The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-09-08


connection with the building is tho
Tir2pl oofiag pr ecautions. Not only Is
the frame OF the building steel and the
eXtei .ol surface sto and terra Gotta
Dut the floors are cement, all the doors
.lie metal the window castings and
/ alnes metal. the trim metal-in fact
iEere is no exposed wood in the
building. The. doors are of hollow
! steei. beautifully finished in exact imi-
tition CT mahogany, in Wear-resist'
ing enamel that is baked on at high
, temperature. The windows are copper
cove. ed. over wood core, the latest
type OF fireproof construction. The
trim, tina, is the base rail, chair and
PIC ure holdings, is of hollow steel and
| it is interesting to note that more than
eighteen miles of this material have
been used in the building
Additional precautions against fire
! have been taken, notwithstanding the
fact that the building is built Of fire.
proof materials. There are two stair.
ways from the roof to the street level.
entirely separated from the corridors
AID offices, in different sections of the
building, accessible to all, self-con.
tanned in smoke-proof and freproof,
walls with metal doors.
The elevator shafts are self con-
tanned, in fireproof partitions, with
wire glass doors. All of the windows
of the building which are closely ex-
posed toward adjoining buildings are
/ filed with wire glass which Is fire
proof
/ The Union Central Building is not
only fireproof in construction, but in
the company's offices it is equipped
i throughout with steel cabinets, fling
cases and document files, which pre-.
I, ciudes the danger of interior fire. In.
this respect it is one of the most
modernly equipped insurance Office;
| buildings in the United States. The
endorsement is furnished with over,
$4,000 steel document files, for the safe
storage of the valuable Insurance..
records.
| Approaching the main entrance,
which is on a level with Fourth street.
we pass through the bronze doors and
enter the main corridor. This spact
Gus hall traverses the entire length OF
the building. On entering this magnifl.
cent corridor, one is enchanted with.
the grandeur of the decorated golden
ceiling, hand-carved imported Spanish
! marble columns and wainscoting, and
| the bronze frames and doors of the
elevators Just beyond the elevators
i is the stairway which leads to the.
Chamber of Commerce. This stairway
is hand-carved imported Spanish mar.
BILE, highly decorated, and is conceded
! to be the finest stairway in America.
Ascending this magnificent stairway.
we approach the Chamber of Com;
merce and Merchants Exchange on.
| the second floor The south end Of
| this is used as an immense trading
hall extending to Il e ceiling Of the
| third floor. This assembly hall is 50x|
100 feet, with highly decorated cell
Ing and imported Spanish marble
wainscoting. The rostrum. which q
in the western side of the hall, Is also
| highly decorated Spanish marble and
| a thing of beauty.
room has been set aside for the
! Weather Bureau, in which Is placed .
sub-station for the special use of the
Chamber of Commerce and the occu
| pants of this building. The sub-station
| is an innovation and is equipped with
| the latest and most up-to-date instrtk.
ments, giving momentary reports q
| the weather from the roof Of the build
| ing to, the Chamber floor. -
On the third floor viii hpses aIcqn1
from which visitors may view The
Chamber while in session. The re-;
| maiuder of the space on the second
and third floors is used for Produces
Exchange, directors rooms. library
Offices and committee rooms.
| The executive staff of the Union
Central Life Insurance Company, with
the clerical forces of the various de-
partments occupy the eleventh to eigh
teenth floors, inclusive, as we'll as use
the safety vaults in the sub-basement.
The Presidents Offices, Board Of Di.s
| rectors' and Executive COMMITTEES
rooms are upon the fifteenth floor In
| connection with the Medical Depart
| ment of the company is an emergency
| hospital for the comfort and converts
ence of all the tenants of the building.
The building is equipped with re-I
| rigerating plant for the cooling OF
| water for drinking purposes. with Ice
! water distributed through sanitary
| drinking fountains to different floors
rom the basement to the twenty-ninth;
aoor The plumbing is somewhat
unique, as the water is delivered into
tanks in the basement and pumped to
| A large distributing tank on the top
| door, near the tower.
The building is equipped with an.
I, elaborate vacuum cleaning system and
ventilating system which furnishes:
pure ard tempered air to the Chamber.
of Commerce rooms, boiler and engine:
rooms, sub-basement, vaults, etc:
There are $4,000 electric lights in the;
building. In the sub-basement there
are four 250-horse- power tube boilers,
two 500-horse-power compound en-
gines, one 26O-horse-power engine, two
300 and one $50 k. W. generators.
| This comprises the power plant of this
| immense building.
! In the construction of the building.
over S,614 tons of structural iron were:
used. The building has 227,976 square
feet of rental space, and there are ex-
actly $4,000 cubic feet within the
building. All of the constructing work
was done by union men
The Union Central Life Insurance.
Company, the owner of the building.
was established in Cincinnati forty-six
years ago.
| lnnocuouo.
/ Thnra ia q man in mr. NAfGhh0Hss