LAND AND BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14729, 11 July 1911, Page 9

LAND AND BUILDINGS.

,THE NEW GASHOLDER.

". BIG ,WOBK IN BERESFORDSTREET. / ■<>* ■■■<.■■::■:■'■ '-...■- /

' 'PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE. / ' Excellent progress is being made/ with ...' tho excavation for tho big now gasholder ■ for the Auckland Gas Company in Beres- ' ~ ■ {ord-strcot. Involving the removal of up- • wards of 21,000 cubic, yards of material, •' the task is no small ono, and though only commenced in February last tho work has BOW been so far advanced that Mr. Geo. . jjicol, the contractor, will soon bo able to proceed with tho construction of tho V.,', tank, Tho tank, which will have a diameter of 166 ft 3in, will go down for a depth of 40ft. The construction of tho paving and walls will absorb upwards of ;,'. 4000 cubic yards of concrete, tho walls ■ varying in width from 4ft at tho bottom to 2ft 3in at the top. I The gasholder, which will bo ono of the largest in Australasia, will have a holding capacity of 2,300,000 cubic feet of gas. It will bo of the three-lift order, and will •"' rise 120 ft above the level of tho ground. Contracts have been lot to Messrs. Massey Brothers for tho manufacture and erection iv:-' of the guide framing, containing 288 tons ■• ■ of steel, and also for tho erection of tho '• /'.. steel holder, weighing 425 tons, which will • ' *• ho imported from England. Tho holder is being manufactured at the Barrowfield ■Ironworks, Glasgow. The total expenditure involved in the undertaking is £54,000. It is hoped to have the new gasometer completed, ready for use, within 18 months from now, ::; which will bo none too soon, as the company's present holding capacity is already ' proving barely sufficient to meet tho . . rapidly-increasing gas consumption. In '■.-' order to copo with any exceptional de- ■ mand, it is recognised that gas companies ', --. should have a storage equal to tho maximum day's output. At present the Auckland Gas Company has storage for only 1,500,000 cubic feet, and the maximum day's output for tho present year has been 2,350,000 cubic feet. This shortage , : of storage capacity, however, has only become manifest recently, tho maximum ■ day's, output for the present year having > shown the big advance of about 400,000 ■ - ' cubic feet upon the largest day's output ' . during 1910. Tho facts given are signifi- . ■ cant, reflecting as they do the progress of the city, and showing what provision shrewdly-run business concerns, like the Auckland Gas Company, are making for •» • the future. . ' At Devonport tho Gas Company has just , converted its former one-lift holder into - a two-life one, thereby increasing the . storage capacity from 70,000 cubic feet to '. 140,000 cubic feet.

NEW SAVINGS BANK.

■ '."'■'■"■' ■ . JELABQRATE BANKING CHAMBER. ...... ;•• - , As av result of the extensive alterations , . • |nd additions which have been carried out during the past 12 months the Auck- . land Savings Bank's premises in Queen- -•'. ■ street have been so completely transformed that the building is now practically a new one, and ranks among the finest of its kind in - Australasia. _ As compared with the old structure, Jfhich had a depth of 55ft, the new build- ; ing runs right through to Lome-street, a depth of 166 ft. It is divided into three portions—the old three-storey building in : Queen-street, which, with the exception of the facade, has been largely remodelled —the central portion, or banking chamber, fi comprising one storey, and a three-storey ~■ "structure facing Lorne-sfcreet. So far as the general public are concerned, the bank- ,. ing chamber possesses the greatest attraction. It has been constructed on quite an elaborate scale. y It is 82ft long by 35ft ■■~'. wide. The chamber is lighted from above by means of skylights, and the ceiling, ■ which is in fibrous plaster, is a work of - art, being adorned by a rich display of ornamental work of exquisite taste and de- .. sign. The walls are finished in Kean's ; cement, and around the whole runs a • magnificent dado of mottled kauri .and dark Australian cedar.. The . ; floor is i'aid in Milton tiles, which are .;, pleasing. to the eye. In the centre apv . pears ah unusually handsome counter, ~-.- which runs the whole length of the chamber. It is built of solid ►marble, of difl ferent colours, viz., black Italian, red Australian, and gray American, the latter fining used for the top, which is 3ft lOin wide. The counter is" divided into seven tompartments, one for each teller, and the whole is to be surmounted by cast brass railings, with central openings for the transaction of business. \yd. the northern side three large marble desks, mounted on cast brass brackets, will be provided for the use of depositors, while on the opposite side; at the rear ■ of the counter, amp'.3 accommodation has been allowed for clerks' desks, :..+c. After , ,: , sunset, when occasion requires, the chamber will be lighted with both gas and electricity, chandeliers for the former S;S being hung from the ceiling, and electric , bulbs being placed in wall brackets on the / tops of the partitions. At the rear of the chamber a fire-proof Strongroom, 25ft by 14ft, has been built. The remainder of the building is divided off into offices, the boardroom, storerooms, lavatories, etc., and apartments for the caretaker. The boardroom, which is located on the second floor, is richly , tarnished and decorated. A plate-glass • -panel has been fitted into the Queen- • . , street door, so that at night-time the ■ , police will always be able to see the strong- :,., room, which is situated in a direct line with the panel. In front of the strong- ■' Worn door a light will be kept burn- ' ing. . ■ ■ , The contract price for the work is £6363. The contractors, Messrs. Craig ■. • Bros., hope to finish their work within a - <% or two, and the building will be , opened by His Excellency the Governor (Lord Islington) on the 22nd inst. Mr. \ Edward Bartley has acted as architect.

? . HOUSING THE TRAMCARS. .1 -, •|! - - * SIG ADDITION TO EPSOM BARN. | , , Having doubled its rolling stock within -'«, comparatively short period, and being ■ ' about to supplement the number by tho ; , sedition oi 16 more cars, tho Auckland » Electric Tramways Company, Limited, ;■ ;■ ' «M been faced with the necessity for mak- ( I ; ; J ?3 farther provision! in the matter of I ■■•• &lied accommodation. ,' ;. It has now been decided to effect this i , o," enlarging tho Epsom barn upon such ...] a scale that tho car room there will be I f I. ' Bearly trebled, making vho depot easily "»largest in the Dominion. The present *. ■ „ ("84'a'is to bo extended so that it will •j ! ' sate a frontage of 425 ft to Manukau by a depth of 163 ft, and will cover ;■' -^r" 11 tracks, having a total length of • =Wft, or 2400 ft mora than is provided | Jfroay. Tho enlarged shed will be able , l ? house over 80 large cars at the one time, and with the Ponsonby barn should ;{ 'Ornish all tho accommodation required 5 w tome time to como. To suit tho reV s Ise( * plan, the present offices are to be ro- : ' ca anged ' Thc company has decided to "; f,/-7-' out the work under the supervision "its own officials, and a start has already '- '* • "f e f, made - It is estimated that the cost * ; h £? xten?ion will bo between £14,000 •fl : »m £15,000. I"- *£ L company's power-house, the cost i«j £? xten?ion will bo between £14,000 . *M £15,000. l!A^ tlle company's power-house, in Hob- . Afreet the installation of boilers Nos. *"» V' and 12. * 8 now proceeding apace, w arums having now been fixed in posi--I,' fcrTli *? **"» engineroom the foundations ' SS 0 being laid for a 1000-kilowati all I < 'sjjwiag > C W*W*' generator set, yfjaitb*. i]l.M>il).A <

, together with the necessary generating plant, is no , on its way out from Engand. . The board of directors in London has also decided to send a duplicate set, Which will be installed at a later date, it is thus expected that bv October next the generating power at the station will i i#up to 3700 kilowatts, equal to about 5000 horse-power.

NEW POLICE STATIONS.

AT MOUNT EDEN AND TE KUITI. Tender,} are being invited by the Department of Public Works for the erection of ponce offices, sergeant's residence, and lock-up at Mount Eden. The buildings iSS» i be ,^ u , Ut of wood > on air allotment 100 ft by 149 ft, on the corner of Nugentstreet and Boston Road, adjoining tho residence at present occupied by the constable stationed at Mount Eden. . One building ™ compose a public office and a private Office for tho sergeant; the residence will be of six rooms; and the lock-up will contain a padded cell and three cells of the ordinary pattern. Outhouse?, arc also provided for in the speculations. Tenders will bo received up to Monday, July 31, and the contract is to bo completed within four months of the acceptance- of a tender, lenders are also.being called for the erection of police premises of similar design at le Kuiti. °

SPEED CONCRETING.

A TASMANIAN INVENTION. ( A Tasmanian resident claims to have invented a concrete machine, that will revolutionise house-building. Ho has erected a 22-roomed up-to-date hotel in Flinders Island, of reinforced concrete, at the. rate of 500 lineal Ift courses a day, and only six men are employed on the job. The whole of the concrete work, 23ft high, was completed in 23 days, tho outer and inner walls being erected simultaneously. In addition, another 22-roomed hotel has been erected at Linda, and only three men were employed on the job. The inventor, Mr. David Morgan, of Launceston, claims that ho will revolutionise the building trade by his economies of time and money.

NEW THEATRES IN SYDNEY.

FOUR IN ONE WEEK.

The demand for more places of amusement in Sydney brought the announcement last week of no fewer than four new theatres. One is for Balm-am, another for Newtown, a third.for Newcastle, and a fourth for Melbour/ue. ' Each building is planned on an extensive and practical scale. The activity' in theatrebuilding in Australia as weft as in New Zealand is largely due to the popularity of tho photo-play, and as, showing that Australia is really in earnest concerning this type of entertainment, it may be mentioned that, Mr. C. Spencer, of the Lyceum (Sydney) is about to establish an extensive biograph studio of the same large proportions as those of France, America, and England. He has acquired a block of four acres at Rushcutter's Bay, and plans for the studio have been prepared. In addition to a fully-equippeol open-air theatre, where two scenes will be enacted at once, the grounds will be laid out to represent all the various scenes necessary for making pictures of all types, whether it be on the bush track or a life on the ocean wave.

LISTS OF TENDERS.

A FOUR-STOREY, WAREHOUSE. The following tenders were received by Mr. T. W. May, architect, yesterday for the erection of a four-storey warehouse in Durham-street :—J. J. Holland, £1784; G. B. Braithwaite, £1850; J. Webster, £1850; W. E. Hutchison, £1911; W. Ball, £2059; R. Orr, £2063; F. Nelson, £2194; R. Hood. 2218; W. Massey, £2223; Lye and Sons, £2322. A tender will be accepted in the course of a few days. Mr. Jas.- Slator, architect, has received seven tenders for a five-roomed house in brick, Parnell, . ranging from £488 to £541, and has accepted the lowest. Tenders have been invited as follows during the past week — By Mr. W. A. Holman (architect) : For two additional storeys to brick building in Quay-street. By Mr. H. H. Metcalfe (civil engineer) : For the supply and delivery of pumping plant and pipes for the Birkenhead water supply. By the Public Works Department: For the manufacture of steel and ironwork for bridges on the Rotorua-Gisborne railway. By Mr. J. W. Harrison : For the form.' ing and metalling of a road at .dale.