The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-16
TALL BUILDING IS
ABOUT COMPLETED
Brown-Marx Ready for 0ccu-
pancy by October |
BEST FIRE PROTECTION
In Steel Frame Construction the
Brown-Marx Building Makes the
Record in the United States.
Elegant Work.
BEST FIRE PROTECTION

The Marx building will be ready
for occupancy October 1.
On January 1. 1906. four-story brick
building. known as the Lynn building,
stood on the northwest corner of First
avenue and Twentieth street Today,
September t. 1906, a slxteen-story steel
frame structure stands there.
This. in the short space of nine months,
there has been wrought a change which,
as an illustration of growth, rivals al
most the bean-stalk which sprung up in
Jacks back garden.
The demolition of the old building and
the removal of the debris took just two
weeks. Actual construction work on the
steel frame began on January 10, and
by May u the last rivet was clinched and
the great, tall skeleton stood at full
height
The quick succession followed the brick
layers who completed their work on June
16, Just two and a half months from the
date of starting. Carpenters appeared
upon the scene on April 15, and are now
putting the finishing touches to their
work.
Fastest Record.
These dates are worth remembering, as
they represent the fastest record fer
work of this nature in the United States.
Louis T. Boyer, the superintendent or
the building, said a day or two ago; Il
take great pride in the work which has
been done on the Brown-Marx building.
The total cost of this building will figure
up about $3.50, 900, and the time of con-
struction a little over nine months. This
is the record in the United States today
for buildings of this kind. There has
been no 'scamping,' no hurry up fnish
everything has been done in the best and
most approved style under the close SUI
perVlsion of the architect, w. c. Weston.
Next to making the building solid and
strong the first consideration was to
make 1t fireproof as far as human knowl-
edge can provide The floors, partitions
and roof are built of hollow tiles Upon
every floor there Is a hose and hydrant
supplied by water from an immense tank
on the roof This tank Is kept full by a
pump which is used to raise the water
above the height where ordinary pres
sure ceases, and, in cases of emergency,
this pump can be used to force the water
direct into the hose. There Is also a
siamese hydrant connection on the street
level to which the fire department can at
tach their pumping engines So far as
every provision has been made.
Exceptionally Fine Plumbing.
Special attention has been given to the
plumbing work, which Is being done by
Nacey q Co of Chicago the same firm
that did the plumbing work in the First
National Bank building. All the latest
and best systems of sanitary plumbing
have been introduced; a most important
feature In building where probably not
less than 1900 people will require accom-
mediation daily.
Gas and electricity will be laid on to
each office. The electric fittings have
been given special attention. the wires
lead into a meter room on each floor.
and from thence are conducted through
pipes ensuring complete insulation. In
like manner all telephone wires are pro-
tected.
'"rhere are four Otis electric elevators,
three passenger and one combination
freight and passenger. The difference In
time between the street and the fifteenth
floor will be about twenty second. The
elevator service will be equal to any
thing in New York, and that says much
for it.
"While great care has been taken to
make the building safe and sanitary, the
interior decorations have not been over
looked The walls along the corridors
and in the lavatories are wainscotted with
polished white marble from Talladega
county. The doors and trimmings are
birch veneered, mahogany stained and
polished. The glass In the borrowed
lights Is Florentine plate, and the floors
and stair steps are white marble All
the doors, and there are 800 of them, will
be furnished with letter box plates Yale
locks and Yale fittings There are over
1000 windows in the building; every office
being well lighted and well ventilated.
viii Have RathskeIIer.
1.-THE basement will be used as a res
taurant and rathskeler after the fash
ion In northern cities. An deliberately
fitted up BARRIERS shop will also find
place In the basement.
The drainage of the building Is effected
by the construction of deep well in the
basement. which acts as a reservoir for
the "seepage' water and from which it
is drawn by automatic pumps into the
city sewers. The ventilation Of the base
ment will be on THAT is known as the ex
haust plan, whereby the foul air is
pumped out, allowing fresh air to take
Its place.
Exclusive of the top or 10th floor,
which will be used a storeroom, there
will be 280 offices on the fourteen floors.
and five stores on the ground floor. The
total floor space in the building will be
about 10000 squire feet, the fun height
of the building from the sidewalk to the
parapet is EGO feet.
"Steam heating is used throughout the
building and in this respect there has
been departure from the usual manner
of laying the pipes. large main will
convey the steam from the street to the
garnet, and from thence 1t will be dis
tributed In small pipes throughout the
building.
About Ready.
1.-THE building will be ready for oc-
cupancy by October 1, in fact tenants
can move in about ten days from now.
This is the third steel frame construc-
ton l have superintended In Birming
ham, and l expect to superintend the
erection of many more. The office build
ing of the future. whether 1t be ten or
fifteen stories. will be solid like this
one The catastrophe in San Francisco
has demonstrated the steel frames sta
bility under heavy strain and Its safety
In case of fire."