Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-05-08

The problem of how to handle the
street traffic in Lower New York,
where the streets are narrow and
buildings are high, is becoming increas-
tngIy difficult, as sky scrapers, housing
thousands of occupants, multiply in
numbers. It is a 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 in a given time
A New York architect, Mr.. Charles
r. Lamb, has therefore devised a
unique plan whereby he believes the
streets at the same time assured of
continuous light, which would be i'm
possible If a succession of tall build
ings, aH casting shadows across the
street were allowed to be built. M.
Lamb would adopt the French scheme
VI du duSIG VI J1SnL LOl INC" 1Olh
streets. That is to say he would not
allow the construction of any building
that would cast a 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 Mr.. Lamb
would modify the French plan to this
extent, however, he would permit
building to be erected higher than the
restricted facade, provided the addl-
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 yiaducts
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.
Mr.. 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
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
intervals along the streets into receipt
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
ings 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 a point higher
than the angle of light would permit,
they, in turn, would be 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
areas of property and the erection of
important buildings so proportioned as
to leave the streets free for light, air
and sunshine, and would effectually
prevent the erecting of lofty towers on
restricted ground areas, as is the pres
ent day practice in New York.-Mon-
treal Star.