The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-18
fIREPRooFING THE MAIN FEAT.
uRE OF NEW HOME OF SEM
AToR's PLATT's CON.
Germ.

70. d .
NEW YORK, Aug. 1s.-senator
P1att's United States Express Co.
building leads in the big race now on
between the New York skyscrapers.
The thousands who journey daily by
the Sixth and Ninth avenue elevat-
ed roads have had a rare chance to
see skyscraper In the making, gir-
der and girdar, floor by floor fof the
express company has located its new
home directly between the Rector
street stations of these two lines.
Tha new structure is % stories
high, with frontage Of 119 feet on
Rector street and 81 feet on Green
witch street. The lower stories will
be occupied by the express company.
Senator Platt, president of the com.
pany will also have Offices in the
building, and "49 Broadway" will,lost
! its long standing political significance.
The building will be equipped with
all the most modern conyenielces.
each Office having hot and cold, as
well as ice water, and vacuum clean
ing apparatus. The bridgeway between
| the 9Th and 9Th avenue elevated roads
Is to be removed and two stations
connected by a corridor running
through the new building.
The type Of construction is of steel.
over 6,O00 tons of structural steel
having been used. A record was
made ON one story, 200 tons having
been erected in 16 working hours. All
the steel is protected from. fire and
corrosfon by hollow tile, and the
doors and partitions are Of the same
material.
The question OF freproofng was
made paramount by the owners. 1t
was realized that an express COM
pany handling all kinds of valuable
merchandise should take particular
precautions to protect it from fire.
The best types of fire proof build
ings throughout the country were care
fully studied, and steel and hollow
tile construction as represented in
the terminal warehouses in Pittsbnrg
was finally settled upon as being the
safest and affording the highest de-
gree Of protection. How serious
loss an express company may suffer
was shown some years ago, when fire
destroyed the Offices of the Adams,
Wells Fargo, and American Express
| COMPANIES.
Greater hotels increased the neces-
sity for safer hotels. The next big
step forward was taken when the
Pittsburg terminal warehouses were
designed-a collection OF freproof
units of hollow tile. Now another
important advance in nnburnabie con-
struction has been taken in this ex-
press company building.
In addition to being an example Of
the best type of fireproof construction
the United state Express building Is
also a significant Indication of the
expansion now going on in the fnan-
cfal district Of the city. 1t is one OF
the first structures built SO near the
water front, and gives some idea or
the increasing need for Office accom-
mediation at a reasonable rate. The
ever-fncreasing demand by New York
and out of town corporations for Of
fees in the metropolis leads to a be.
lief here that the United States Ez,
.Iprsss building is but the pioneer Of
many similar skyscrapers which, in
The course OF the next few years win
Ibe built between Broadway and the
Hudson river front
You should. 81 stEte prett ilitisI III
4 Gowns; iIiliieEl a is ali16tlt eeilesS BIT