The herald., 1897-01-03
A CREDIT TO los ANGELES
A Home for Tourists Worthy of
the Name
THE NEW VAN NUYS HOTEL
The magnificent New Hosiery to Be
Opened Shortly
THE NEW VAN NUYS HOTEL
A 100000 Structure Built on the Most
Modern Lines, With All the Com
forts of Civilization.

The addition of the great Van Nuys
5000 900 structure to the list OF excellent
hostelries In Los Angeles marks an epoch
in the social and financial history or our
city. We have had much talk for years,
and not little agitation, on the sub
ject of a new tourist hotel, ana while
some of us were still planning and try
ing to interest our neighbors, the man
with the golden wand had waved 1t over
q central spot in our great city, and 10:
we behold the result-an ornamental
cube, containing 1,71S,SO0 cubic feet oi
steel stone and precious stuffs, and the
whole permeated throughout by the un :
rivaled Southern California sunshine.
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN
WAND
The originator and sole owner or this
splendid Improvement Is one of our own
public-spirited citizens, Mr. /. N. Van
Nuys, and he has spared neither money
nor effort in giving to the world the
magnificent structure which graces the
northwest corner of Main and Fourth
streets.
THE ARCHITECTS.
Messrs. Morgan & Walls, architects,
made plans and specifications over a
year ago, ard in October 1895, the foun-
dations were laid, and the building as 1t
stands today is a monument to their
,aDlllty DOtn as aTculletts anu ditistf'
The firm of Morgan & Walls is one OF the
oldest firms of architects In Southern
California. Many of the finest buildings
in Los Angeles were planned by Nor
gan & Walls. among them being the
Bullard block and the Hollenbeck home;
also buildings in many of our neighbor
ing towns. The firm is now preparing
the plans for four-story building to oe
erected by Mr.. !. w. Hellmar on the cor
ner of Second street and Broadway
THE HOTEL
The building has been rented by Mr..
Milo NJ Potter. whose success as the
proprietor of the Westminster for eight
years is we'll known. He has expeEd d
over $780, 900 in furnishing the Van Nuys
and the velvet carpets, carved furniture
and solid silver services bear testimony
to money well spent. The lower floor is
devoted to hotel office. reception and
lounging rooms. dining g-room-which
seats $50 guests-a charming public grill
room. with its twenty-fiv small tables,
and costly bar.
The billiard room and barber shop oc-
cupy the basement.
The upper part of the building is di-
vided into large. airy guest chambers
single or en- suite. Each room has an
outside exposure, and is provided with
ample closet accommodations and pri-
vate bath
Every corridor in the building ends at
an outside door or window provided with
fire escape, of which there are in all
six systems.
The grand staircase is of iron. with
marble steps. so that In case OF fire it
would be one of the last things to go
This staircase is enclosed on three sides
with brick walls. so that it Is almost COM
pletely protected. These brick partition
lire walls extend from cellar to roof
enclosing not only the staircase and ele-
vator shafts. but also the light courts,
which are surfaced throughout with
white tiles.
All the ceilings are lathed with metal.
and the entire frame of the building is
of steel Each floor Is deadened with
three inches of mortar, which not only
makes it possible to confire any con-
Migration to one floor, but cuts off ali
sound from benea ath or overhead Every
precaution for the safety of building and
guests has also been taken in the sys-
tenn CT heating and lighting.
The whole house is heated Nv steam
The basement of the Hotel Van Nuys
is furnished with duplicate lov hois,
power boilers, SO that there is no chance
of a possible breakdown that might re-
suit In chilly rooms and cold bath water
on rainy day. when all ought to be
warm.
Perfect ventila tion has been as care
luily PIONlu toI us llSnt anu neat.
Electric fans are placed everywhere and
system of conduits, running to the
electric stations. insures a constant sup
ply of pure, fresh air in every portion of
the building,
The prospect from the hotel is very
beautiful. You look out over the verdure
of Los Angeles shady streets and green
lawns, through that clear sparkling
Southern California air. to the Pacific.
fourteen miles away. and up and down
the picturesque Los Angeles river The
immediate surroundings of the hostelry
too, are charming.
THE FOUNDATIONS
The foundations of the Hotel Van
Nuys are built entirely of concrete. This
department is the work of a well known
cement and concrete expert, whose rep
utation for first-class heavy and diff
cult concrete work is established.
The concrete used on the Van Nuys
building was prepared by steam con-
crete mixing MILL which insures a
stronger and more durable concrete than
the old process.
There We're used in the construction Of
the foundations and arches 1900 barrels
of cement and 500 loads of gravel, and
forty men were employed on the work.
THE STEEL FRAME.
The frame of the Van Nuys building is
made of the finest tested steel The con-
tract for the ironwork amounting to
$2S,000 was awarded to the Baker Iron
works. The frame of this building Is one
OF the most solid and substantial super
structures ever erected. The main
frame of the building is of Z-bar con-
struction. The front is of heavy cast-iron
columns, with 20-inch steel beams, for
supporting the front walls of the build
ing on Main and Fourth streets, and the
enormous corner column, the latter being
tne largest ever cast In Southern Califor-
nia-weighing 10000 pounds-are, with
all the rest OF the work, made of the best
material, and 1t required the labor of
nfty expert mechanics, under the gud-
ance or able foremen, in its construction.
The policy or the Baker Iron works has
always been to use home manufa lures.
and IN this structure all of the work
was done in its own shops. except the 90
inch beams. which ka6 to be brought
from the east and small portion of the
work, which had to be done in San Fran
cisco. This Is also gratifying to Mr..
Van Nuys, who has always encourag ged
home production.
Milo s. Baker was the founder of this
great manufacturing enterprise that
bears his name The company was in
corporated in 1886 The officers at nres
ent are: F. l.. Baker. president and SUI
perintendent; M. A. Baker vice presi-
dent and J. Il. Sills. secretary and treas
urer
THE ELECTRICAL FIXTURES.
The Hotel Van Nuys Will be UNIQUE in
many respects. but in no department will
tie stIpartrrfty ha prao far ax,sv,o,a