New-York tribune., 1918-01-29
Experts Declare More Fuel
Would Be Conserved If
Closing Was Suspended
and Tenants Required to
Eliminate Waste in Light
and Heat

Measured by elevator traffic, bust
ness in the great office buildings in the
financial district dependent upon such
service fell yesterday to approximately
~ per cent Of normal In five Of the
highest trade towers just eleven Of the
112 elevators available were utilized -
less than 10 per cent. In tho eleven
cars in service in these buildings, how
ever. the density Of traffic increased
heavily, so that they did the worl:
which ordinarily would have required
twice the number.
In the largest Office building in the
world the Equitable, at 1870 Broad
way-therc are sixty-onc elevators.
Eight were running on hcatless Mon
day. One elevator suf1iced to handle
all the traffic load of the thrty-two
story Adams Express Building. Ten
ants of the Singer Building required
four, but those in the City Invest
ing Building and the structures at III
and l1o Broadway had to be satisfied
with a single car.
With more or less variation, the in
stances given were representative OF
conditions throughout the district. In
all buildings there were "slackers"-
persons who were not exempt. but who
nevertheless, turned on the heat in
their Offices. Most of them we're
promptly warned to shut it Off and
none refused to do so.
Actual Coal Saving NiI
Unfortunately. the decrease in the
consumption of coal was by no means
proportionatc to the curtailment Of
business operations The apparent
saving, as estimated roughly by the
engineers and superintendent of var-
ous buildings, varied from 10 to 80 per
cent. The actual saving, according to
the same authorities, was almost nil.
Burning no more coal than we are
now said the engineer of a great sky
scraper, 1--WE could provide so per cent
of normal service. AS it is, we are
wasting steam which might Just as
we'll be utilized to run elevators. pro-
vide lights and keep Offices heated. We
are saving very li.sie more coal than
we would if every office iH the building
was open and a triAe less service were
provided for each one A certain
amount Of steam has to be provided to
prevent a freeze up. whether Offices
are occupied or not"
The opinion expressed by this man
was regarded by other engineers as a
falr statement OF the situation. and
there was general agreement that the
no n NOT ~
Equitable Building, for example. tha
normal consumption Of coal on Monday
is in the neighborhood of tifty-five tons.
Yesterday it was estimated at thirty
seven tons, saving for the day Of
eighteen tons, or nearly one-third. But
the steam record must be followed be-
yond Monday to arrive at true figu,c
of saving. Naturally the building, or such
parts OF it as are not used, cools When
steam is turned off on Monday. and 10
BRING the temperature up to normal
again 1t Is necessary to greatly in
crease the steam pressure on Tuesday.
The result is that subNormal consume
ton on Monday is largely offset bv ao
normal consumption thereafter.
Saving Only Ten Tons
In the case of the Equitable Bul,d-
ing the excess consumption REQUIRED
TO bring the thermometer up to normal
Is between eight and ten tons. Thus i.
viii be seen that the maximum net coal
saving in this building is ten tons. and
the minimum eight tons. or somethjnr
less than 10 per cent 1t is not moro
man ~ per cent of the total consump-
tion for full week.
Experts on the question believe tina,
a much more important saving could
be Ell ected in Office buildings in a wav
wnich would not require the closing Of
ounces on Mondays. One authority cy
f,Gsses ft,,I INC op'n'on that saving OF
lui'y 20 per cent, instead of only oi
per cent, i'll the weekly consumntion