The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-09
ON RIGHnONDS FIRST SkY=SCRAPER.
teelsNVork Already Up ito *to the the.
Fifth Story and Walls G'ioilllgg$8 G'i1. 49,
. Up Rapid Great Struc-S5S.
ture Cynosru:eS eSof's All
Eyes Goes Deep as
Well as High.

Followed by the eyes Of half tho pop
ulatlon OF the city. Rlchmond's first sky
scra per is slowly, butfsurely making Its
way heavenward.
AS fast as the great iron beams are
lifted UP in the strong arms OF the
steam-driven derricks and placed In po-
sition the advance is noted by the
spectators who daily stop for a moment
at the busy corner and gaze curiously
at the steel frame that constantly grove
The fact thut the building VIII tower
above any now In the city renders the
work Of very peculiar. interest arart
from the specific character which Is mnre
ln,iterestIn,2 still. at all events every
body seems to give attention to 1t, and
particularly Is this true during the past
two or three days, forsit is IN this TINS
that the greatest strides have been made
The corner is one of the most active IN
Richmond. and they nre busy men wi'o
hurry by every moment In the day.
X l,ut nearly every one stops or at least EASY
directs his mind from business lunE
enough to cnst q glance at the building
across the way It Is a new thing. os
new things go, and the work that lH
rushing 1t to completion Is q source of
unflagging interest to nearly everybody.
Will be Ten Stories.
The building is at Tenth and Main
Streets, ont the site formerly occuplsa
by the Virginia State Insurance Coin-
many. It Is being built for the American
National Bank. The lot is narrow. nut
the sky is far overhead, and what the
structure will lack In wldthfit will gain
in height. 1t will be eight stories in the
front and ten In the rear, where the
declivity IN the street gives room Tor
floors underneath,
The narrowness of the building Is one
spof its most marked features, and nne
that is exciting no little comment. II Is
already possible to sec that In this re-
spoct It will be one OF the smallest III the
city, and the fact has caused disappolnt'
ment 70 some. The curious lflatness. now
ever, Is due unavoidable and very prac'
teal causes The site Is nct extensive
and 1t would not permit the erection of
wider building Therefore It can DO pu'
stwenty.six feet and SIX inches, as rho
front is measured. In length It will be
nearly one hundred and ...ty feet.
Another month will probably sac a root
$oo the bui,1ing, Weather has interfered
greatly and may continue to do so, IN
which Gaze there will necessarily be some
further delay, But, all things '0nal'
tlere is no reason why another thirty
DAYS may not finish the heavy work.
Tien the interior will be fitted UP and
made ready for the occupants.
Interesting Work.
The nanocuvres Of the little army OF
workmen are exceedingly interesting.
Tie character of the building makes this
work OF peculiar character, so far as
Pichmond is concerned, and 1t is thers-
fore attracting and receiving no little
attention.
For many days nobody saw what was
SONG on, and many wondered why the
work was not hegun. The work had, IN
fact, already begun. though It was not
visible from the streat. A high fence was
erected around the site and many feet
tcJow the workinen We're burrowlng In
! tho ground laying the Foundations. Fol
steal structure this foundation had te
!. la unusually massive and safe It was
| uf concrete and 1t took some time to gel
! IL finished, The weather lnterterec
greatly,
At last, when tbs substructure was com
plnte. tie building bcgan to appear above
!, the surface. The first floor was hid
| ana then the necond and the third The
= ~, 81 49,, Et4fflt