Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-24


several stories higher. When his plans
were filed. the fact was wisely heralded
that the taliest building yet in the Quaker
city was shortly to be got under way.
At once there was a mighty scurry.ng
about of the trust company's officers, and
as soon as architects plans could be made
there came the announcement that the
trust companys building would receive
addition of several stories, making Il the
highest building
BY this time the Betz building had been
all but completed and the rival owners
felt that, since the work had got so far
along and Mr.. Betz would be anxious TO be
getting return on his investment as soon
as possible. he would not alter his plans.
But they reckoned without their host for
within a few weeks there came the news
that two more stories would be added TO
the Betz building, thus making Il the high
est building In town after all. 1t was at
this point that the trust company gave up
the contest, and the Betz building remain
ed the tallest office structure in Philadel-
phia for nearly decade.
Dire Prophecies.
Equally amusing this rivalry. which
still exists in some quarters, though not
with its former Intensity. are the recol-
lections of the dire prophecies made about
the 'scrapers' in the days of their advent
When the puny little Tower buildins-ten
narrow stories In height-was going up.
thousands of people daily gathered about
II to watch the remarkable system of con-
struction and to tell of all the mishans
which would certainly befall the persons
who were foolish enough to occupy it.
Then. when the really high building came
III ana passers-by beheid story after story
topped. II was said that the first ha ri
Diow would send the whole structure tom
ping earthward; that It would colIanse of
It's own sheer weight. and that the persons
VINO rentured on the upper stories would
surely be blown out of the windows by the
strong upper currents of air
Indeed. in New York. several firms when
they took offices on the higher floors of the
l, 1, scrapers, found many OF their
clerks missing the first morning. and these
fearful ones were not all women, either
Ihere We're numerous instances of men and
women all but dragged to their new offices
under threats of dismissal and daily for
many weeks, there were demonstrations of
the stabiHty of the buildings and OF their
occupants on the top floors. At first the
top floors were the last to be rented for
not Few heads of firms and professional
men were nervous about going so high in
the air to earn their bread. How different
from today, when the scramble is all for
the higher floors, in order that the best
nght may be obtained and the noise and
confusion OF the streets escaped as much
as possible.
Utilized for Many Purposes.
In the first days of the tall building II
was limited exclusively to office purposes.
Even as late as the latter nlneties the Of
flee building predominated. For the thres
years beginning with 1895 there were erect
ed In New York forty-five office buildings
ten stories and over In height, eighteen
stores and lofts FIVE flats and apartment
hotels, eleven hotels, six warehouses and
factories and one printing house. The to-
tai number was eighty-six the Office build
ings being two over half the total
Since the beginning of the present Gen.
fury this state OF affairs has materially
changed. Instead of being largely limited
to office purposes. the sSy-scraper Is being
extensively utilized for all sorts of hoas-
Ing purposes. This is proved by the figures
of the building bureau OF New York for the
years beginning with 1893 during which
thirty-six stores and lofts, twenty-four ho-
tells, seventeen flats and apartment hotels,
fifteen office buildings, eight factories three
warehouses, two studios two clubs one
hospital, one printing house. one set or
college dormitOrieS and one public school,
all ten stories and over. have been built
Until within the last five years 1t was
hardly possible to find a building over EIGHT
stories in New York above Central Fark.
Now there are scores OF apartment houses
IN this section varying all the way from
ten to fourteen stories in height. Central
Park West and Broadway, between The
sixties and 10th street, are plentifully
sprinkled with these skyscraper dwellings,,
and more are being erected continually
Towering Apartment Houses
The fashion for towering apartment
houses came in with the building of the
Ansonia, fourteen stories, IN the last year
OF the last century and the first TWO years
OF this. Before that, one or two buildings
similar in character, but NOT so high or
commodious or elegant in finish had gone
up, but they had been looked upon gener-
ally as being sporadic. and 1t was not uni
versally realized that such tall dwellings
would pay until the owner OF the Ansonja
demonstrated that there were more than
enough people in New York by several tens
of thousands to pay the high rentals neces-
sary to make such structures profitable in
VeStmentS.
1t is interesting to note that within the
last five years towns of from ten to thirty
thousand inhabitants have caught the fever
for skyscrapers, and are erecting them ten
and fifteen stories in height One such
town is Uniontown, Pa, and among others
are several in the south. Will, most OF
these buildings have undoubtedly been
erected largely for advertising purposes, at
the same time they are providing proiita BILE
investments, in that they afford the only
modern accommoda tons possible TO Office
workers in these communities. The aver
age American town has long been notori-
Gus for its poor office accommo1 atoms.