The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-25
seattIe's Building Record.

CCattsN - Dh'4shf H>~>V'
The building record Of Seattle for the
past year IL probably the most remark
able ever made by a city of this size,
under normal conditions The figures for
November. with comparisons made for
the same period with other cities of the
United States. afford a fair index to the
work Of the entire year, Those figures
show that but two cities In the United
States exceeded Seattle IN the number Of
new buildings commenced during the
month. and those two cities have each
population twelve or fourteen times as
great as ours. In amount expended In
building. Seattle occupies twelfth place.
Some cities with a comparatively small
number of buildings put up show an ex-
penditure considerably greater than that
in Seattle The inference, warranted by
these statistics is that the cities which
show greater expenditure. coupled with
showing of a very much smaller num-
Der or buildIngG. have made up their large
totals by the construction of few large
and expensive buildings. while seattle's
showing Is OF large number of COM
paratively inexpensive buildings. for the
most part dwellings,
So far as Seattle Il concerned. this con-
clusion ID absolutely correct. Seattie's
building boom has been In the direction of
putting up homes TO shelter the new
population which has been docking in
within the past year. The most expen-
sive building erected during the year has
been an apartment house. for example,
but the aggregate Of expenditures has
been In the direction OF relatively mex
pensive dwellings.
During the year there have been In the
neighborhood OF 100 buildings erected
within the corporate limits OF the city,
and the building In the suburbs has been
Ia the same proportion No statistics have
been compiled OF that suburban building,
but It is clearly within the truth to say
that not less than 800 new buildings have
been erected Immediately adjacent to the
city within the year. in addition to those
within the corporate limits.
The figures in the city engineers office
show an expenditure for building in the
neighborhood OF A.sp.oe. which would
make the average cost of each building
constructed during the year a trihe In
excess OF 81 600 The correctness OF this
| practically uniform rule. when applying
| for permit, TO underestimate the cost OF
the building to be constructed, as an In
| spection Of the records will readily show.
| The actual expenditure for building dur
\ ing the year was probably IN excess OF
| two millions OF dollars
| II is not the aggregate of expenditures.
| however. which Is the noteworthy feature
| OF the years building operations but the
fact that. without exception, every build
| ing which has been erected during the
| year has gone up 10 meet an immediate
and urgent demand Speculation has en-
| tered into n in but the slightest degree
very LARGE share OF the buildings erect
ed have been homes bull: for personal oe-
capation or the buildings designed 20 be
| rented the great majority have been en-.
gagged long before they Mere surrendered
| BY the contractors In numerous In
stances families have moved IN before The
buildings were Finished being compelled
hy the sheer necessity o. finding shelter
Tor themselves 20 put up with the dis
comfort q having the finishing work
done while living IN the houses. Ia hun
dreds 81 houses there arc today two OF
more families. ana apartments designed
Tor oniess N many buildings are today
| temporarily occupied by families After
an Of the builainr waich has been done.
the year closes with as great q scarcity
and as brisk demand for houses 20 rent
as q opened with
nuring an Of the aisakre~ahle weather
Of the pasi and preceding months. build-
ing operations have scarcely slaekened
notwithstanding the expense and diseom-
fort attending work during the stormy
weather ana heavy rains, II Is a conser-
vs,iye estimate thai the new buildings
crested durins INC year are sAeltering Al,
least seven thousand people. and that the
addition % the oipF's population during
the same time has been several thousand
more than this
I
Mr.. Bryan is reported TO have said that
| WITH Mr.. Cleveland exnlained What the