New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23
ROOFS IN THE CLOUDS.
TALL BUILDINGS RISE EVERY HEHE'
SOME OF THE LOFTY STRUCTURES ON MANHAT-
TAN IsLAND-ADvANCE IN REAL


TAN IsLAND-ADvANCE IN REAL
ESTATE VALUES.
Standing upon the top Of the Tribune Bui'dihs
several evenings and looking around at the
panorama OF life and OF business activity spread out
in all directions far below. the reporter began 10
think upon the problems of aerial navigation ana 10
remember that. like successful; cure for badness
there millions in it, II 1t could only be snVeu
Suddenly there came the rattle OF severa wagons
the pavements in the street and the violent
ringing of bells. Turning to lcok in the direction
whence came The sound the reporter saw curling
upward a great spre of flame, and he could near
the shouts of people as they hurried along. 1t
turned out to be a big fire I'm the workrooms Of the
ID. j. Solomon Company. adjoining the large build
ing owned by Charles Broadway Rouss Standing
the roof Of what was the Tribune Building not
very long ago, this fire might have blazed away
az night. and the most that one could nave seen
would have been the smoke or the reflection of the
light up the sky for then the home OF the Journal
which founded by Horace Greeley could not
be compared either In bulk or height. with the
structure in which The paper Is now brought out.
In those days foreign steamers were headed OFF at
Halifax and their budget Of news expressed to Bos-
ton ard w-York while in these days foreign
steamers are headed off where they start-if such
an expression be not thought too lrish-and their
budget Of news sent by cable not expressed.
The first Tribune Building destroyed by fire
February.
Greeley said: "Our loss so far as money can replace
IT is about Ss,0o. Of which about 5000" Is covered
by insurance The loss of property which insur-
would not cover We feel more keenly. IT our
mail-books come whole from our sa.amander
safe now buried among the ruins we shall be CRATE
fully content" The paper came out the next morn
ing and the safe came out too. and the books were
found to be all right. An office was hired tenn
porary. type was borrowed and bought. and MI
Greeley gloat ted over the recovery OF that safe In
these words: And consider above all that salaman-
der safe how. after ALL the fire. assisted by the
elements. only OF second best. not being able
TO reduce that safe into ashes That Is the streak
Of sunshine through the dim wreaths Of smoke. the
combat OF human ingenuity against the desperate
encounter OF the scathing heat But-those books
and Websters dictionary-well we were handsome
~ whipped there. We acknowledge.
THE TRIBUNE THE PIONEER.
Another building. however. soon put up. and
this was followed years later by the present
structure whose elevators carry up and down daily
about $500 people. and which was the talest build
ing In the city until within a few years ago In
fact The Tribune thu pioneer In that class OF
sky scrapers' which may b. seen now shooting
upward in almost every direction within the TO-
s,rlcted confines Of Manhattan Island. stu later
this class OF buildings became easier to put up and
put up to almost any height once a good founda-
lion WAS secured by reason Of the new method OF
running up a steel framework for the main walls
one can see the outlines OF A building ana the
shape and Size that II Will he when finished long be-
fore IT Is finished one could look through the net
work % steel form ng the dome Of tho present Man
haitian Life Building from far-on South Brooklyn.
from the deck 81 steamer making her way
through the Lower Bay. or In straight lin from
where broadway curves AZ feminist. Tor "ho'"
year before II was competed one may look al IT,
now that tho work is done. ana 1t ia no higher and
~ bigger In the same You could walk through
= fhn i4rf
mer and sec tYwerug above the tre"-tops the great
circular interac'ng Of sic". which formed the shell
OF the present fipte MaJcsuc and through whos in
Vulnerable openings the sun cast darki!ng shadows
49, r. went lwn by 'ni the New-Jersey hills. That
great building too is now completed AMI the only
difference one can see i4 In the colort the original
outline remaining undsturbed. Then 1t was black.
now D. is white
Coming IN more general way 10 4 consideration
of a., the tall buildings which have been run up IN
Ncv-York during he last hftecn years. and which
have transformed the aspect - Hr'adway ana ara
f.t frausf.rulny th~ aspect 81 Ffth-ave. the first
which c6mes 20 mind naturally. ror 81 Is planted al
a. the beginning Of the island. IL The Produce
IN -tangc. This is building that delights the heart
- the average Engli,hnnn who has found home
I'm our midst" ON account ~ It's soii,y and IN"
great s,aco x g-ouni covered by IT, foundations.
In commenting upon thes. features one 81 the mem
hers 4 ~. - George Society although many Will
fuppose that D.. member u tho ST Patrick
Society 10 disguise said that the "insane rush after
sky-scrapers' hy rich merchants * thu bitter
cot eyesore that eating into the vitals OF the body
polite
BUILDING DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES.
Judged hy the estimates as filed In the building
Department. the Produce Exchange and the Equi-
/ table iIfc Assurance Socieiy's buildings are the
costlcSt IN the city The figure for each
is 10000 although the estimate set down for the
Manhattan Life Insurance Company's building in
lower Broadway. said to be the allest building In
America s. only ta5O.Oo While ~ It's certain.
for reasons that will be apparent later on that the
I.nuItnIlc and Hrnlmce ENchAnge haNe cost