The Washington herald., 1909-05-23

which six electric generators are install
ed. having a combined capacity Of e.ooe
electrical horsepower For ths electric
lighting os the building snd 8 railway
station underneath provision Is made for
two Independent electric generators hay-
ing a combined capacity equal 70 BUD
sixteen candie-power lamps
IN order to convey some idea Of the
magnitude OF the undertaking Of wiring
such a great building for its light and
power supply, the following statistics may
be OF interest: Almost eco miles Of cleo
tric wire are installed. al OF the wires
being inclosed in iron pipes in order 10 in
sure perfect Insulation; about 800 miles OF
lOne-half-inch electrical conduit pipes were
required TO contain these wires; 1000
electric light fixtures were fastened IN
place and connected with the electric
wires, and l0.eO0 switches were installed
for the control OF the lights.
Other Features in System.
But the mechanical equipment embraces
more than provision for elevator power
and lighting. There are two thirty horse
power electrically driven pumps for oper-
adng the vacuum cleaning plant installed
in the building. four eIghty-fve horse
power electrically driven fans for the
operation Of the ventilating system. which
takes fresh cir from the roof and forces
/ It into the engine-roonas; automatically
controlled pumps, also electrically driven,
for pumping waste water and sewage
from the lowest level up into the street
sewer, and other automatically controlled
pumps for the operation Of seven hy-
draulic plunger elevators, which supple
ment the electric elevators equipment
To al this vast array of machinery
must be added the refriserating plant Tor
supplying the tenants with ice water. the
air cOmpTessOTs which operate the mech
snism controlling the doors leading 10 the
elevators. and a storage battery equip
ment Of 142 cells for emergency service.
For the care OF this wonderful collec-
ton OF mechanical appliances a high-sal-
aried chief engineer and fourteen assist
ants are employed.
A scheme adopted in planning a number
o. the larger Office buildings provides for
a separate building, generally located
across a street from the main structure
in which the power plant is located. This
arrangement permits the letting OF the
lower floors OF the main building for bust
ness purposes. removes from the building
all objectionable heat. and greatly re-
dUces the cost Of insurance.
N several Of the large insurance com
pany buildings the upper floors OF the de-
taehed pOwer-house are utilized for the
company private printing establishment
In ether buildings provision Tor the ne
chanicsl equipment, without encroach-
ment upon the rentable space IN the
building is made by excavating much
deeper than IS customary and thus plac-
ing all boilers and machinery several
stories below ground
Far Below the Sidewalk.
a noteworthy, example Of this type IS a
newspaper building uptown, IN which
there are four stories below ground the
second being used as q subway station,
the entire structure Of the subway. which
passes through the building. being car
ried by the steel work OF the building it.
self The presses and all appliance. re-
quired for the printing OF the newspaper.
as well as the elevators, which rise 70 q
height OF twenty-five stories. are cleo
trically operated from the mains OF the
local power company. and the only boilers
installed are those required for heating
the building. AL mechanical appliances
are in the lowest subcellar, sixty feet
below the sidewalk. and rest upon the
solid rock out Of which the entire sub
structure vas carved Lighting Is sup
Piled by a power company. A number Of
important downtown Office buildings are
similarly served throughout from the
street lines Of an electric power company,
while a considerable number derive steam
power from a local steam compauy's
street mains and light from the electric
wires under the street.
Il must not, however. be inferred that
the downtown Office buildings embrace all
the great structures OF New York. for
there are also found some very note
worthy examples among the uptown ho-
tells, apartment dwellings. hospitals. mer-
camille establishments. and public build
iugs.