Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-11
TALL STRUCTURES
Continued from Tenth Page1

,
ever, the reflex effect If driving tenants to
less advantageous locations in rear streets
until the height attainable in the modern
proved accommddatiou'4 at rea 81 b
price The effect of the above natural
causes has BEEN therefore, even with
greatly enhanced cost, of the site. a re-
duction in renting ichafges proportioned to
the increase in rental area.
THE competition ,bstween the various
buildings has bronght' the minimum rate
down from So per square foot to below 81
per square foot of office space and in
cludes in this charge light, heat, attend
ance, cleaning and, of course, elevator serv-
ice
Average BUILDINGS
The cost of average steel-framed sixteen
story office buildings complete with equip
ment and inclusive of a moderate amount
of decorative outside treatment in stone
machine holdings or in terra Gotta, with
out hand stone carving, is SO to 40 cents
per cubic foot of its gross cubic content
outside measurement. The excessively high
buildings cost more, also those with ex-
pensive adornments The relative cost of
the mechanical appliances, including power
elevators, heat, light and sanitation, is APP
proximately one-seventh of above The
total cost of mechanical appliances in
building of sixteen stories basement and
subbasement say 5000 square feet rent
ing area per floor. was $4,000.
cor in detail: Chimney, $1,000 to s., 500:
boiler plant, 5000 to 1000; four to six
elevator plant, $4,000 to $4,000: heating
appliances and piping, $4,000 to $1,000;
electric wiring and switchboard, 5000 to
s15. 900; engines and generators, $1,000 to
10000; sanitation and fixtures. $4,000 to
$4,000.
1.-THE effect of an increase in the cost of
these appliances. if the same be productive
of economy and advantage in opera ton is
very much less in proportion than its i'm
portance to the owner. For instance, the
difference in the above comparative costs
would amount to $4,000 say Az per cent
on gross cost of building, which would
represent fully 80 per cent more conven-
fence and the best appliances for economy
throughout. 1t has, however, been difficult
at times to induce owners to spend on eco
nomical appliances a small fraction of the
sum laid out on non-remunerative outside
or interior adornment
THE difference between q compound and
a triple expansion pump may be say 81, 500
and be begrudged, while the difference be-
tween marble trim and other substitutes in
the hall will be $4,000 and be freely ex-
pended.
These are difficulties met by engineers
| everywhere, yet in no case do they appear
| SO forcibly. 1t is satisfactory to relate
| that such instances have been rather due
| to the present faulty system of letting gen.
| eral contracts inclusive of machinery than
| to the owners shortsghtedness as regards
the advantage offered.
Inc general praCtlce now provides
sub-basement for the purposes of the plant.
| providing much more space than could be
afforded nearer the street. Yet such are
| the demands of business that even sub
! basement space is valuable, and cannot al
| together be devoted to the engineer Such
| endorsements are also very difficult places
| to provide with air and light. for which
| very early demand must be made. if they
are to be secured. The height generally is
not less than ten feet which, however is
insufficient for water-tube boilers; there
fore, the ffreroOm is Usually excavated to
a further depth, exposing the bases of col
| umns and frequently going below the water
line"
Discusses Fly Wheels.
Mr.. John Fritz chief engineer and gem
eral superintendent of the Bethlehem Pa,
iron works, life member and past pres
ident of the society, was next introduced,
his paper on Rolling Mill Fly Wheels" be-
ing advanced from tomorrow mornings
program. He wasisgreeted with loud APP
plause, and his paper brought forth high
| commentator from the members, all
agreeing that the modern wheel designed
by Mr.. Frick is the peer of any in the
world. no breaks having ever occurred in
any of them. By way of introducing his
subject Mr.. Fritz said q
I'm the early, days of rolling mills the
machinery was IF the crudest character.
The men who built and looked after it
were called milwrights. forge carpen-
tiers; consequently wood was used in it's
construction to as great an extent as was
possible. All of the earlier fly wheels had
wooden arms. They were made of hard
wood, locust white oak preferred, and
about six to eight inches in thickness.
In securing the rims of the wheels to-
gether the segments are in halves and Sc
cured together with GIBBS and keys. Having
no machine tools when these wheels were
built. they were put together practically as
the castings came from the foundry, with
the Jumps and swells Clipped off with a
two-handed chiseI and sledge which nat
uraily caused weak wheel. They were
made of cold blast charcoal iron, which was
greatly In their favor. and no doubt this
fact prevented many accidents.
In the course of time the milwrfght and
carpenter were displaced by the machinist,
| especially the planer. the wheels were bet
| ter fitted up but not much safer. in con-
| sequence of the use of iron, made from
mineral coal, in place of charcoal"
The New Method.
Mr.. Fritz said he abandoned entirely the
old mode of making wheels. and adopted a
| plan of casting the center and arms to-
gether, and the rim In piece, with Tugs
on the inside Of the rim. On the end of
the arms were pads to correspond with the
Jugs on the rim. When the arms were put
in the rims there was a space of about one
| quarter of an inch. in which oakum was
"'i'Ni' 'i6HeiJ' WHICH hSpt the "aiiHS III
place. This made an excellent Wheel
said he land in some cases wood was used
to fill the space in which thin steel keys
were driven. There are several of these
wheels that have been in use over thirty
five years, and. so far as l know. never
have given any trouble. The wheels were
twenty feet in diameter. with rims about
twelve inches square
With the Introduction of steel for rails
ana structural material, 1t became neceS-
sary to increase the diameter of rolls. This
change necesstated heavier wheels and
larger in diameter. which made it imprac-
ticabe to solfd-rimmed wheels: conse-
quently, some plan that was portable had
to be adopted.
1T has been said that f1y-wheels go to
pieces in consequence of the irregular work,
and engines driving dynamos for power pur-
poses have been included in this class; but
the strain on flywheel driving a dynamo
cannot be compared with that of a rolling
mill In the former the work coca SionallY