The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-09
NO TALL BUILDINGS WANTED.
Berlin Authorities Forbid Construction
of Skrscrapers.

of Sxyocrapers.
The German government will not
consider any American idea as to the
construction OF buildings in her cities
and only recently refused a petition
from the Central Association of Ger
man Industrials, which asked that the
present building laws be so far relaxed
as to ALLOW steel rarne1 buildings of
more than twenty-five meters G2.1S
feet) in height to be erected.
Frank II. Mason. United States consul
genera! at Berlin. Germany, in sending
this report to the state department
says t,iat the ministries are opposed 20
my system of building which will lead
to an increase in the number of large
buildings divided into Il great numbe
of small! apartments or tenements.
which are leasel to families of work
ing people, with the result that a great
numbe OF persons OF both sexes and
all ages are hudd!ed togethe! under
conditions which are necessarily sub
versive of normal family life and
prejudicial TO public morals.
Buildings so high IS to be beyond
The level of the present water supply
could not be made clean and sanitary.
Any important increase in height b.-
yonl the present limit would put the
upper stories OF the Buildings beyond
the protection of the fire department
as at present equipped and organized.
Whatever might be the material inter-
ests involved, says Mr.. Mason. fhe min
~istries held themselves bound to con-
slider and protect not only the architec-
tural unity ana beauty OF the city. but
the health ana the moral ana physical
safety OF the people, all 0: which would.
in their or!nio:, be compromised by
the propcs ! Innovation.
with this result" say Mr.. Mason.
The authors of the petition are by no
means satisfied and have replied tina
they had not prcpo-a. 10 carry build
ings in Berlin to the excessive heights
which are cCmro in the United
states. and that had the desired per-
L sion been granted. it would have
b. = provided by careful ana compe-
ta7., engineering that all the require
ments of fire protection. water supply
and every sanitary necessity should be
carefully and completely met. More
over. in regard TO resistance TO ccnila-
grafton, at Baltimore high steel-frum.
e! buildings. which offer least food for
a fire, fully Nindicated thei: superior
safety and We're left standing like
monuments amid the Wild waste OF
the ruins of four and five story blocks
built of stone and brick in the ordinary
way.
Thus the discussion stands at pres
ent. and It does not appear likely that
the ministries, fortified as they Az. by
considerations of municipal beauty and
public health and safety. will recede
from their present position. Ii is diff
ticult to persuade German conserra-
tism, in SO important q matter as the
architectural construction of cities.
with arguments drawn FROM expert
ence In a country which like our wv
has paid during the past twenty-five
years an average annual tribute Of
s125. 000. 900 to the scourge OF fire, II
which for the losses Of the cucren: year
that UNI. However little OF our an
nual holocaust the 81 yscraper' may
be responsible for. the fact that it. IL
a distinct1vely American type OF con-
struction will not recommend 1t t.
European municipalities"