The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-07
THE MANIA TOR
TALL BUILDINGS.
4 Most Remarkable City Landscape in
Printing House Square.
Perfection in Elevator Work to Raise Ma
terial to the Upper Stories May
Be Done in the Future.


distinct class. has occurred within a few
years. The Western Union Building, at the
corner of Broadway and Dey street, with
its eleven stories, was built in 1873. and
shortly thereafter the Tribune Building, on
Printing House Square, with ten stories.
Previous to that the typical Office building
was but five or six stories high, and the
Equitable Building, the comparatively
small beginning of the present immense
mass, was one of the best specimens.
With the invention of the hydraulic
elevator, as distinguished from the erd-
nary machine lifts, and withthe rapidity of
action which became practicable with this
improvement, the height of buildings began
at once to increase.
As the perfection of elevator work is the
one fundamental condition for high build
ings, it may be well to note clearly the
nature OF the change in elevator machinery.
which directly led to the construction of
very high buildings. Before hydraulic ele-
vatOrs were invented steam elevators were
used. In these steam engine was the mo-
| tive power, directly connected with the car
| by windlasses, pulleys and other hosting
| devices. Hydraulic elevators, on the con-
| trary, have no direct connection with the
source of power They are lifted by the
weight of column Of water, sometimes
| aided by atmospheric pressure, acting upon
| a piston aud cylinder placed near or in the
we'll la which the car moves. In steam en-
! gineS, or those moved by gas engines, tur-
blneS or other prime movers directly con-
nected, there Is more or less vibration from
! the machinery, which Increases rapidly as
| the speed Increases, rendering high velocl-
ties in travel iInpracticable. Hydraulic ele-
yat0rs move with gliding motion, in which
/ ghVnfH chs FslA Ia hHs
their use very high yelOcities for the cars are
| obtained
Should the height Of buildings be pushed
| much beyond present limits it is probable
| that other devices will have to be added TO
secure rapid access to the upper stories.
Elevators might perhaps been run in such
a way that each one Of a group would serve
several stories. making no stop
BELOW THE ALLOTTED PORTION.
After the way had been broken tall build
| ingS multiplied rapidly-tne Coal and Iron
! Exchange, the Boreel building, Temple
Court, the Weles building the Standard OIL
| building, the Wilmington aud Morse build
| lngS and dozen others which might be
| enumerated.
We have spoken so far only Of tall Office
| buildings of New York. Other cities pos
seSs lofty buildings, some, indeed, surpass-
ing in size anything that New York eau
show, such as the Roo kerry ana the AudltO-
rum OF Chicago, and still more recent and
more lofty structures. But owing TO its
contracted building space, it is probable
that New York viii continue to be the city
where the very tall building on compare
| lively small ground space viii tend to de-
velGp and be seen in perfection.
| The challenge of the Tribune lay for ONE
| years unaccepted. Recently, however it
was taken up by the Times, which erected
| building overlapping the Tribune and not
| 100 feet away from it; and still more re-
aaY1f " ho tTlH hao hot into
! the shade in point of height attained, with
| nineteen stories, including those i'll the
| dome.
Certainly this group OF newspaper build
| ingS Is the most remarkable city landscape
| TO be seen anywhere. 1t will not be less re-
| markabe II the Sun carries out a suggestion
! that it recently made as to the possibility of
! its putting up a building OF some thirty-two
stories and nearly 400 feet in height upon a
! plat OF ground but 20 feet square. For such
| a structure ordinary methods would have to
| be abandoned. Brick and stone could not
safely TO be trusted to stand the enormous
| pressure on the base and the bulk of these
! materials in the massive walls required
! would seriously diminish the available floor
I space. But such problems have already
been encountered and successfully solved
! in several instances, notably the Tower
| Building on Lower Broadway, which IS
twelve stories high, with but 81 feet front
! age.
After the elevator system. the very first
| requirement Of an Office building is that
every room shall be amply lighted. Where
the building stands upon corner, or with
three sides exposed, as in the Times Build
| ing, the question OF light presents no diff
! cultles. But where the frontage is limited,
! courts, light-wells and similar devices be-
| come necessary, and conflict is apt to arise
BETWEEN THE ARCHITECT AND OWNER.
TO sacrifice valuable floor space for spa
/ PlOllS internal eOuTtS IN the
not unnaturaIly, out OF the question, while
! the architect is usually anxious 10 secure
the manifest advantages OF both light and
/ air for the offices that large light spaces
! give. As matter of fact those Office buildings
where space seems to be wantOnly wasted
! for such purposes are the most successful.
Each room being desirable, the highest
rents are obtained and the building is easily
! kept filled. Instances of this treatment are
seen in the BOTeel and in the Slills Building.
Where light spaces are necessary it is mis-
take from every pointsOf view to reduce
/ them 10 a minimum.
How far progress in science may in future
! enable us to dispense with natural light it is
1 hard TO say. If electric lighting were used
| in bulbs placed IN the ceiling rooms or 9th
erwise, so that the whole room would be
/ evenly Illuminated without shadows and
without glare, and if adequate ventilation
by natural draft or 10y mechanical blast
could be obtained, there is no reason why
/ We sHOuiu Hot W Hllllbul MlHuOWS entirely,
/ building our blocks solid, each room cell,
With doorways the only openings. A vast
/ saving of space might in this way
be made. 1t has been asserted that
the electric light produces headaches,
and, If continuous, greater ills, but
the fact seems to be insufiicientIy
| proved. As to ventilation, it will not
90 to depend upon windows entirely, even
where they can be obtained. The steam or
hot water heat from radiators, which are
the only practical methods of heating large
| buildings, renders necessary some system of
exit for exhausted and inlet for fresh air. 1t
may be possible, therefore, to dispense with
| windows in the future, or at least TO use them
only where they can conveniently be OBJ
tanned, and for the Testto exist in an artificial
light of Ierfect quality and in an atmosphere
Obtained by artIt cial means. At present, of
| course nothing of this sort is attempted, but
| with the enormous Increase of land values
that must be expected in the lower parts of
| New York it would not be surprising if the
future would produce something of the sort
| john Beverley Robinson in Engineering.