Alaska sentinel., 1908-07-30

The problem or now 10 ndnule tHe street traffic in Lower New York, where the streets are narrow and buildings are high. is becoming increas- lngly difficult, as sky scrapers, housing thousands of occupants, multiply In numbers. It Is matter of easy dem onstration that If all the people In any one of the tall buildings of Lower New York were to try to make their exit at the same time the street could not hold the crowd, with the Inevitable danger of life and limb caused by the great number of people brought to- gether at one point Ill given time.
 A New York architect, Mir. Charles R. Lamb, has therefore devised q unique plan whereby he believes the situation would be relieved, and the streets at the same time assured Of continuous light, which would be im- possible If succession of tall build Ings, all casting shadows across the street were allowed to be built. Mir. Lamb would adopt the French scheme of "an angle of light" for New York streets. That Is to say he would not allow the construction of any building that would cast shadow In the street at all times, the height of the cornice line of any building being taken Into consideration with reference to the width of the street. But MT. Lamb would modify the French plan to this extent, however, he would permit a building to be erected higher than the restricted facade. provided the addi- tional buildings were set back from the facade sufficiently far to permit of the construction of an upper street on what would be the roof of the lower building as seen from the street.
 These upper streets would be con nected at intersections by viaducts running north and south and east and west, and the street could be continued as far as necessary, according to the development of the conditions of con- gestion and the erection of tall build ings.
 MT. Lamb Is full of enthusiasm on the possible development of his idea. and declares It would be worth while even for a block square (without con- meeting with other squares), as a means of communication from build ing to building, and relieving the ex. cessive work that the elevator system of each tall building has to do.
 Again" he says, "the great advan- tage of the upper street would be an entire new possible series of stores for all the lighter businesses appealing to pedestrians. Such a street would be an Ideal one for restaurants as be- Ing that much further removed from the dirt of the lower thoroughfare. AS to the removal of snow and dirt, If letters can be dropped from the top of tall buildings through chutes so dirt and snow can be dropped at regular acles, to be removed by the Street Cleaning Department, just as now when a building Is taken down under the best management all the dirt and material are removed through chutes without difficulty and danger"
 In the accompanying sketches the underground system Is shown with the express and local trains, which have been put there to emphasize the fact of the congestion of the population. which will become more and more inevitable as the transit facilities are increased
 By establishing the angle of light, as suggested, and restricting the build lngs even though stepped back from the front facade, the building could never rise higher than the angle would permit. When the buildings on the upper street may rise to point higher than the angle of light would permit, they, in turn, would bc required to be stepped back toward the center of the block.
 The tendency of such a rule would be to Induce the selection of larger