Arizona republican., 1907-09-26
A CONCRETE STAIRWAY
 AT NOBLE BUILDING
Some Decorative Features on the es- terior and Further Notes on Interior Construction.

1 X very interesting thing In concrete construction can now be observed al the Noble building and in fact it must | be seen in order to be appreciated. Superintendent Jack Greville took the reporter over the building yesterday and explained a number of new fea- lures which were being brought to view. On approaching the building a course of braces around the level of the second floor is noticed and many have wondered what was the purpose. These are to support a belt course
 which is being moulded and will ex- tend or jut out from the wall twelve inches. This moulding will be clip tical in form. and will be one of the decorative features of the exterior. The forms will be removed in a few days and the moulding can be seen. The window ledge will be about three feet wide. wide enough in fact for one
 to walk along outside the structure.
 On passing into the main entrance of the building. the floor of which slopes to the sidewalk. beyond the
 large vestibuIe are to the left and
 right two square apertures in the
 first floor which are for the elevators.
 Just east of these is a small stairway
 to be used in case the elevators are stopped for any cause. Beyond this is three inch reinforced concrete wall
 and on the other side is the most in
 teresting part of all. winding stair
 way which when finished will pass to
 the upper floors. and is to be con
 structed of concrete the same as the
 rest of the building. At first thought a, concrete stairway must appeal to some as wild piece of structural en-
 gineering. It is not any more so than all the other construction, which has stood the test and is based on princi
 ples known to be dependable.
 This larger stairway will probably be moulded today. Yesterday it was
 being built up of lumber, steps, wall. landings, banisters and all. A sloping floor of lumber was first built from
 landing to landing and on this was laid a net work of one-half inch twisted steel rods, and above was fit ted in the front board of each step.
 the top being left off), and into this will be poured the concrete. The ban isters are moulded in a narrow box concern just the proper width and
 Nh' tuiNtS anu AhA is- When the forms are removed there will be the concrete stairway just a
 fit and in place as though hewn in a rock. This kind of a stairway will have the advantage of deadening the sound of passing footsteps. It is really worth while to take a look at the construction of this part of the building. The smaller stairway on the west side of this larger one will be built in the same manner and will be a complicated affair of bent rods and concrete.
 A great deal of lumber is being re- moved from the columns on the ground floor and from the ceiling above. leaving the girders and beams exposed. As the work goes on the observer is impressed with the magni- tude of the building and the magnifi- cent structure. it will be when com plete. Mir. Greville said yesterday that it was the finest job of concrete work he had ever seen. not a flaw or crevice had appeared. and in spite of the hot dry weather the concrete had set perfectly.