Evening star., 1899-03-25

11th street. which will not now be torn
down. The basement, however. will be
deep enough to contain a modern newSpa-
per press.as it will be 16 feet from the floor
to the ceiling. Here will be located the
heating plant and the dynamos which Will
supply the electric light for the entire build
ing. There will be no gas used in the new
structure, with the exception of that which
will be consumed in furnishing the heat for
the melting pots of the typesetting ma
chimes In the composing room.
An ingenious device will be found
in the plan for this part of the build
ing, which is a recent feature in all
large buildings of the kind. 1t is
known a sewage lift. All the waste
of the building. from the first story to the
top, will be carried out through pipes con-
nected with the city sewers, just as is done
in all buildings. When, however, the base
ment is reached a different situation is
found. as the floor is not only below the
level of the city sewers, but is below the
tide of the river. Some method of diSpos-
Ing of the water that would flow into the
basement from the area and also the waste
from the engines, etc, must be devised. and
1t is this which the sewage lift accom-
plishes.
By this device all the waste in the base
ment floor Is collected in a basin sunk
in the floor, and is then lifted by air
pressure up to the level of the sewer pipe,
and forced through it into the city sewers.
This is brought about by the use of water
stored in a tank located in the seventh
story of the building, and which is sup
Piled from the large water tank on the
roof. The flow is automatic and the pres
sure created in the descent of the water
down the pipe forces the air from a reSer-
Voir located a few stories below into the
pipe, and the power thus created is Suffi-
cient when 1t reaches the waste basin, to
force the contents uD to the level of the
sewer pipe. and thence, of course, 1t finds
Its way into the city sewer.
AS the bottom of the basement is below
the tide level another 6pSica is RmDipv cd
to prevent the rise of Gampness into the
upper portion of the building, in the event
there should be an overflow in the river
The entire surface of the ground beneath
the foundations is covered with water
proofing material. which, as the name i'm
plies, is imperv1ous to the entrance of mois-
ture.
To satisfactorily heat such a large build
ing is not by any means the least difficult
problem to solve. The new Star building
Will be heated by steam throughout and
the system which has been adopted was de-
signed by one of the most eminent en-
glneers of the country. The network of
steam pipes which will traverse the nam
moth building will be completely under the
control Of the engineer.
System of Wires.
The wiring of a building of such a charac-
ter is matter that requires the study of
experts in much the same fashion as the
construction features, the determination of
required strength of the various parts
There are so many kinds of wires to be
used that the ducts required to carry them
are numerous, and it takes planning TO find
a place for them all. There will be an in
dependent electric lighting plant in the
building, which will supply the current
needed for lighting. and then, in addition.
there will be telephone wires, messenger
service wires and telegraph wires.
A central telephone exchange room will
connect all the instruments in the building
with the city system. in each room behind
the chair rail wnich will encircle the walls
Will be carried various wires, and they can
De tapped at places most convenient to the
occupants of the rooms, and any sort of
electric service and facilities of communi-
cation will be at the elbow of every one
that needs lem. Provision of course will
be made for electric bells and an additional
set of wires will be needed for that purpose
ihere Will also be a system of speaking
tubes between the business office and the
basement and between different sections of
the floor occupied ~ the composing room.