Arizona republican., 1894-02-01
THE PROCESS.
Details of the Fleming Block
Construction.
The Men and Firms who have Con-
tributed to the Great Archi-
tectural Success.

:
contained an article describing at some
length the archits ;ture of the Fleming
block. The description was confined
rather to the appearance of the magnif-
icent structure in it's complete form
with little reference to the laborious
processes and details by which the
building rose from piles of brick, stone,
iron, glass, lumber and mortar. The
initial work of course was the design oy
the architects McGinnis and Helnleln
whose work, however, only began with
the first line of the design but was con-
tinuous and was completed only after
the work of every other mechanic and
artisan had been completed.
With the exception OF the brick work
the work was performed entirely by
contract. This, however, was done by
the day under the supervision OF the
architects, circumstance taken in con-
nection with the other circumstance
that only the best mechanics were en-
ployed, accounts for the character of the
work.
The contract for the foundation was
awarded to French, Hammer and Van
Slack and was begun and carried out on
the supposition that it was TO support a
Eve story building. In massiveness
there is nothing else like it in the
southwest. The material was taken
from the contractors lately opened
granite ouarries on the south side of the
river.
The carpenter and mill work was the
contract of G. q. Hughes. The work
Is the only monument Mr.. Hughes re-
quires. 1t is an abiding witness of his
efficiency but to those who have not
seen the interior of the Fleming block
it may be said that he ia without su.
perior and almost without an equal in
the west.
The cut stone work fsli to the per-
Torrance of Contractor D. Fitzpatrick.
The stone was brought from the Sespi,
California quarries, and its appearance
in the building shows the work of a
master builder and conscientious con-
tractor.
OF the plastcring performed by Jas.
Sperson it is only necessary to justly
compliment the contractor to say that
it is of piece with that performed in
other departments.
One of the chief features of every
large and substantial building is the
plum bling and in this case the greatest
care was taken by the architects. The
contract was awarded to the Phoenix
Plumbing company and was fulfilled
under the direct and able supervision
of Mr.. Chas. Coon. 1t has been not
only thoroughly done but done accord.
ing to the rules of modern sanitation
which in the last few years has trans
formed the business of plum bling from
trade into profession.
The painting contract was awarded
to Smith & Branch, whose firm name
alone was a guarantee of the excellence
of the performance. The work proves
that the guarantee is good.
The electric wiring was done by
Arthur W. Brown, a young expert
electrician, who has brought to his aiC
in the performance of his contracts the
latest and best developments of cleo
trical science. To wire a building is tt
do something more than to conduc
wires through it. 1t is not only neces
sary. to provide against exposure, which
may produce confagration, but it ii
also desirable that the wires be 80 ad
justed that the necessity of repair!
within long time be reduced to min
imum. All this has been carefully
done by the electrician.
The structural iron used in the build
ing was made by the Union Iron work
at Los Angeles.
In this way has small army of mel
been constantly employed since las
April in fashioning from raw materis
structure OF which the territory ma
be proud.