Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-15
BUILDING WITH RAPIDITY
Large Structures Now Rise from the Ground
~ IL by Magic Hand.
SOME GOOD EXAMPLES IN OMAHA
Improved Materials and More Expe-
dent Methods Save Much Time
TO the Promoters of Big
Building Enterprises.

! Big warehouses and giant Office buildings
go up today as IL by the hand Of magic.
/ Not longer than ten years ago the erection
OF wholesale warehouse was considered
hurried when accomplished within six or
eight months. Not so today. Take for
| instance, the Iler building, which was put
up recently fro the Byrne Hammer Dry
/ Goods company II was Just ninety-two
days from the time the plans were started
by the architect until the elevators were
running and the electric lights we're burn
, ing in the building
| The constructing architect OF the Her
building was required to have the struc-
/. ture completed within 100 days after the
plans were submitted. Excavation began
in the mud. and at times eight horses were
necessary to pull a load OF dirt out OF the
hole Rain or shine the work went on. ex-
ceptins that part OF II put in check by
striking wire workers and laborers. Despite
the many dificulties encountered the archi-
tect finished bis contract within the tim,
limit
Such quick work would have been i'm
possible under conditions that formerly
surrounded the construction OF large build
ings. In former days plenty OF time was
essential to good construction. Founda-
tions had TO settle before superstructures
could be raised.
No Long waiting Necessary.
Today no such waiting Is necessary
This Is shown in the government building
annex, on which the contractors are now
at work. The foundations for that build
ing are OF a sort unknown in former years
The steel frame OF the structure was
planned and made hundreds Of miles from
the place where It is being put together
Each piece OF steel which in modern build
ings takes the place OF stone in he
older structures. is made to fl exactly in
It's place and holes are cut for the bolts
which are to hold It in position stee,
enters into every part OF the buildine
steel beams covered with concrete form the
foundation. These are so interviewer ard
bound together that we're the ends 10 res,
on solid piers the ground might be cut from
under the center and the building would
stand. With no wood to shrink aad the
cement placed upon hydraulic brick. which
VIII absorb out a small amount OF water.
there is NO necessity for the architect to
wait, as in former years.
Greater working Capacity.
The amount OF work which can be done
by workman has been greatly increased in
recent years. Take the hod carrier; he has
still called hod carrier. but when bricks
are to be carried above the second story Of
building they are taken up on a lift AMI
the hod is wheelbarrow. II the number
OF bricks handled by a workmeu OF today is
compared with the number handled by a
tricklayer OF ten years ago it will be found
that in spite OF the reduction in the hours
OF labor the workman OF the present day is
accomplishing more. This is in a measure
due TO the character Of the material but is
also due to improved methods OF handling.
Time was when the carpenter was an
Important man around a building. but to-
day he is OF secondary consideration. He
enters the building usually when every de-
tail OF the exterior is complete and his
work is but TO finish the details OF the in.
terror. His former work has been divided
between iron worker. the sheet metal
worker, the roofer and the woodworker in
the mills.