The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-04

l29 feet high. Plans were
placed on file with the Bureau Of
Buildings last week for the proposed
hrildnc of the Pan-American States
Association to occupy n whole block
and to be sol feet high. or 80 feet
higher than the Woolworth tower.
which now holds the record for height
among the buildings of the world 1t is
Just twenty-six years since the city was
thrilled 10y the announcement of a high
building to be erected under new plan
Of construction in which steel frame
formed an essential part. and many were
the predictions of its failure. Nobody is
thrilled to day 10y the Pan American
building plans. for they mark step only
toward the l,Uo0 foot building which
every one believes is bound TO come unless
the municipal authorities take action soon
or the proposed height limitation.
Tho story of the old Tower Building Is
one Of the best ilust rations that can be
given of the rapidty with which New
York city has moved during the last
quarter century. 1t came az an expert
ment. gained success in spite of general
ridicule and finally formed a beginning
for all high buildings of recent times
Now it has outlived its usefulness. Ii
cannot compete with the giants of its
own family and. like all ancestors. it is
10 be laid away in its grave, which in this
case is the second hand material man 5
yard.
Steel frame buildings like the Tower
Building and the Columbia Building,
which 70 llowed it two years later. re-
suited from the generally recognized
advantages of buildings higher than the
five or six story structures that prevailed
up TO the last quarter of the last century.
The Chicago fire had taught the danger
OF non-fireproof buildings. and here in
NJ York builders felt that structures Of
sucn height that fremen could not com
bat fires on upper stories would be hut
poor Investments II was at time while
such ideas were uppermost in the minds
Of men interested in the upbuilding Of
New York that Bradford l.. Gilbert filed
the plans for the Tower Building at 80
Broadway
Up to about 1870 low buildings had been
the rule also because of the imperfection
OF the elevator. Up 10 that year there
were few passenger elevators in the city.
The first elevators were operated by
contrivances which would attract as much
notice in this day as then There were
great iron screws which reached the
whole height of the elevator well, passing
through the centre of the cars in steel
sleeve. The turning of the screw raised
VI lowered the cars. The elevators were
slow but safe
II was The Improvement in elevator ma
ohinery i'll the sos that actually made
the erection of high buildings possible.
Up 10 that time there were a few ten story
structures equipped with the old fashioned
types, but their operation was such as to
give little attraction to offices on upper
stories on higher buildings. 1t also was
decrced about that time that buildings
OF more than six stories should be fire.
proof High buildings even ut that time
were not popular because in non-fireproof
types outer walls had 10 he made so heavy
that the most valuable space on the
ground floor was taken up and foundation
work was unduly expensive. There was
great relief among builders therefore
when the Tower Building was erected and
demonstrated its own success.
Plans for the structure were filed on
April Il, 1855. 1t has "A frontage of 81 feet
inches and is los feet long. 1t was in
tended to provide "A Broadway connection
TO "a building of much greater size on New
street The walls were built in novel form.
Instead of solid brick walls vertical lines
OF cast iron columns were placed at varying
distances up TO about eighteen feet apart,
having al the foot of each line "a cast iron
sIoe resting on the foundation walls at
the basement floor level. Some of these
column, extend up to the level of the
eighth story floor and part extend to the
root level The columns are in lengths
CORES onding with the heights OF the
various stories and are bolted together.
on top of the seventh story columns rest
me Of wrought iron girders and from
mat point on to the top OF the structure
solid brick walls rise twenty inches thick
loi a height thirty-two feet and then six
Teen inches thick for twenty y five feet.
Rolled beam Orders between the up
night columns and connected to them at
each floor level up to the seventh support
IN" floors and carry the weight of the
walls, Twelve inches thick and built OF
brick Above the seventh floor the walls
sustain themselves, the steel in this part
ol lh" hullding being merely for bracing
N" 'oors and elevator shafts. The upper
pan really is an old fashioned brick build
lht placed on top Of the steel skeleton
lover part. Brlcing against wind press
VT" IL provided ny diagonal steel braces
carried between each of the vertical col
unn- and 80 constructed as to transfer TO
me foundations II possible wind pressure
o. JIG lons such as would be in "a hurricane
ol seventy miles an hour.
a dedication of the time OF the erection
oI Va" over Building tells the interesting
e'"y mat the building laws did not pro-
wa" Tor any such composite construction.
'H' application of the architect to build
wac 'aood before the Board of Examiners
o "" hnldIng Department. which was a
o'''a empowered by law to grant or
''P'. Implications in cases where pro-
,N''n 'l the law did not directly apply
"a t.ll t,lx