The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-09
ruy TAIL.BUILDING QUESTION.

THE TALLBUILDING QUESTION
A hill Is about 10 be introduced In the
New York Legislature 10 provide that the
beiebt Of a building I'm the city OF New
York shall be limited to one hundred and
ninety feet. This provision has been de-
,nanded by the excessive height 10 whIch
office buildings have recently been carried
I'm that city. Fifteen years ago eight or
ri,o stories was considered the maxi
mum. Indeed. very few buildings were
over five or six stories high. but when 'he
Elevated Railway enabled people living
I'm tho upper part Of the city 10 continue
10 do their business between Canal street
and Bowling Green. the price OF property
was enormously enhanced. 50 much 80
that recent sale has taken place on
lower Broadway at the price OF S--S.''
SQUARE foot which IS equivalent 70
price per front foot running back one
hundred feet. the usual depth OF lots OF
81. So. 4 lot measuring. say sixty-ciSit
hv 1lc feet has sold for one million six
hundred thousand dollars. a small piece
OF property on Wall and Broad streets las
sold for as much as 5000 per square foot
With such high prices for the ground Il
was lust a question Of how many stories
could DO built. one upon the other, an
they have been carried up 10 twenty
nine. as in the 81. Paul building. occupy
ing the site of the old New Or.S iciald
Office. and even more in the case NJ tho
Wins Syndicate building. which including
its towers IS three hundred and eighty
six feet high. The spire of Trinity
church. 1t should be remembered T.. is oily
two hundred and eighty-four feet high.
The effect Of these tall buildings has been
10 make the streets upon which they
are built more Ike dark canons than
thoroughfares OF human life. Nentila-
ton and light have also been seriously
impaired In the lower stories. wni,c sewer
gas from adjoining. but lower buildings
has poisoned the atmosphere OF the up
per stories In every country OF Europe
there has long been n limit put upon the
height Of buildings. there being some es-
tablshed ratio between the widths OF
the streets upon which the building abuts
and It's height The rule in Germany Is
that the houses must not be higher than
the width of the street. but I'm no case
moro than seventy-twO feet. in Vienna
the maximum height IS fixed az eighty
two feet In Sweden a dwelling house
must not have more than five stories. Iu
Paris. the height of the house may be
about one and one-half times the width
OF the street. but I'm New York they have
gone up 20 four or five times the width
OF tho street. until common sense has de-
manded that these modern builders az
Towers OF Babel shall stop. The secret
OF this extraordinary development IS the
wonderful facility with which these steel
skeleton structures are erected. In
seventy-five days, the Central Syndicate
building. at Broadway and Pearl street
seveniy-fve by one hundred and nifty feet.
and fifteen stories. or two hundred and
ten feet high. and containing twenty-six
hundred tons OF structural steel. was
erected by the Terry 81 Tence Con-
struction Company. The work was be-
sun August 18th and the roof was raised
November 9Th. one story. weighing one
hundred and twenty tons was raised com
plete I'm sixteen working hours. and two
stories were raised. assembled, and con-
nccted in thrty-six working hours We
doubt II anywhere else in the world has
the construction OF buildings been car
ricd 10 such perfection.
Another limitation upon the height o.!
buildings Is the difficulty OF managing
with safety The very fast passenger ele-
Understanding al 700 or 500 feet q min
ute-the least obstruction IN the checking
apparatus endangers the lives Of the pas
sengers. as was recently the case I'm the
Tract Society building. when the eleva-
tor on its down turn would not stop. but
struck the basement floor with terrible
and disastrous Jar. 70 supply enough
elevators moving at "a moderate speed
takes up 50 much floor space that an
economical limit is found. The effect Of
these limitations upon tan buildings will
he TO make population spread more and
more. and IL would be well for our people
10 take up more room than has been Gus
tomary. 1t is much TO be regretted that
I'm these days OF rapid transit our
dwellings are packed so closely together.