The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-29
THE PLANS
 HAD TO CROW Empire Building Illus trates Growth of City. BUILT BY CHRIS WEHAGE New Demand Made as Building
 Went Up. Modern Ideas In Apartment Houses Hsve Been Embsdied in The New structure on Me-
 Denoagh Street.

Another building which shows Mont~ Romery's great growth in improving real estate. is that of the Empire Building situated on South Mcponougn Street. immediately off Dexter Avenue. The building is owned by Chris We haze.
 The structure Is five stories hign and is substantially built of brick, tho lower story being veneered with stuc- co, put on to resemble great blocks or stone. The original plans for this building were for two stories to ac- commodars a laundry. but after con sultation it was decided 10 make the structure four stories in height Even then the demand was great enough to induce the owner to add an extra story and the present building stands five stories.
 Tho purpose of the new building is not to add to the office accommodations already well supplied by the erection of the First National Bank, the Bell Building, the vandiver and other buildings, but to house a modern laundry and also to provide flats or apartments. The first two floors will be devoted exclusively to the use or the laundry. while the remainding three upper stories will be devoted to apartments. There will be six apart ments in all
 The main entrance will be to the office of the laundry. This room oc- cupies all of the front end and tho entire width. excepting the vesttbule to the apartments above. of the lower floor. In this room shelves line three of the walls and are made dust proof by the use of sliding giaaa doors. Hare tho packages of laundry will be stored.
 Back of the office will be the wash room of the laundry. and there are installed the most modern improved laundering machines. The floor of the office will be of pine. while that Of the laundry In the rear will be of cement.
 The second floor of the building wali be devoted to apartments. There will ing room of the laundry.
 The three other upper floors will ba devofecd to apartments. There will be two apartments of six rooms each on, all of the floors, making six apart ments in all,
 These apartments are well Iigntea with electricity. and by means Of two windows to each room. The hesfinG apparatus will be radiators, the steam being supplied by the boiler which runs the laundry. Tn each apartment there are connections for gas. and also water connections with the tank on the ups per story. The water to this tank ie fttA "+t under the building.
 While the rooms of the apartments are not of great dimensions, they are most admirably proportioned. The floors will be finished in hard pine. we'll scrapsd and varnished The wall decoration will be left entirely to the taste of the tenant. At present they are of white lime
 A house telephone is placed in each apartment and also in the hall. By means of this telephone the tenant may speak with the visitor in the veati- bule, the door to which is locked automatically and opened by eiectrtci- ty, the button to which is in every apartment The telephone also com nects with the janitor of the build ing.
 Each apartment is supplied with linen closets, room closets. and china cabinet built Into the wall. There ie a piazza at both the rear and the front of the apartment.
 For the convenience of the tenants of the apartments. a back Stairway has been supplied to the building. During the day time, this stair will remain open for the convenience of tho tradespeople. but at night the doors covering the steps will be closed like a trap door. and can be opened from above This back stair way serves also as q fire escape, ig there be necessity for such.
 There will be one elevator in the building. for the convenience of tho tenants of the apartments only. Mechanics are at work on this feature at present. and expect to have 1t in running order within few weeks.