enacted provides that, while a gallery may be built in a theatre erected on a lot not less than twenty feet wide, the capacity of the gallery shall be limited to not more than twenty-five per cent, of the total seating capacity of the theatre. Stairs and Galleries. Entrance to an exit from the gallery shall in no case lead to the main floor of the theatre, and there can be no cir¬ cular or winding staircase. That is to say, the stairs to the gallery must be placed in a lobby, or in a hall, or in an exterior court. The ordinance does not say where they can be fixed, only they must not lead down to the main floor of the theatre. The total width of the stairs shall not be less than eight feet in the clear where the gallery accommodates 150 people. For every 50 people less than ISO the width of the stairs may be reduced by one foot. The stairs must be con¬ structed of fireproof material, and both the material and the bearing capacity must be such as to receive the approval of the Superintendent of Buildings. A gallery must have at least one line of fire-escape leading to an open court or to a fireproof passage or directly to the street. Definition. A motion picture theatre is deemed to be any public hall or room in which motion pictures are exhibited, where the seating capacity does not exceed six hundred and where there is no stage or scenery. Anything more than this makes it a regular playhouse, and subject to the theatre ordinance. The Mayor is authorized under the law to appoint a body of men to be known as Motion Picture Theatre In¬ spectors, who are to be paid such com¬ pensation as is to be fixed by the Board of Aldermen on the recommendation of the Board of Estimate. What the Plans Must Show. .\pplicants for motion picture theatre licenses must file plans and specifications with the Superintendent of Buildings and a copy thereof when approved by the Superintendent of Buildings with the Bureau of Licenses with an Supplica¬ tion for a license. It will be the duty of the bureau inspectors to pass upon the suitability of the location selected and the character of the applicant. The License Bureau will also request the Fire Department, the Bureau of Build¬ ings, the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity and the Department of Health to inspect the theatre and make reports. Six series of inspections are thus provided for, and no license can be issued until the provisions of the ordi¬ nance is complied with. The plans must show clearly and fully the location and width of all exits, pas¬ sageways, stairways, fire-escapes and aisles, the arrangement of seats, the size of floor beams, wall supports, etc., the location and construction of the en¬ closure for the motion picture light and machinery, a diagram of the lot or plot showing outlets from all exits, and such other information as may be required. Prohibition. Motion picture theatres will not be permitted in frame buildings nor in hotels, tenement houses or in factories and workshops except where the theatre is separated from the rest of the build¬ ing by unpierced fireproof walls; and in no case may they be operated above or below the ground floor. Exits. There must be two separate exits, and where the main floor accommodates more than three hundred people there must be three exits. No exit may be less than five feet in width and the main exit not less than ten feet in total width. In all such buildings hereafter erected or altered, if unobstructed exit to a street cannot be provided, either an open court, fireproof passage or corridor must be provided instead, to extend from the rear exit to the street front. Walls. If the walls of the auditorium contain wood studs, they must be covered with expanded metal lath or wire mesh, and then receive three coats of plaster; the ceilings must be treated in the same way, and if there is a basement, the ceiling under the auditorium floor must be lathed and plastered also as described. The ordinance contains full instruc¬ tions for the safe construction of booths. Chairs must be firmly secured to the floor and placed not less than thirty-two inches from back to back. Separate toilets and auxiliary fire apparatus must be provided. The lighting, heating and ventilation of the buildings are provided for in several sections. There must be one thousand cubic feet of air space for each person or artificial ventilation will be necessary. The air must be kept in motion by means of fans. The ordinance also provides for the regular cleaning of the theatre. Existing Places Affected. .•\11 the provisions of the ordinance will apply to existing places of amuse¬ ment where motion pictures are ex¬ hibited in case the seating capacity be increased. Otherwise existing places will have to observe only the regula¬ tions for the construction of booths, width of aisles, position of chairs, floor loads, lighting, heating and ventilation and regular cleansing. Places giving other forms of entertainment besides motion pictures must comply with the regular theatre section of the Building Code, no matter what their seating capacity may be, large or small. Tne ordinance does not applj- to picture ex¬ hibitions under the direct management of educational institutions or in private residences. Progress on the Foundations—Main Ccdssons Now Being Constructed. The past month has witnessed the re¬ moval of the last vestige of a well known landmark of New York City's financial district—the Drexel Building. This l>uilding, for so many years the home of thc lianking firm of J. P. Morgan & Co., has given way to what will be the finest banking structure in the city. Situated nil the principal corner of downtown New York—Broad and Wall streets— opposite the United States Sub-Treas¬ ury and diagonally opposite the new Bankers' Trust Company Building, the new structure will make an important addition to the already imposing group of buildings in the neighborhood. In keeping with the precedent estab¬ lished by many other banking institu¬ tions, the building will be about four stories in height, although the founda¬ tions will be founded on rock and capa¬ ble of supporting a greater load than will be put upon them. Work on these foundations has already been begun by The Foundation Company, 115 Broad¬ way, contractors; in fact, the Mills Building, which adjoins the site on two sides, was underpinned during the wrecking of the old building. Underpinning the Mills Building. The underpinning of the Mills Build¬ ing, which is eleven stories high, and exceedingly heavy, was accomplished by , the use of nineteen pneumatic cylinders. These shoring cylinders were made of cast-iron in sections about four feet long each. Niches having been previous¬ ly cut in the walls which were to be un¬ derpinned, these sections were inserted therein and jacked down one on top of another. During the jacking-down pro¬ cess the material was excavated from within the cylinders, compressed air ex- eluding the water. Considerable diffi¬ culty was encountered in the form of old piling, which had to be cut away. .\n unusual feature made use of by The Foundation Company to increase the carrying capacity of each cylinder, consists in spreading out the base by the use of an I-beam grillage. The cast-iron shell of the cylinder was wedged tight against these beams so that not only the crushing strength of the concrete filling was utilized but the iron shell as well. When the weight of the Mills Building is known to be forty tons per lineal feet, the wisdom in spreading the bases of tlie underpinning cylinders is apparent. .\ll the cylinders rest in rock about sixty-five feet below Wall street water level at this point being 17 feet below curb. The main caissons for the support of the building are now being constructed and average in plan about 7x28 feet. These caissons will be placed end-to-end entirely surrounding the lot. They will be carried to bedrock about sixty-five feet below Wall street, and the adjoining ends keyed together. The center of the lot will then be excavated about fifty-five feet below the street, forming a water¬ tight cellar. These caissons will be far enough along to permit "putting air on" by the time this article is in print. Court House Site Report. The final report of .\bram I. Elkus, James J. Coogan and Henry Schneider, the Commissioners of Estimate and Ap¬ praisal in the proceedings of the city to acquire lands on Leonard, Worth, La¬ fayette, Centre and other streets, for a new court house site, will be presented for confirmation on July 28 at 10.30 a. m., in Special Term, Part I., Supreme Court.