The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-03-09
A CITY UNDER ONE ROOF.
The Alarming Possibilities Of Sky
Scraping Architecture.

has been nearly completed during the year,
though it had its inception last year
The Marquette Building, which is now
nearing completion. will be- with the ex-
ceptiOn of the Monadnock Block. the larg
est and the finest and the newest Of the
great structures for office purposes. 1t
covers 1000 square feet. and is sixteen
stories in height
The Fort Dearborn Building at the
southwest corner Clark and Monroe, is
rapidly approaching completion. The
frontage is seventy feet on Clark
street and ninety feet on Monroe, and the
height twelve stories above the sidewalk.
The first story will be devoted to stores,
and the second floor will be divided be-
tween two banks. the Fort Dearborn Ma
tional and the Bank of Nova Scotia having
already secured the space. The bank
story is finished in mahogany; the others
in oak and all modern conveniences have
been utilized.
The fourteen story Reliance Building
located ON the southwest corner of State
and Washington streets, is practically com
pleted. Fully two-thirds of the frontage
of all floors above the first will be of plate
glass The white enambled terra Gotta
gives the structure Il cleanly and attractive
appearance. In some respects the Reliance
is more modern than any Of the large of
flee buildings Of the city, an effort in this
direction having actuated both the owner
and architect
These buildings constantly increasing in
size and height, suggest still greater
achievements. The Chicago Herald says:
Practical architects admit that it is
possible to put a complete city under one
roof, and there are signs that before the
century closes such an architectural mir
acle will be attempted in the Eastern
metrOpolOlis Indeed, rumor is printed
in the New York Journal that the entire
block at the corner of West Nineteenth
street and Fifth avenue. stretching east
has been bought up by a secret syndicate
of benevolently speculative millionaires.
1t is limited that Charles T. Yerkes is one
of the guiding spirits in this tremendous
enterprise Mr. Yerkes is well known to
the scientific world as the eiver of the
famous Yerkes telescope, and it is easy to
understand how IA man Of his practical mind
might be fascinated by the prospect which
this gigantic scheme presents. Who the
New Workers are connected with the
Chicago business genius in this plan. which
involves millions to start can only be sur
missed at present. But it is shrewdly sus-
pected that the brilliant son of famous
jndge who abandoned law for business is
one Of these choice spirits. and that several
very rich women Of New York are also
subscribers to the stock. One thing is
absolutely certain in this connection. The
real estate deal for the property has been
consummated. and the former owners or
renters Of private houses in that block are
seeking new abOdes.
But what does the plan actually pro-
pose? According to the best obtainable
information from inside sources. it may.
unless the magnificent intention collapses.
eventuate something like this Every
building on the block will be torn down,
and an absolute open space, big enough for
football amphitheater, will be thus laid
open in the fashionable heart Of the city
The foundations will be dug very deep,
and the main piles will be wrought iron.
Iron imterspersed with aluminium. with
glass and with stone for pictorial effect,
will be used chiefly in the construction of
the building. This will be huge oval
shell, with Il spacious court. hotel. theater
and spiral driving park Of gradual ascent
inside the central dome The arrangement
will be such that during summer the sides
Of this imperceptibly ascending spiral
avenue can be thrOwn open to natural air.
while in severe winter weather they can be
closed tight. if necessary The lower part
of the huge oval shell viii be arranged
chiefly for the management of wholesale
businesses, and on the second floor the en-
plOyes and wOrkmen in the vast hive will
have their quarters.
There will be fifty floors with an aver
age height of thirty feet, but between some
Of the fats there will be floors that will
contain halls and bathrooms leasable in turn
by the neighbors of the covered city, so
that the probable height of the building
will be over half mile Each one of
these fats will look out on the inner court
and also on the street of the outside world
and each will be arranged for family of
six or eight persons They will be so al
ranged in building the separate outside
sections that none of their windows will
look into those Of an opposite neighbor
The sections of the apartment tunets or
series of flats will be fifty in number
Hence, the calculation is easy that about
twenty thousand people can be accommo-
dated in this mammoth apartment palace
The rentals of these $500 most desir-
able fats will not average less than So 600
apiece.
This item alone gives So. 900. 900. or
five per cent interest on the original in
vestment of 500. 900, 900.
Consider now the food bills of these
?, 800 families, who will be supplied from
the great central restaurant These food
bills will not be less than another So. 600. :
600 per annum, half of which, or more,
may be reckoned as sheer, clear profit.
Consider next that all the stores, Turkish
baths, theaters, ETC.. in this place will be
owned and managed by the company, and
that in addition to the constant profit ac-
cruing from those who live in the city will
be the stream of traffic from the outside
For is it not clear that outsiders will come
in floods to place where not only every
thing is cheaper than elsewhere, according
to quality but where so much tremendous
architectural beauty is set off by such un-
imaginable splendor of electric lights, shift
ing through all tints.
1t should be added that besides the
spiral driving park, which will be large
enough for five phaetons to move abreast,
there viii be several glass and aluminium
aerial lakes or reservoirs on different floors
of the central dome, into which water from
artesian wells will fow These will be
lined with grassy banks, flowers and trees,
and little bathhouses, looking like kiosks,