Evening journal., 1914-01-05
Steel Frames Ready for
New York's Greatest Building

cities in the United States. and the
figures along these lines for some Of
the smaller states would seem insig-
lnificani by comparison. There is a
strong similarity. too, between the
government of city and the govern
ment of this building. II has its civil
service, closely analogous to that of
duly incorporated city, and il Is a
safe assumption that It would pay
some of the municipalities to send
commissioners to study the govern
ment of the Equitable building.
II will have its police department
I its street cleaning department its
health department, it's fire depart
ment; il will have its municipal ice
lplant. its municipal public service, its
municipal restaurant. and its mu-
nicipal water and heating depart
ments. and will demonstrate that all
OF these things may be run with the
single idea of efficient service, and
with graft eliminated. This will be
an object lesson we'll worth the study
of any city.
The elevator system Of this great
structure may we'll be likened to the
trolley system OF a city. There will
be As elevators in six banks of eight
each to accommodate those who live
and work above ground. and two
sidewalk lifts to take care of those
below ground. The total elevator
trackage. so to speak, will be 20,240
feet. nearly 4 miles The express
elevators will run at a speed OF about
II 1-2 miles an hour, which rs greater
than the speed of the average trolley
car by a good deal These elevators
will comfortably accommodate not
only tho permanent residents, but the
many more thousands of transients
who will use them.
The fire department is we'll worth
study for its simplicity and efficiency.
There will be fire alarm station and
four powerful lines OF hose, on each
floor. with competent mon to man
them should occasion demand. While
the building itself is as nearly fire.
proof as the ingenuity of man can
accomplish. il is realized that the
contents of the offices are not and
cannot be made freproof, and il is
for the protection of these that this
elaborate protective system has been
installed.
There arc few cities Of $4,000 poo-
pie which can boast of a power plant
. like that which, located so feet below
the curb line, 10 feet below mean
high water mark. furnishes the power
for the manifold activities of this
. great building and which makes it
hahitablc.
Here on a floor space Of l45 feet
, 10y $50 feet, 26100 square feet, arc
seven great boilers. generating tho
. heat which a multitude of engines
Z transforms into $500 horse power OF
j energy They cat up 55 tons OF coal
: daily. Much Of this energy is trans
formed into electricity b. six enor-
q nous dynamos, with a capacity of
I $500 kilowatt units.
= This furnishes the power for the
elevators, the ventilating and vacuum
systems and other instrumentalities
in which electricity can be best used
The balance goes for steam heating
! the fire pumps. sewage electors and
the like As is the case with every.
thing else in the building. all this
! machinery is to be of the latest anC
, most efficient type.
\ it is interesting TO know that tn
! Equitable will be absolutely ndcpen
. dent of the weather or the ice crop. ]
: will have a complete artificial ice plan
: of its own. capable of tuging out al
the ice of the purest quality its tepant
+. can possibly use.
n. From the center Of the engine room
! will rise the smokestack in itself al
object of awe. A great steel cylnde
/. some 33 feet in circumference. il rise
n nearly 600 feet to the top of the build
5. ing
v The citizens OF this city within th
city" will be able If they so desire q
G spend their working lives under its roo
e with every material need cared for. Pro
a vision. is ample Tor all necessary foo
It and recreation. salaries may be spen
a as well as earned there, and nothing
IS left undone which should be done io
l. the protection of health, life and proT
v erty. Truly they may say with tn
IS apostle, Il am citizen OF no mea
" city