The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-12-03
FORD BUILDING CHANGES.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO IN
PROVE AND STRENGTHEN 1T.

It Became Necessary to E1eRVats Tor
Tw.n,v Feet Below Railroad Tracks
in order to Lay FoundatiOns-Ftvs
Months Time Of Architects, Artisans
ana Masons to Accomplish Results
which Have Now Been Brought About
The architect, masons and artisans
who since about the LIST Of August have
been at work on the Ford company's
building on Chapel street, encountered
quite an unexpected condition of af-
fairs while making the alterations
which have been necessitated by the
settling Of the wall adjoining the rail-
road tracks. They found that the
abutments Of the Chapel street bridge
over the tracks of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad company
were resting on the property of the
Ford company. BE-.
1t will be remembered that last sum-
mer it was discovered that there was
assure of apparently dangerous pro-
portions in the wall of the east side OF
the building. An investigation on the
part of engineers and fire marshal led
to the conclusion that the walls had
sunken several inches on the cut
side. This was undoubtedly due to the
frequent passing Of the great locono-
tives which are now used by the Con-
solidated road, and which weigh sew
eral times as much as did those used
in 1916, when the Ford building was
erected.
1t is regarded as almost marvellous
that the walls of the building have
stood as long as they have even though
it is fact that that structure was
built according to a style Of construc-
tion which was commented on gener-
ally throughout the city. The solidity
of the masonry and the great strength
of the timbers were regarded as. UNI
necessarily heavy at that time, for the
building was, when erected as far in
advance of the times as was the First
National bank building when that was
built,
Upon excavating for the repairs
Captain O'Brien, the contractor, found
the condition before mentioned. Inves-
tigation developed the fact that James
Brewster, grandfather of Bishop Brew
ster, who erected the building by rea-
son Of his public spirit and to encour-
age the building of the road In 1S47
with the proviso that it would not build
high wall to shut out his light, grant
ed the privilege Of resting 20 feet of
the abutments Of the bridge on his
property. AS it develops these abut-
ments were laid some six feet over the
line against the foundation walls Of
the Brewster building, now the Ford
building.
The contractor has this time gone
down 20 feet below the surface of the
ground at the bottom Of the ''cut'' and
by pumping out the water has rebuilt
an entirely new and very substantial
foundation of concrete that virtually
becomes solid rock and one which will
Withstand the wear of ages. The foun-
dalton is of most extraordinary width.
In rebuilding some changes have been
made with which are distinct improve
1nents over previous conditions. Mod
ern methods have been utilized to bring
about quite a transformation in the part
of the building affected by the altera-
lions. For the past few weeks the
work has been that of restoration and
to-day the Ford company has facilities
which it has never before enjoyed over
a period of three-quarters of century
of it's existence. X
While the upper floors are not COM
pleted the main floor and the rooms
used for the display Of its artistic stock
have been put in condition SO that the
large stock of European and American
conceits which the company has pre-
pared for this season have been UNI
packed and are now on view for the
inspection of the holiday buyer.