Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-23
TWO HUNDRED FEET IN THEArR
Features of a Twelve-Story Apartment
House in New York.

On the west side OF the city. says the
New York Tribune, an enormous apart
ment house has recently been completed.
1t occupies seven city lots. and rises to
the height of nearly 200 feet above the
pavement. The cellars are blasted thirty
feet deep in the solid rock on which the
village goats gambOlled in the days of old
New York. Beneath the sidewalks there
are spacious apartments, and an under
ground passage stretches back nearly 800
feet to the street in the rear of the struct-
ure. TIE building is in the style of
the italian Renaissance. A brown
stone church occupies the lot on either
side OF it. Twenty-Five years ago these
places of worship were marked among
the principal buildings of this part of
New York. Even now an atmosphere of
quiet n substantial responsibility
seems to emanate from them and envelope
the neighbor which Oyershadows them.
The castle-like tower of one of these
churches does not reach half way up the
side Of the apartment house, and the fifth
story of the parsonage" is on d level
with the 'slOWer'' parlOrs of the apart
ment house. Height is no DIGESTION in a
modern apartment in the centre of New
York, provided there are rapid" eleYa-
tors, and no stairways TO climb except as
a matter of relaxation and exercise.
Rents do not lessen appreciably With the
altitude.
This house is one of the cooperative
apartment houses of the city, built not
with a view to private speculation, but
with the purpose of combining the CON- |
forts of a home Inc a private hotel. Some
fifty persons Of means organized a stock
company for the purpose of building the
house. They have expended on it a mil |
lion and a quarter. There are ninety
GnVnn ETTTfOC of D1CnNa = E-A-, I
three to twelve rooms in each. The greater
part Of these are leased by the %stockhold-
ers for a term Of years, while those that
are rented with the stores in the street
front afford q. yearly revenue of over
100000, far more than enough for taxes,
repairs and current expenses. No X
pense has been spared TO contribute 70
comfort Il convenience. The structure
is lreprOof. Only the furniture and trim-
mings are combustible. The woodwork
of the apartments Is of mahogany, cherry
or light wood. as the owners taste pre-
ters, and the frescOing of the apartments
is also in designs of the owners choice.
Probably more than a thousand persons
VIII 1nd ZONES or occupation in this vast
building. A large force of employees will
be required to conduct the daily routine.
These Will have rooms in a building in the
rear. The kitchen, laundry, r~efrigera-
tors, butcher shop, coal rooms, engines of
zOO morse power. gas and electric light APP
paratus, are in the cellars and under the
front sidewalk. Most of the families
have two or more servants of their own.
In the suites there are kitchens with
ranges for cooking by gas or steam, if the
families do not wish to 90 to the restaur-
ant. Each family may give its order from
It's own rooms and have the meals sent
to the apartment. The meals are provided
for the stockholders on a basis nearly at
cost. Each set Of apartments has CRATES
and open freplaces in addition to steam
neat, and the coal is furnished at cost.
The tenth and eleventh stories are fin
lshed with the same elegance as the rest
of the building, but especially for artists
studios. In the basement there is a bar
Der shop. On the twelfth story a suite of
has been isolated from all ap-
proach except by the roof and furnished
with no less care than other parts of the
house. This is known as the hospital. A
person sick of any contagious disease
could receive all attention and care in
this room without the least danger to any
other occupant of the house.
The roof of the building commands one
of the finest views in the city. The eve
passes unObstructed from the lower bay
to the sound, far up the Hudson and back
OF Jersey Heights. The roof has a floor
of brick as solid as Broadway pavement,
and is surrounded with a high balustrade.
This Will be the playground Of the chill
dren with their nurses in fine weather.
During the summer the roof will be laid
out in garden plots and parterres. with
awnings for protection from the sun. An
elevator runs up to the roof. and meals
may be taken there.