The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01

era 81 steel construction vas Of such re-
cent origin. probably no one else knew
either Upon investigation the capital
isis found that what the architect said vas
trle The leading engineers and building
experts in this city. at least. could not IL
pinned down 10 a definite expression Of
opinion a. 10 just how many years a mod
ern skyscraper would endure
This much the experts agreed upon
almost unanimously. N the steel work
il properly put together IL protected from
rus. and is not subjected Ia heat intense
enough - cause Il "a soften and give wav
b.Uetth its oNn weight, the building win
endure for az east one century and per
haps fpr ten 10 for all practical pur-
Dosos the lease u life 81 a modern OfiCa
builiing may be- said O. he perpetual
The era " skyscrapers in New York
Ci,y virtually dates from 1879 In that
wear the TJwe- Building. the pioneer
SCRIPTURE ~ steel skeleton type IN this
ciry. was cumpletel 10 WIS only steven
stories htgh The same year the first
commercially Successful electric elevator
WIS intr.d ICED II had a speed limit -
fry ~ sixty feet a minute standard
alactrlc traction elevators Of the present
day travel az the rate ~ con b SDD feet
minute shile The record for height AZ the
present time il fifty stories
4 few years ago the Pabst Building one
Of the landmarks % upper Broadway was
torn down 20 make way for taller edihCe
80 far ~ il known this was the FIRST steel
frame structure of distinctly modern type
10 I've demolished u did not stand long
enough u afford a basis FOR safe generali-
cations but considering that IL was poorly
built 81 generally inferior materials and
that In ~ construction many II the pre-
cautions desmed ESSENTIAL in modern
practice were neglected.. the vioissttudes
~ liz four years Of life were probably as
great a. need have been Experienced in
twenty-five under more favorable condi-
tons
Cianerally spanking. the building vas
- frep-oof construction. framed with
steel columns and girders with the walls
supported at each story The lower col
umns we're supported on cast iron bases
that rested on bedrock According % the
speclfcations the steel work was 10 have
been thoroughly cleared 81 scale. rust and
dirt before leaving the shop and was 10
have had a coat ~ boiled linssed oil worked
into all Joints and open spaces All pins
rivet holes and maOhined surfaces were 70
h. coated with white lead and thllow. and
surfare- that we're 20 be riveted Ia contact
we're % ba painted hsfore joining Pieces
not accessible after erection weFs 70 have
tao coats u paint before erection After
erection all steel work was 90 have had one
good coat d linssed oil paint
There il reason 10 believe that these
speciEcatiOns were not strictly followed
Tie steel work was put up in winter: prog
resa was delayed by very cold weather
and heavy snow. and part Of the time the
rnaaons pushed the irOnworkers % hard
that painting Waa generally neglected or
done in a perfunctOry sort Of way Con-
str5iction began In October. 1865 and was
finished o wear later The building vas
demolished in 1871
Critical study Of the str1iCtural members
a. they we're taken apart showed that no
other cOrrosion Of consequence existed
than had begun before the building was
covered In A few joints indioated a ten
fanrv ~ r1tnf hut this vas dine apparently
20 defects IN the enclosing walls and was
too slight 20 cause uneasineas.
Two or three yearB ago the old Plaza
Hotel al the corner u Fifth avenue and
FiftV-ninth street was torn down % make
wnv for the new eiRhtsen story hotel u
that name Ths superintendent 81 the
construction company that had under
taken the lob II dsmOlt ghing the old build-
gin and erecting the new was quoted az
that time a. saying:
III some one wanted 10 put up q new
building u the same style ana ulIilenAlQuh
as the old PLAN Hotel he could use this
metal without being forced % buy q single
new piece Of iron OF steel. Tho old mate
rial Il In a state ~ perfect preservation,
although Il was assembled twenty years
ago There h not a scale on any one Of
the beams or columns. A hundred years
from nov the old Plaza would have been
a. solid and ~ safe ~ Il was the day Il
was torn down. The wreckers who are
getting out the iron and steel that rosa
from the original foundations are not
having an easy time Of II, Dynamite
b. being USED 20 loosen some Oi- the old
upnghta.
A year or - ago J supeFintsnded tho
tearing down and rebuilding Il paTt
u tho post ONCE 20 Dubuque. which was
put uD I'm 1864 The steel framework wna
In perfect condition: but that 10 not
unusual We and that W b. the case
with steel framework buihiings WheFgver