New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-01
FORMS A "CAVE
OF The WINDS"
No Gentle Breezes Blow IN
the Archway of Mu-
nicipal Building.
GALES BOWL OVER
UNWARY PASSERSBY
CITY Employees Say a Railing
There Would Help Them TO
Get 10 Work.

N,.~sra Falls isn't the only place with
q cave Of the Winds There Is one in this
ei.v Jus, as uncomfortable, and II has
- he cortended with. not from the view
polrt Of sightseeing. but from duty con
venience and as matter OF course IL Is
le7e-maiesty, perhaps, 70 so term as
cave ~ the Winds that great Roman TIL
urphal arch under the Municipal Builo-
ing. But that IS the name given IL oS
many city employees who nave receh"'
moved into the structure
vhNs the Mayor. the Borough Pres-
6s,, and other city officials have been
listening OF late TO the walls o. city de-
rs-trnent heads who feel that the accom-
,nodstions are not what they should be In
the big 100000 structure, some OF the
rank and file have been taking their
erudges 70 luncheon with them. and the
consensus OF opinion IN numerous gain
e-lngs OF the sort Is that any city en-
rloye who is unfortunate enough 70 WORK
a. the building IS Handicapped by load.
In THIS instance II IS load that mas
resistance or a punch" Of from fifteen 70
thirty-fve pounds per square foot, all de-
pending on the velocity OF the gales that
sweep through the Cave Of the Winde.
They ought 20 have ratings in front
Of the building 70 help a fellow get 10 his
work" said one Of the city employees.
The other day. when the wind WAS rip
ping along al seventy-hve miles an hour.
Il was almost impossible 20 get in or out
y. Of .
hardest sort 10 go through that tunnel
the Cave OF the Winds, as some OF us
,all It.
The traffic cop who stands in Cham
hers street 10 the west OF the Cave or
the Winds finally had 70 move 70 one
side 70 get the protection OF a column.
TIE wind was so strong that II forced
him OUT Of the middle OF the street The
Woolworth Building creates no draft Ike
that. and neither does the Flatiron Build
INK Or the Singer Building"
Some ~ - wiseacres facetiou.ly re-
mark that the architects should have
chosen corner that was not so windy.
Others remind them that the wind was
never such a drawback al Chambers and
Centre streets IN the good old days; that
the big building brought along It's own
supply.
Other employees recommend entering the
structure from the east saying the ele-
waited railroad tracks and the buildings
IN the rear OF the city's oficial home
help 10 break the force OF the wind.
They all agree that when there is q
zephyr on Broadway. a block 10 the west,
there IS a pretty high wind through
the triumphal arch OF the city's build
ing A team Of Chambers street thor
oughbreds can hardly pull the rickety
cars through the tunnel IN the teeth OF
gale
BY accurate computation ~ was FOUND
one day recently when II was biting cold.
and heavy gale blowing. that there was
a pressure OF 2tlOs pounds TO the square
foot in front OF the Municipal Building.
Such load not even the oldumers ever
cared 70 be saddled with The thermome-
ters In the neighborhood were all flirting
with the zero mark. Tears trickled down
Ne checks OF persons who braved the
We In front OF the enormous wall.
,aiust which II seemed the wind WAS
lying conclusions and could escape only
when IL found near the bottom IN. big
archway. thirty-hve feet wide and fifty
feet high. Hats sailed through It nearly
every minute OF the day. and following
almost az quickly I'm the grasp OF the
wind their several owners.
This has led some OF the city employees
q statistical frame OF mind 20 go fur
Their into the mysteries OF winds. even AZ
Ear back as the celebrated one In the his
tory Of Ireland. although IL was found
that Ireland had a number OF such occa'
slons
When Weather Bureau figures were
consulted Il was found that New YORK
has the same average hourly wind We
4ocity IS Chicago. 10 wit. nine miles an
hour. In fact. the records indicated that
the highest wind in tho metropolis was
placed st eighty-four miles an hour. while
That OF Chicago. the so-called Windy
city" was eighty.
IL you have a sore finger you are look
INK Tor sore fingers on the hands OF your
iriencs II you are in the grasp OF high
WIND every time you enter your ONCE or
como out Of II you are constantly think
INK ABOUT gales That is the deduction
you make after you have talked with a
city employe who has been bufreted by
The cave winds.
When the five thousand city employees
seneduied TO be housed eventually in the
Dig structure face as blustry winter as
uis one has been IL is forecast that
fa'her hnickerbocher Is going 10 hear a
howl
"nen Police Commissioner Mckay dis
'"sso with certain nxsd posts In very