The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-12
ABOUT Sky sCRAPERs.
Some of the PeriIs in the COnstruc-
tiOn of Tail Buildings.
From the New York Times.

tiOn of Tall buildings.
From the New York Times
How long is it since walls began to
port of buildings?"
well, not very long" replied Architect
Post. THE first step was the use of iron
trusses as the support of all the interior
parts of building, the walls being self
sustaining and built Independent of the
cage, though anchored to 1t by connec-
tons between the cage and the stone
piers. Then architects began to incor-
porate the outer columns of the cages in
the walls. From this it was short step
to relieve the walls of all serious carry
ing responsibility, and make them simply
panels in the outer lines of the cage.
Il think myself that this latter plan
has some objections, which may be urged
against 1t. In the first place, the upright
steel beams when built into the walls are
removed from all possibility of examina-
tion without tearing the building down.
In the second place, there is danger from
the effects Of large fires exterior to the
building itself. Suppose a big fire was
to start opposite a building constructed
with steel pillars near the surface of the
walls, the heat might do incalculable
damage by warping and twisting the pill
lars.
ITO avert these dangers, the most re-
cent method of constructing cages is to
place the steel upright just inside of the
outer walls, and push the ends of the hor-
zontal beams out for enough to support
the walls, cantileVer fashion. This per-
mits an examination of every essential
part of the cage, and, at the same time,
protects it from the possibility of danger
from exterior fires"
How high could a building be made
from a theoretical point of View?" asked
the reporter.
The EiffeI tower of Paris is $50 feet
high" said Mr.. Post, land there is no en-
cheering difficulty in making an office
building equally high, or even higher.
The commercial limit, however, will not
be much greater than 800 feet The ques-
ton of elevator accommodation and light
will step in at this limit, even if the legis-
lature does not keep down the hight to a
proper proportion to the width of the
street, as it ought to do at the next ses-
sion.
We find in practice that each elevator
in a building will accommodate an aver
age or fifty Offices. The higher the build
ing, therefore, the greater the amount Of
space which must be taken UP by the ele-
vators. This fact acts as a restriction to
very tall buildings on small lots. The
question of light is more serious. A tall
building is all right so long as it is
not surrounded by equally lofty neighbors.
AS soon as other buildings of the same,
or even greater hight, spring up around
it, many of its previous advantages dis
appear The lower floors may still let
well for store purposes, and the upper
floors, which have good sunlight. for Of
fees. But the intermediate floors, which
have to use electric light all day. will
soon grow undesirable, and there will be
great trouble in letting them at profita-
Bile rates, except, of course, where the
building faces on some public square, like
the Times building, or opposite a church
which Is not likely to be removed, like
the Havemeyer building at Ann street and
Broadway"
What will be the hight of the new
Havemeyer building?" asked the repor-
ter.
1T WIN be about three hundred and
seven feet from the street level to the
top Of the main roof. Then there Will be
a roof house, equivalent to another story
a basement, sub-basement and cellar II
VIII have twenty-five complete stories in
the three hundred and seven feet The
plans are not yet complete"
what VIII be the final end OF the tall
buildings now Ia New York city2 VIII Il