New Ulm review., 1913-07-16
UIM BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA WEDNESDAY, July IS 1913

distance from the building, even
though connected with corridors, to-
gether with the remodeling Of the
heating plant which would be neces-
STATED because Of the extra rooms
to be taken care Of, we do not be-
lieye it you'd be an economical r,o' N 4n-
Yestment. ss ....,S
The present Union building is un-
usual, so far as the size of the rooms
and heights of ceiling are concerned.
The arrangement Of the rooms is
one that was considered entirely
proper number of years ago and is
what is known as the "Cart Wheel"
plan. This arrangement has been
entirely done away with in modern
buildings, and that fact enters into
the difficulty of re-arranging the
requirements. The brick of the
building are deteriorating rapidly
and are soft enough to readily
crumble with ones fingers; many
cracks have developed, and the size
and number of the windows are such
that the amount of light admitted
to the building is entirely insufficient
in accordance with modern science.
The inside of the stairs is dangerous,
because steep, and the treads are
very narrow and they are too long
to be used without center rail. The
floors throughout are in poor condi-
tion, and the same criticism can be
passed on practically all Of the sash
and window frames. The roof leaks
and the cornice is in an unsatisfac-
tory condition. So far as the heat
ing is concerned, it is entirely in
adequate for the building, and it is
not considered good practice to under
take to heat building by ventilat-
ing system; this adds to the made
quacy of the plant. All of the plumb
ing is a disgrace to the city, and
would not be tolerated under any
conditions in a modern building.
The foregoing being the facts in
the case, we beg to suggest that in
order to put the building into a
reasonable condition, it would be nee
essary to block up the windows at
the ends of all the rooms and to cut
out the side walls of each room to
such an extent as to per-
nit of installation of battery win
dows of sufficient size to give an
adequate amount Of light. This op-
Grafton would entail considerable diff
fculty, owing to the instability of
the walls, due to cracks and the
character of the brick-work. Such
revision would necessitate increas
ing loads on the walls left undis-
turbed and it would be quite doubt
full as to whether the walls would
be sufficiently strong to take the ad-
ditional load. In order to re-arrange
the rooms so they would be satisfac-
tory, it would be necessary to cut
them down in size and height and
this would entail changing the pres
ent ventilating ducts and it would
also leave unusable space in the CEN
ter of the building. A complete
heating plant would have to be in
stalled with direct radiation under
all the windows in order to make it
an economical plant to operate. All
of the ventilating ducts would have
to be connected in the attic space and
carried through the roof with venti-
lators in order to prevent further
collection of dust, dirt, and other
refuse which at present comes down
the ducts and can be seen at the bot
tom of them in a number of the
rooms.
The suggestion that the rooms be
cut up into smaller units is not feas-
ible of adoption, because of the diff
ficulty of obtaining sufficient light
for the rooms and if the present
rooms were divided it would be found
that the long way of the rooms would
be at right angles to the light instead
Of parallel to the light; that would !
ICop<ipno1 IN hook no coN