I
Amwevoinkfl 'ARcuI'rEc'runE cALLs “you
GENIUS, SKILL AND WIDE nx-
' " PERIENCE.
um BUILDER‘S ART nae masons A GREAT MAN;
uracrumne mnus'rnr. AND we MEN nu—
' cacao IN THIS Busmnss COMMAND
rau'menssr RESPECI.
The genius, skill and _ almost unbounded
capabilities of the modern builder are noWhere
-hetter illustrated than in Greater .New—York.
Here during the declining years. of the nine-
teenth century has been witnessed a period of
:gemarkable architectural growth and develop-
‘ynent'. In the lower section of Manhattan the
change has been so marked that .lt all seems
like a fairy tale, even to the eyes of the staid
New-Yorker who has dwelt on the spot while
the revolution has been slowly but surely going
on around him. This has been aptly termed the
era of the "skyscraper." The builders of to-
day have not only levied upon mother earth
but also upon the air. Their operations have
caused them to go downward to great depths
and upward to thrilling altitudes.
As the skill and versatility of the architect
‘ have been taxed to meet the present conditions,
so the old—time builder of a. dozen or more
years ago has found himself in the whirl or a
building evolution that has required the great-
est study and experience to keep pace with.
In former times he looked for his materials in
the quarry, the lumber-yard and the kiln. The.
materials of the present time come almost en-
tirely from the innumerable productive arts.
' The steel and iron manufacturer, the founder
of brass and bronze, the metal workers, sculpt-
ors, makers of ornamental glass, of delicately
wrought mouldings and decorations of almost
every kind of material, of cornices and devices
in copper and steel and marble and sliver, of all
the wealth of electrical invention. development
and power, of steam and hydraulic forces, of
engines and engineering—all these now combine
in an array of factors that enable him to create
the huge structures which are the wonders of
the~worid.
The art of building has been technically de-
fined as comprising the practice of civil ar-
chitecture or the mechanical operations neces-
sary to carry the designs of the archimct into
eifect. It is not infrequently called practical
architecture, but the adoption of this term
would tend only to confuse, by rendering it
difficult to make the distinction generally un-
derstood between architecture as a line or lib-
eral art and architecture as a mechanical art.
The execution of the works of architecture nec-
essarily includes building, but building is fre-
quently employed when the result is not ar-
chitectural, and a man may be a competent
builder without being an architect.
AN INTRICATE CALLING.
The builder of the present day is confronted
with a host of details with which he must have
a complete acquaintance. This must relate to
the arrangement of plans for the greatest pos-
..sible degree of convenience on the smallest
space and at the least expense; its transferrence
'to the ground, the preparation and formation
of foundations, the arrangement and construe-s
non of drains, sewers and vent shafts, the va-
~rieties of walling with stone and of laying
bricks in brickwork; the merit of the various
modes of bonding and tying walls, the ar-
rangement of gutters on roofs to get sufficient
fall and to conduct the water to the least in-
convenient places for fixing trunks to lead it
down; the arrangement and formation of flues;
the protection of walls from damp, of timber
from moisture and stagnant air, and of metals
generally from exciting causes; the cost of ma-
terials and labor, and the quantity of each to
produce certain results. Together with these
the builder should be practically acquainted
with all the modes of operation in all the
trades or arts cmployed in building, and be
able to minutely estimate beforehand the abso-
lute cost involved in the execution of a pro-
posed structure.
Under existing conditions the business of the
builder has come to be divided into classes
something as follows: Ordinary construction,
partial fireproof, fireproof and strictly fireproof.
So great has been the desire of those investing
large sums in new structures intended for of-
fices and commercial uses generally to obtain
the best possible results in the direction of
fireprooflng that the subject has called forth
the, most extensive and careful study. Splen-
did results have been obtained. It has reached
a point where even the wood, which is necessary
at least in small measure in all :bnildlngs; is
treated to a process which renders it proof
against heat and flames. It is said that the
fire insurance companies of the city have al-
ready recognized the perfection of construction
of this type, and the real meaning of the word
fireproof has been made significant. In New-
York, Where there are vast interests at stake
and where the land values have reached such
an unusually high level. there has been a fertile
field for the exercise of the skill and genius of
both architect and builder. There has been a1
steady drift in the direction of making the
builder’s art a great manufacturing industry.
the rival .of any in. the country. The question
is no longer how cheaply a structure can be
erected, but how much money can be expended
in the right direction for securing all of the
modern improvements which go to mark the
distinction between the buildings of a dozen
years ago.and those of the present time.
A LARGE INDUSTRY.
In the Borough of Manhattan there are nearly
two thousand builders. under the different
classLes of general builders, carpenters, and,
masons and-skulld'ers This does not include.
the. list of Brooklyn and the other boroughs,
which at a' careful estimate would swell the
ranks by several hundred. These different.
firms and individuals. are the fountain-heads
of the neveisceasing flow of structures which;
in tile-course of a short lifetime have carried the
dividing line of the city from Canal-st.“ to One-
hundred—anddwenty-fifth-st. These are the
generals of the great army of laborers, skilled»
and other-wise, who each year have made their
living out of the growth and development of
the city. Under their orders have been exe-
outed some of the most remarkable engineering
feats of the nineteenth century.
In order to illustrate the processes involved
In constructing a large building, let it be sup-
posed that the man who has proposed to erect
bio ,BUiLDiue...orER moss.
‘ excavate.
his monument in the way of a business pal-
ace has purchased the land, selected the ar-
.-,- x, 4.1-.
I" “ “ 4' " 5C; - -'_ .2
sweets... mom fact. has. contend of all, the
engineering plans. This brings .the busmess
up to apo'int-"wh’ere the mastermmlder is called
in, and here begins the work of patien‘ce and
skill involving details requiring the most varied
knowledge and experience. The structure is to
cost about $2,000,000. and eyerv part of, it
must be ‘made to count. The builder, having
arranged his edifice to its very finish, begins .to
A structure covering 50x100 feet,
the foundations of which begin 20 feet below
the surface, demands the removal of about-
4,000 loads of dirt; the proper force and only.
the necessary number of men, horses » and
wagons are engaged, and the hole grows hourly..
The foundation calls. for .the artisans. who lay
concrete, stone ,walls and bricks: the iron beams
and columns of exact dimensions. have been
made, and are moved in at their time. The
general has then his cornice-work. roofing, fire-
proof _ partitioning, electric wiring. gas-piping, .
rough plumbing, plastering, trimming, rough .
carpenter work, marble work, and fine carpen-
tering. All ofthis labor has been planned, and
is brought to the ground ready to be placed.
There must be no mistakes; no fitting or-alter-
ing. It must be ready and correct. The paint-
ing and varnishing complete the job. The
quality and the make of all this material have
been specified. - .
LEGAL rsocnnnmos.
In connection with this it must be explained
.that application. for the erection of any building
in the city is required bylaw to be made to
the Building Department. . This - application
must state how the building is to be occupied.
If for dwelling, state the number of families,
size of lot, size of building, number of stories
lnheigbt, number of ‘fiaet in height from curb
level to highest point of reef beams, cost of
building exclusive of lot, depth of foundation
walls from curb level or surface of ground,
and will the foundation be laid on earth, sand,
rock, timber or piles: what will be the base,
stone or conCrete? If base stones, give size and
thickness, and how laid; if concrete, give thick-
ness; what will be the size of piers; what Will
be the thickness of foundation- walls, and of
what material will they be constructed; what
will be the thickness of walls of each story
and of what 'material they will be? The ma-
terial of the front; if stone, what kind? AWill
the roof be flat, peaked or mansard? Materials
of roofing, size and material of floor beams of
each tier. If floors are to be supported by col-
umns or girders, give size and materials of
girders under each of the floors, and the same
information if columns are used; what each
superficial foot of each floor will safely sus- .
tain; by whom the construction of the building
is to be superintended. .
These are only a few of the questions to be
answered, and the application must be accom-
panied by drawings of the plans of each and
every story, front, side and rear elevations, and
longitudinal and transverse sections.
The principal functions of the Building De-
partment are to provide for public safety and
record. The officials are expected to prevent
the construction of works which, on account of
poor material or work, would prove a menace to
life and property. Every encouragement pos-
sible is given for the highest type of the build-
er’s art and science. It has been a great as-
sistance in the past in preventing disastrous
fires and collapses, which might have involved
immense loss of life. The Superintendent of
Buildings has under him a large number of in-
spectors, upon whom rests the responsibility of
keeping the city free from all deleterious con-
struction. Besides, there is a. large force of
clerks, who are kept busily occupied in keeping
an accurate and reliable record of the building
progress of the city.
LOOKING FOR BETTER TIMES.
For the last few years, while to all appear-
ances there have been extensive operations in
building, it is said that the trade as a whole
has not been what was expected of it. Many
architects were idle, and builders sat in their
offices, waiting for something to turn up. Dur-
ing the present year there has been a marked
improvement in the general tone of business.
Not only have there been many monster of-
fice structures going up in the lower part of
the city, but all through the northern portion
of the town there has been an activity which
has stimulated the entire building trade all
through its many departments. Handsome mod-
ern apartment houses. stores and attractive
dwellings have been factors in the return of
prosperity, and hundreds of them have been
constructed in the Greater New-York during
the year which is now fast drawing to a close.
Whether taken up with contracts of big or
little significance, the New-York builder has
shown himself to be keeping pace with the mod-
ern ideas that. are all the tinie supplantlng
old notions. Representing as they do an in-
dustry of great importance, they command re-
spect in every commercial circle. The vast sums
intrusted to their care far expenditure insure
integrity and financial stability, and the va-
riety of interest: involved demand scientific
and mercantile accomplishments of uncommon
order. Patience and knowledge are equally nee-A
essary to overcome the many obstacles that
confront the builder in his manifold duties.
——-———-——.——-————-
. CONCRETE.
The largely increased use of concrete masses
in foundations in place of masonry masses, such
as brick or stone, has resulted in a tremendous
development of this industry, which is largely
augmented also by the use of concrete on
bridges, buildings and in an innumerable vari-
ety of ways. Concrete is, intact. now used in
almost every way that stone ‘was formerly ap- »
plied. The use of concrete by the Government
for fortifications .has practically exhausted the
cement market. In every department of engir
neering along the seacoast the requisitions for
this material have been and continue to be enor—
mous, and there is no likelihood of a decrease
in the demand, as the establishment of naval
stations at Form Rico and other recent Amer-
ican possessions will call for large additional
quantities. The use of concrete in fireproofing,:
which was little known a few years ago, has
also developed extensively, as its advantages in
this direction are now recognized. by engineers
and architects.
There are half a dozen. firms in New-York
who make a specialty of fireproof construction
by means of concrete. Some-thing like $20,000
was spent in this city. two years ago in. tests of
various fireproof materialshand in no instance
did concrete fail to meet the requirements.
The enormous growth of the concrete busi-
ness has carried the cement industry beyond its
limits, and the largest cement company in New-
York is now engaged in an‘en'ort to double its
capacity. Several. new plants are also being
built in places contiguous to this. city. New-
York capital is likewise largely interested in the
quarries east of the Alleghanles, from which the
= -.i.
stone used. in cement is obtained. The demand"
for foreign cemé'nfs'.‘ was _'le'ssened temporarily
"after the-introduetlcn o£<'the-'new.tariff on; ac-
count ‘of'gits advanced price, but so great has the
concrete business grown that at presentrmanu-
facturers here are glad to take all of the im-_ 1
ported-cement they can get. This article, how-
ever, is likewise not obtainable in sufficient
quantities to meet the demand, for the. ad—
vantages of concrete have been recognized
simultaneously on the other sideyand the manu-
facturers there make exhaustive demands on
the cement factories. » The use of concrete is to
baby. no means a temporary one. Everywhere _.
its usefulness and value are being demonstrated, .
and as a“ more general knowledge of. the .mate:
:rial is disseminated the demand for it will. un- ,
doubtedly increase. ~
USES or asses-ms.
FOUND IN ALL QUARTERS OF THE ME, 11‘
ENJOYS A. GROWING TRADE IN. GREATER
NEW-YORK—EXPORT FEATURES.
An industry which is of the utmost importance
is that devoted to the manufacture of the many:
articles in which asbestos is the principal feat-
ure. This material is now found in use in one
form or another in every workshop where steam
is used, and while it is vaguely understood that
its principal claim is that it cannot be destroyed
' by fire, few persons are familiar with‘the extent
to which it is used. Asbestos has been found in
all quarters of the globe, the Russian, South
African, Italian and Canadian fibre, however,
being alone of commercial importance. The Rus-_
sian product is used almost entirely in Europe,
,but the bulk of the Canadian product is con-
sumed in the United States. ,
z One of the first applications of asbestOS in this
country was to roofing. To buildings covered
-wlth this:.materlal shooters of sparks involve no
danger. ,One factory alone which does business
in New-York manufactures daily in its busy
season over two miles in length of asbestos
roofing. In skyscrapers and large buildings as-
bestos fire-felt coverings are largely used.
An extensive trade is done with builders by
the New-York asbestos firms, in fireproof__roof
coatings, asbestos building paper, sheathings,
lining felts, millboard, superator, etc. Wail-
plaster manufacturers use asbestos fibre in lieu
of cattle hair or jute.
Steam-heating engineers and plumbers use
asbestos fire-felt sectional coverings for steam
pipes, sheet fire-felt and cement felt for boners
and other large heated surfaces, roll fire-felt for
hot-water heaters and house-heatergpipes, mill-
board for packing joints in contact With ‘fire,
oils or acids. also for tire screens, partitions,
linings for ranges, stoves, grates and joints, and
the material is used in' an infinite variety or
other ways. In addition to a number of con-
cerns who are engaged in supplying the various
articles made from asbestos, the principal offices
of a firm which is engaged in mining asbestos in
Georgia are located in this city. The American
asbestos products are now exported extensxvcly.
______._._____———-
BRICK MANUFACTURE.
Travellers on the lines of railroads which run
along with the course of the Hudson River have
no doubt been struck by seeing the large‘num-
her of brick plants. It might be said that all
along the lower section of the river’s course.
especially within the limit of one hundred miles
of the city of New-York, the number of clay
beds have been so large and the quality of the
raw material of so excellent :3. grade that it. IS
only natural that big manufacturing industries
should have sprung up in those localities. The
annual output of these factories varies With
each year, depending upon the market. It might
be roughly stated at 1,500,000,000. Sometimes
this is not all marketed, and as a result the
huge piles of brick stored waiting .a sale are
made a necessity, and form a part of the land-
scape for those who are speeding up and down
in fast-moving trains. These hugepilesmay be
looked upon as thermometers which register the
condition of trade in building. The price of brick
varies with the times and quality. Five dollars
per thousand might be a fair average, and from
this up to high figures for the handsome deco—
rative grades of various-colored bricks. Staten
Island has its brick'plants, and contributes in
no small degree to the'wants-of New-York. In
New-Jersey the annual output will average
about one hundred million. '
The concerns of the Hudson River district
make brick by what is known as the soft mud
process, which permits of the most thorough
mixing of the materials entering into its manu4
facture. There are about fifty-seven plants of
this nature on both sides of the river at Haver-
straw Bay, with a total capacity of 470000.000.
In Newburg Bay there are twenty-eight brick-
yards, With a capacity of upward of three hun-
dred million. while in the “up-river” district
there are about forty, having a capacity of 350.-
000,000. In trade parlance, the product from
this section is called “brick of the Hudson River
Valley." The machines used in manufacture are
able to turn out- about five thousand an hour.
From the initial step of the process until the
manufactured article is ready for shipment there.
is consumed about one month. From the pres-
ent tendency toward an increase in building
operations. the brick industry is expecting a re-
turn of geod times. New—York's consumption is
difficult to approximate, but a guess would place
it at 56.000000. The method of transporting
the brick is by scows. which carry 225,000.cach,
at a charge of $1 to $.L 25. a thousand.
_____....._._.____
TILING.
The great attention which is given nowadays
to the sanitary condition .of houses. has given
a decided impetus to the the industry. The
ease with which this material is cleansed and
the opportunities which it presents for decor-a-
tivevpurposes make it especially popular with
up-to-date builders. About dressevienths of all
the tile used in the United States is now made-
by a firm with ofllces in this city, and the im-
portatitms of the foreign article have fallen om,
heavily. In plain. White and ivory tiles the for-:1
mer. superiority of the foreign tiles has been
overcome by our manufacturers. and the goods~
made and sold in this country are now. superior.
to the imported article. . . - '
In decorated tiles America has always been
in the lead, but here, too, there has. been a dc;
cided advance, and the gOOdS“ of to-day leave
nothing to be desired in artistic effect. For
this, reason decorated tile is largely replacing
fresco in- fine buildings. ‘Its other advantages
are durability and cheapness, and the menu;
facrturers. are. now able to adapt the material to
allshapes and angles. A new feature in the tile
business is the introduction of a product which
'reproduces the effect of ancient mosaic._ Thin
article" is said {5 Tie "superior to"-marfil‘e, '88. in
addition .toits extreme. durability. itgprrsents a
larger range of colors. American tiles "are now
largely exported to Europe. _
There are ,many. showrooms in ,New-York
'Where large assortmenfs' 'of‘tiles ”infirm seen
and the. opportunity for selection is:;u.nllmited.
The local firms are, prepared to furnish any-
thing and everything in this line which may ha
desired. and at prices which defy competition. ~
DEALING. IN more '. a:
2‘!
THE VOLUME 01" BUSINESS'TRANSACTKD .
AND IN racmrms Forum ,1
ll“! LARGE ORDERS» . t’
The stone dealers and contractors of this city
have always enjoyed the reputation of being
leaders, not only in the volume of business
transacted. but also in their facilities for exe-
cuting the largest contracts in the shortest
space of time. ’
The amount of stone of various kinds used my
.nually in this city alone is enormous. Thls‘city
uses per year an average of 600,000 cubic feet
of Indiana limestone, 100,000 cubic feet' of Lek.
Superior red sandstone, 200,000 cubic feet of
Connecticut brownstone,- 300,000 cubic feet of
granite, 75,000 cubic feet of Wyoming bluestono,
and 50,000 cubic feet (If Nova Scotia stone.
Within a year's time there will be used in New.
York 200,000 cubic feet of marble, and there are
at present enough plans in contemplation to re-
quire three times that amount Within the next
two years.
In addition to the stones mentioned, there is a
steady demand for granite, the popularity of
which dates largely from the building of the
American Surety Building, which exhibited it.
new possibilities. -
The general tendency of the trade is toward
the more durable stone's in preference to sand-g
stone. and many buildings of the latter are be.
ing torn down and replaced by structures of
marble and granite. An illustration of the ex-
tensiveness of the trade is bad in_the fact that
in addition to fifteen large~ works .in Manhattan
there are thirteen in Brooklyn, five in Newark.
one in Hoboken and eight on the waterfront
from Long Island City to Astoria, all of which
do business here. ,... - ,
These forty-two firms all operate steam mills,
and do an extensive business. ,_ They are mem-
bers either of the New-York Stone Traders’ As-
sociation of New-York or the master Freestone
Cutters’ Association of Brooklyn. .
These firms’ execute orders for public builds
ings, business houses and private residences in
all parts of the country, the stone being cut at
the works and shipped ready for use in what-
ever manner it may be required. In addition to
the large dealers, there is an almost innumer-
able number of small concerns. who execntn
various kinds of stonework.
Some of the larger dealers are directly inter-i
ested in the quarries, but the majority buy the
rough stone from the representatives in this
city of the various quarries throughout the
country. It is no unusual thing for individual
quarrymeu to keep from twenty—five to one hun-
dred car-loads of stone on the docks, ready for
demand. _ - ~ .
‘ Those who are directly connected .with. the
trade say that styles change in building stones,
as in other lines of business, and are largely de-
pendent upon the whims of the architects.
“The modern machinery used in stone manu‘
facture pretty nearly talks," said one dealer,
“and it is remarkable to see the way rough stone
is converted so as to be ready for use.” -The
extensive. use of machinery has reduced the
number of mencmployed in the stoneyards, but:
there are still no less than one thousand men
employed in the forty—two large works men-
tioned. The wages paid average from $3 to $4 50
a days In addition, the business’ gives employ-
ment to many designers. The Connecticut brown-
stone, Lake Superior redstone and Ohio sand—
stone are exported in large quantities to Canada.
A peculiar fact in connection with this ,busis
ness is that the stone is often shipped to New-
York through the points where itis to be used.
and after being manufactured is sent‘dlrectly
back again. The 400,000 feet of Indiana stone
called for. in one contract to housed in the
Vanderbilt home in Asheville, N. 0., was shipped
to N (aw-York to be manufactured. and from here
it was sent to Asheville. The fact that New-
Yorkis a seaboard city, with the advantage also
of many. direct trunk lines, is peculiarly advan-
tageous to this industry. '
--.————O—-—‘—‘
TERRA GOTTA.
TEE MANY ADVANTAGES wnrcn um rr ram.
LAB 11:: run ARTS.
Terra. cotta is simply "baked earth,”_and in
its general application must be considered dis-
tinct from porcelain. It presents many advanq
tages which make it popular in theiarts, as it is
capable of being painted, lacquered- or deco—
rated in any color to represent various 'ma-
terials. Architectural terra cotta is, however;
used in the natural color, or in such tints as
come from its constituent ingredients." during
the process of burning. It is a recognized build-
ing material, having its own advantages and
uses. ‘
The use of terra. cotta on New-York buildings
is generally credited to GeorgeB. Best, who
first applied it in 187 7 on a residence. in West
Thirty-sixth—st. About the same time" the ma-
terial was used in Providence and Boston, and
from that time on the terra cotta industry in
this section of the country developed rapidly.
A step in the progress of this business is
represented by the introduction of the material
into the construction of large commercial build-
ings. The Morse Building, at the center of“
Nassau and Beekma-n sis. is an illustration.
When the architects of-‘ New-York began to-
recognize the uses of term. outta they made-
many demands and. requirements which led the
malms into new. enamels. and named in. the
production of an architectural term outta in
this count-ry‘whlch is better in many respects:
than the best product .of the European. foe--
tories. ~ .. '
The Perth. Amboy Terra Cotta Company is a.
pioneer in this line of business, and many. stages:
in the development and perfection of terra cotta.
may be traced directly to its enterprise. This.
firm is the largest in the United States, and
the development ofthe business. is illustrated:
by the fact that at the beginning of the general
‘ use of terra cotta, in 1879, it operated only three
kilns. At present it has forty-six in operation.
Its plant and yards cover eight acres, and it.
clay beds extend over an area of 170 acres.
.LOCAL comma-ens" m m impure I! ~
Norwalk Chronicler