The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-16
THIRTEEN STORIES
IN HEIGHT STANDS
NEW sKYSCRAP Err
Handsome Structure, Now
Ready for Business, is
Thoroughly Equipped
REPRESENTS OUTLAY
OF NEARLY 100000
Finished in Brick and Terra
Gotta, it Presents Fine
Appearance--Mosto
Offices Taken

Tho Travellers Insurance Com
panys Shy scraper. the highest built
ing hi / tchmond. Z now fully cori-
pie,ed and with few exceptions
every Office in the structure Is already
occupied or engaged. The rema naeE
are expected TO be taken within the
next few weeks.
Tanteen stories in height, not
counting the basement, the structure
and site represent an outlay of near
~ half a million dollars Ii fronts
ffty-two feet on ~, north line or
Main street between Eleventh and
Twelfth streets, with a depth OF loo
feet. 1t was begun just a year ago.
John r. Wilson Company. Inc, or
Richmond, being the contractor. This
firm executed its work with dispatch
and Was highly comp limented by the
owners when II turned the building
over to them several weeks ago. The
Virginia Bridge and Iron Company
executed the structural work.
When the members of the syndi-
cate 1nown as the Richmond Build
ing Corporation, announced about two
years ago that they were going TO
put UP skyscraper on this site, many
persons laughed at the idea, saying
that Richmond was already over
crowded with office space. Undaunied.
the company went ahead With It's
plans, let the contract, and now are
reminding the doubling Thomases
that there are some people in the
world a little wiser than they are,
when 1t comes TO sound business 1udg-
ment.
Finished i'm Brick.
On the exterior. the Travellers
building. as 1t il commonly known.
Is finished In terra Gotta and dark
colonial brick, which gives II dis
tinctiy attractive and unique appear
ance. while the front entrance is set
off with artistic fnishings In keeping
with the general outward appearance.
Fire proof throughout, the building
il equipped with pretty Terrazzo hoor-
ing. The marble work In the first
floor hall Is what Is known as Eng
lish vein marble. This Is an especially
choice quality, auarried near Carrara.
Ita.y. Ii is designated English vein"
from the fact that the marble is In
great demand In England for fine in
teriors, the vsined marble being pre-
ferred to the notified or plain back
ground. The marble work above the
first story is known az champion pink
Tenucssee' marble. This is the finest
variety of marble quarried in Tennes-
sec, ana IL produced by the Godfrey
Marble Company. corporation
affiliated with the Evans Marble Com
pany of Baltimore. which installed
the marble work In the Travellers
building. Thts company has exeest-
ed work in the Congressional Library
In Washington, in the minnesota state
Capitol at st. Paul, and ID the Pub
He Library at Chicago.
4s Elevator Service Fine.
Perhaps the most attractive feat
ure OF the new skyscraper is its ele-
vator service, which is equipped with
bali-drop enunciator. This enables
the operator to determine any floor
on which the passenger is when the
button is pressed, and thus he can
hasten to this floor without having
TO waste time looking out for other
passengers. The system Is declared
to be infinitely superior to the old
fiashlight system, which gives the OPP
orator notice just two saoors ahead in
making his trips up and down. AS
n result OF this Improvement. 1t has
been found that the two elevators now
In operation fully serve the purpose
in looking after the passenges traf-
fic. The pits for the two elevator
shafts are equipped with up-to-da.c
hydraulic jacks that add to the safety
OF the passengers In addition, there
are eight separate cables and three
sets OF safety devices In other words.
eleven individual appliances would
have to fail before a car could drop.
The safety devices are the only cleo
trically governed appliances Of their
kind In the city or State. Further
more. the service Ia equipped with
seven limit switches for the control
o1 speed.
Has Fire Equipment.
Another feature OF the building is
Its Are hose equipment. located on
each floor. for which extra pressure
Is furnished by q tank In the base
ment that works automatically. This
tank also Supplies extra pressure for
the ordinary water service in the
building, and IL the pump fails to
work there Is a switchboard nearby
that gives the alarm automaticaliy.
The boilers in the basement also OBJ
crate automatically. thus rendering II
possible for persons In care OF them
to be absent on ether duties for n
considerable period OF time. In fact,
the most inexperienced persons can
operate them. to such an extent do
the boilers look after themselves.
There are up-to-data toilet apart
ments on each floor. finished on in
marble and tile, this work having
been executed by w. g. Cornell Com
pany, Of New York.
Supplied With Light.
The building II we'll supplied with
light, tho ofices having clear Views
m III sides shove the third story,
$3.50 ~ 1S---s-1 - s1sSSSs : . -