The Washington times., 1917-04-18


sey Building adds splendid example of fine archi-
lecture to Washington's many other notable and
beautiful structures.
Both the original building and the addition were
designed by McKim, Mead White, of New York,
and were built by the Fuller Construction Company.
The original building ten stories in height, with
a frontage of 70 feet The completed building is
twelve stories in height, with frontage of 1919
feet and depth of 159 feet, running all the way
back to an alley thatis practically street,
The original building had a terra Gotta facade
mounted on massive marble columns. 1t was an eff
fective piece Of architecture but with its wide win
dows that compelled wide offices, the front of the
building could not be divided up advantageousy for
tenants In the light of experience these conditions
were avoided in the new addition, and the facade of
the original building changed to conform to the
construction Attractive was the original
'front.' the conception of the late Stanford White it
was not comparable to the present, with its simple
lines in beautiful white marble.
Everything Made Right.
Few men in the world would take down the facade
of big office building because it was not right
perhaps it has never been done before. But that is
only characteristic of the work throughout the build
ing. In every respect where it not right it has
been made right
The original building equipped with freight
elevator and with three passenger elevators, the lat
ter with cars about five feet square and designed to
run at speed of two hundred and fifty feet min
ute. This was the speed recommended by McKim,
Mead & White and by the Otis Elevator Company
for the then ten-story building. These elevators
all right at first but the tenants and the pub
lie became accustomed to speedier elevators they
proved to be unsatisfactory 1t was found necessary
therefore at the end of three four years. to install
batteryof elevators, with speed of four hum
dred feet a minute, which and is the maximum
speed of elevators for buildings of much as ten
or twelve stories in height.
By way of contrast with these three small pas
senger elevators, the new Munsey Building has six
passenger elevators with speed of six hundred feet
minute and of six feet four inches by six feet
five inches. The original three had combined
floor space of eghty-sx square feet the six
have floor space of two hundred and fifty square
feet.
Moreover, the doors of these new cars are double
acting that is to say, they slide back simultaneously
each on its side, thus instantly opening up the
entire front of the car and providing almost instan-
taneous exit and entrance for passengers. The old
cars, like most cars and probably all elevator cars in
Washington, had but single doors, which necessarily
choked the exit and entrance of passengers:
Matchless Elevator Service.
This superb and absolutely matchless elevator
equipment proves wonderful time saver for both
tenants, and the public To wait minute, or pos
siby several minutes for an elevator dozen times
day, less, aggregates big loss of time at
the end of year. Add to that the further loss due
to slow-moving cars, and the total mounts high and
cuts good deal of figure in a busy mans year.
Then again there is the personal and tear-the
nervous rrtabilty-inevtablei in waiting for an ele
vator, in slswmovng elevators, and in small,
crowded elevators.
This equipment represents cost that the
of other buildings, except in the case of twenty
to forty story buildings, have never been will
ing to pay-have never paid. But in so fine a
structure the Munsey Building there could
be greater mistake than that of installing an in
different elevator service or even merely a good
enough service. The new Munsey Building isn't built
on the "good-enough" plan.
With the constantly increasing demand of the
public for more efficient elevator service Mr. Num-
sey decided to foresa any demands of the future by
putting in elevators that installed only in
buildings of twenty to forty stories.
Large Bronze Cars.
They wonderfully smooth-running elevators
operated by mechanism of the highest character yet
developed. Characteristic of the entire building are
the cars which not only large and roomy but are
of bronze-not just painted iron imitation good
material. The system is known the Otis one-to-
one high speed gearless traction elevator and it is
the very apex of scientific Development free from
the jerking and grinding of gear fractions. The ma
chney for the elevators is located at the top of the
building instead of in the basement The result is