The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-16
TENANTS HIGH In AIR.
The Manhattan Life Company's
Building, New York.
TAlLEsT N THE WHOLE WORLD.
New Censssuetivs ldess-Caisssus Saak
EsesAvay for lss FousdAsisas.

Chicaeo's Wanted Masonic ofice build
ing, heretofore the tales. edifice Of that
sort in the world. viii sink into eompara-
tive ins:snsficsnce when the Manhattan
Life Insurance building. now in course Of
construction at Nos. "a, 6s and 6 Broad
way. New York. il completed. !.
This Is TO be the highes: once building
in the world. There are few auildings, in
ceed. of any description in the world OF
greater height than this is destined 20 be.
In its construction several new and here
sofore untYied principles and experiments
in engineering have been put into exccu-
ton, and architects are eagerly watching
their successful outcome
A few wears ago it would have been i'm
practicable to have erected . building OF
this height for business purposes. particu-
larry on small pho: OF ground. on account
OF the space taken up By the thickness OF
walls necessary 10 carry SO high build
ing, rendering any Ieasisic and practical
arrangement Of the rooms out of the ques-
ton.
The heights of some Of the principal
buildings in the world are rs follows: St
Peters. Rome. 537 feet: st. Paul's, Lon
don. 36s feet: Cathedral of Milan, 43S feet;
Cathedral at Florence. 3sI feet: Cathedral.
New York. s25 feet; Trinity church. New
York. 2sS feet; Washington monument.
SO feet. In some instances these heights
are undoubtedly taken to the extreme top
Of . pinnacle not representing the main
structure.
Stee, skeleton construction nov used
universally for tall buildings admits Of
walls no thicker than would be provided
for the heretofore six or eight-stofy office
building, therefore there Is no limit to the
height at which buildings might rise. pro-
viding the foundations can be made strong
enough 10 sustain them.
In the matter of foundations the Man.
haitian Life Insurance Company. through
its architects Kimhali & Thompson. is
the pioneer in introducing an interest
ing process for securing permanent
and stable foundations in yielding
soil or where quicksand abounds. 1t
Is the application of an old principle
used exclusively heretofore In bridge
building. 1t is nothing more or less than
the sinking Of caissons to bedrock. wher-
ever tina. might be, the case in hand being
iifty-tive to sixty feet below the level OF
Broaiway. These caissons are of the form
OF immense steel chambers or tanks. vary
ing in size according to the loads to be
carried, and about eleven feet in height.
On these caissons brick work il built AZ
the caisson sinks in the ground and Is so
built upon until the caisson sinks 70 the
rock level. Then the chamber is filled
with the strongest kind of concrete. The
caisson. 10 the working chamber. under
pressure all the time and controlled by an
air lock in which men are at work exca-
waiting the earth andsssblowing it out by
means Of an air pipe to the surface. What
ever is found through which the piers are
to be sunk, be 1t quicksand or water, the
pressure controls and prevents 1t from
running into the chamber. The floor Of
the chamber, which Is the ground, is nj.
ways perfectly dry.
In this manner two industries can be
carried on at the same time, viz. the ex-
cations and the masons 6uilding the piers.
10 that when the caisson is down TO the
level TO which 1t 10 10 go the pier is already
built for the iron work TO be placed
thereon.
Fifteen caissons are required in this
building to carry the structural supports,
the steel construction being like that en-