Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-09
Tall Buildings.
The Heights of Some of the Notable Com.
 merciaI Structures of New York.

The Heights of Some of the Notable Corn-
 merctaI Structures of New York. From the New York Sum-
 ''There is no city in the world " here build
 ings are carried up to such great heights"
 said Superintendent James Harrison, of the
 bureau of surveys of the board of under writers.
 Business buildings alone were alluded to, and not churches other public edifces,
 which in many cities abroad exceed ours both
 in size and height.
 ''The immense area taken up by buildings is as great source of danger as the height, and, in fact, even greater" continued Mr. Harrison. ''Pl tell you all you want to know about heights but I want you to say word for us about areas. There IS one store I know of that has an area of two hundred feet by seventy-five, without single break or wall This would not be allowed in any other country. The danger in case of fire is appalling.
 fold fremen stare and shake their heads when they see the heights to which buildings are now being carried. In their time sixty feet to the cornice was considered high building The stores which were erected af- ter the great fire in 1845 averaged only about fifty-fve feet. They were the best stores in
 the country, except that granite, the material used in construction, proved to be the worst in case of fire that could have been put in. Nowadays buildings extend far above the
 
 necting pipes inside and outside the building partly remedy that danger.
 The Equitable building is 113 feet to the deck roof John Sherman's fortress will be 12O feet high when completed. The Boreel building is 115 feet to the cornice. The New York Life is 129 feet to the deck roof The dry goods store 345 and 347 Broadway is 1eO feet to the cornice. The Morse building in Nassau street tops them all, and is eight stories high and 146 feet to the cornice The building at Broadway and Fourteenth street is 115 feet to the cornice, with dome nearly forty feet high. There is a new building at Hudson and Duane streets which is 130 feet to the deck roof. A. T. Stewart & Go. $ store, at Broadway and Tenth street, is SS feet to the cornice. At first Mir. Stewart would not allow our surveyors in the build ing but we finally took the measurement. ''Clafin's store is 80 feet to the cornice Ar mold, Constable & Go. s is 95 feet to the deck roof. Among the high hotels is the Gilsey House, which is 100 feet to the deck roof. The Mansard frame building with slate roof, is house of itself, 28 to 30 feet in height. The Grand Central Hotel is 123 feet in height. The Grand Central Hotel is 123 feet to the top, of which 30 feet is Mansard. The Fifth Avenue is 90 feet to the cornice. As to flats, they don't come into our category of rates. The one at Fifth avenue and Forty second street is nine stories above the street 1 and 120 feet in height. Just think of it. 1AcIC arc bcVOId1 1AtbS duu b6u6u4oubS ulBA I enough to burn down before man could get
 down stairs from the top story. Sixty feet 1 is the estimate of the proper height of 8 building We have a standard rate for 8 standard building, and for every additional ten feet in height we charge an additional | rate. In fact, an additional rate is charged | for all deficiencies from what is considered a | stendard building. If there are no iron shut ters we charge for that. If the area is ex- cessive, or if the cornices are of'wood, an ad- dition to the standard rate is made. So that | on the score of cheapness of insurance there I is every inducement to put up good build | ing, and not poor one"
 Work will commence shortly on the new l britannia shop which MT. Wilcox is to build
 on State street, Meriden, opposite the pres
 ent main factory. The shop will be 400 feet 1 in length and four stories high.
 Germany is beginning to grumble because
 American breadstuffs are coming seriously into competitor with her own agriculture products. If Germany did not keep suct great armies she could easily supply her own breadstuffs. -P Providence Press,