New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-28
A RECORD IN PANES
windows of New Equitable VIII
Have 10000 Feet of Glass.
BIG TASK TO KEEP CLEAN
On Each Floor Of Building Will
Be Approximately Two
Acres Of Space.

Ore of the big things that will natI-
,ally 60 among tile superlatives capnectcd
with the new Equitable Building. which,
as planned, will be the largest Office
structure in the world, is the glass bill
,he owners will have to foot This ex-
oAnditure is such that Il would stagger
the average building constructor. and the
plant that will make Il will also have to
arrange its facilities accordingly.
An idea Of the amount Of plate glass
that will be required to inclose the
tacades Of the building and its two I'M
mense courts can but partially be COM
nrehended until the facts are known.
There are more than FIVE thousand open
,ngs or windows the architects per-
spective drawings showing their number
N be approximately 6.100 The estimate
~ the builders the Thompson tarTett
company, is that 10000 square feet Of
class will be used.
This estimate. let It be said. does not
include any Of the glass that will be re-
oulred for doors, partitions, fanlights and
ether parts where II will be necessary
10 husband natural light in the interior
Of the huge structure, which is to rise
70 q height of thirty-six stories above the
Level OF the sidewalk
Perhaps half as much glass will be used
inside as on the exterior Of the building,
and thus this contract will doubtless be
one Of the largest, if not the largest. ever
placed for a single building, as the
rouitable will be the largest building ex-
tsnt.
Each floor will have approximately two
acres Of floor space.
The building will have many unusual
features about IL. and its component parts
will run up into the greatest quantities
and all that, but, aside from the operat-
ing plant and elevators, no part of II VIII
require the attention that will have to be
given to the windows and other glass.
This will have TO be cleaned occasionally
and the vastness of the area naturally
viii interest one TO know how 1t will be
kept bright.
The multiplication Of the modern SKY
scrapers has enabled their managers 10
solve this problem so that II has been mar
rowed down to perfection as near as IL
can be got With the glass surface
70 be cleaned on the exterior OF the ne"
Equitable Building totalling 10000 square
feet. one expert in this work states that
sixteen men will be able TO keep the win
dows bright and clean. The routine OF the
window cleaner has proved that 1V"J
SQUARE feet OF glass can be done by one
man each working day. that is, both sloeS
Of that many windows. In the average
skvscraper windows are passed over once
in ten days, storms only making neces-
sarv mere frequent polishing Of the plate
rbe average pay Of the window cleaner is
81 week.
Some idea Of what is required In the
construction of 4 building the type of the
new EQUITABLE may bs CLEANED from inc
fact that 80. 900 tons Of steel will be used
IN ifs construction, against A'Wo tons III
the Woolworth Building, which estaD-
rshed a new record in the number OF toi's
used in a building. The building VIII nave
l59 steel supporting columns, and the
weight Of the heaviest column VIII be %
tons.
Other figures which give an idea OF the
work involved in the construction Oh d
building like the Equitable are: Z-'VV''V''
bricks will be used, $4,000 square feet OF
marble trim and material for hoorihs,
q;an,o cubic feet of sand. 5000 barrels OF
cement in the foundations, l2o'VOo cupi'
feet Of cement in the building Itself 4'-lo'-
90 cubic feet Of broken stone, 1S.Jo gallons
Of paint for the steel. 10000 cubic feet OF
tsrra.cotta and 100000 hollow tiles
Such a mighty structure must nave
solid foundation, as 1t will weigh 2S'V"
tons. against 1903. 900 tons Of the Woolworth
Building, $500 tons Of the Metropoiitan
Building. 1850 tons Of the Municipal
Building and $3.50 tons Of the Singer
Building