BUILDING THE SKYSCRAPER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7701, 9 May 1903, Page 6

BUILDING THE SKYSCRAPER.

MODERN METHODS AND THE WON-

DERS ATTENDING THEM.

A wonderful revolution has been witnessed in the; character and size of the buildings in New York city within the pas* few years. Everyone knows in a general way, of courjse, that; the weight of the modern, skyscraper is not carried by the walls, but by the frame^ which is a great thing in itself. But just as wonderful has been the change in methods and tools with which the great structures axe reared into the air (says the "Mail and Express. ',') The construction of a modem building is a rush from beginning to end — a rush that has steam and electricity and compressed air behind it to help in the pushing. Without these mighty aids ai man would be insane, who would attempt to compete with New York's builders.

Watch the erection of a modem building of huge dimensions if you doubt tliis and study the magnificent system and the fine fitting methods that have been evolved by the big contractors. A, skyscraper is to ■ be erected and an old-fashioned building must be removed. The house wreckers do the latter in short order. While they are at it big trucks drive up with engines and boilers and derricks amd big scoops. The debris is removed and a swarm of labourers appear, armed with picks and shovels. The derrick and shovel are placed in proper position and begin- their part just as a cart appears to haul away the dirt from the excavation. Just befoire it is loaded another pulls up and takes its place, and so it goes on until that part of the work is finished. EVERYTHING COMPUTED. There is never more than one cart waiting to be loaded and yet there is no cessation of the work because of a lack of carte. Their arrival and departure ana the load they will cajrry to a certain point within a given time, have all been carefully ' calculated beforehand. When the proper depth has been reached the work becomes more interesting. If it happens to be far down-town, where caissons and concrete foundacions are to be sunk or piles to be driven down, then the, new pile driver comes into jilay. Ifc is used largely for driving into the mud thick planks that are tongued and groqyed and keep out dirt amd water' and facilitate the work below the ground level. .And they are wonderful machines in their way, for they do many times the amount of work of the old-fashioned pile driver and without injuring the planks. j THE NEW PILE DRIVER. The pile driver ia made up of two parts. One, the upper part;- is' simply a massive steam cylinder made of thick iron and of great weight. Two piston rode run into it from the lower part, Avhich is a solid and heavy piece of iron, so shaped underneath that it fits neatly over the tops of the planks and prevents their being injured. The whole driver runs up and down the ordinary upright frame common with all pile drivers, but in operation the bottom part does nofc move except as it follows the plank downward. When the plank is placed in proper position and secured by a device on the front of the frame, the signal is given, the engineer turns his throttle, steam runs through . a big rubber hose up into the cylinder, the cylinder jumps up three or four ieet, two jets of steam shoot out of it and whang i It has dropped on the lower pare and tho plank has sunk several inches.

Just before the foundation is finished heavy trucks drive up, bearing the girders and columns that are to form the framework of the new building, and following them come other trucks with gasoline forges and air compressors alongi with a number of heavy steel riveters. The hbusesmithß come quickly after and soon have their lattice work derricks in position.

Well, here's the ironwork for the .first story, and so the housesmiths start off. The ironwork is lifted into position. . The rivets are heated in the forges and tossed red hot to where, they are needed.- They are. slipped into the holes already prepared for them and one man slides what looks like a sledge into an iron loop that hangs loosely from the girder and presses it against the rcd-hdfc head of the rivet. - The loop acts as a lever and the head of the sledge, so-called, has a hollow in it that

fits neatly over the head of the rivet and holds it securely in place.

RIVETING BY AIB,

His partner steps forward wifch the rivets er, which consists of a cylinder with a piston rod running from \ifc that drives the head of the tool forward. A strong spring forces ifc back again, and the force which drives ifc comes through a rubber hose from the air compressor. The houseimith holds it againsfc the small end of the rivet, turns on the air and the dck-dck-dck-dek-dck-dck is heard thafc has become so familiar of late — the locust of the building industry. Ifc is all over in a few seconds and two men have done it. Three men would have been required to do it in the old way, and twice as much time would have been consumed in forcing the rivet so solidly into place and putting the same nice round head on it.

When the frame of the firsfc storey haa been completed, hollow brick for the flooring appears. Masons get to work at it, and soon the firsfc flooring is laid on board* swiingi under the openings in thft-centre..' A load of structural iron drops from a truck to the ' asphalt pavement with a resounding crash. A load of bricks comes tumbling after, followed by a lot of girders poly long enough to let the brick set firmly in place. Tlie big derrick is hitobed up a storey and the second and third storeys are finished in the same way.' Then the stone for the outside of the building is deposited carefully in front of the structure, followed shortly by the interior fireproof 'brici lining. •' . .

Housesmiths, masons, carpenters vand labourers swarm about the place like bees, and to the inexperienced eye ifc seems- they must be in. the way of each other. Boilers sputter, engines hiss, signal bells ting, riveters clatter like mad, and loads of brick and cement lumber along. Racket .and roar and confusion

No, not a bit of confusion, though it seems like it. t The job goes as smoothly as careful plamiing by experienced men can make it go. The material reaches the scenein the order named, because it is wanted in just thafc way, and . its arrival is timed almost to the minute. No mechanic on the job waits for lack of material, yet there is no great supply cluttering in the street There's no dust or dirt about the' front; of | the structure • except for a moment after a load has been dumped. One man, \ armed with a 1 fine house- broom, is- employed solely to clean np~ any dust or dirt that may accumulate, and he is kept busy. The street is cleaner just there than anywhere else. The builder figures in all th« fine details while he -is at ifc. "* ;

With the framework of only a quarter of the building up, the masons are already laying! the outside stonework and the inside lining. One follows the other closely, ! though the housesmiths keep their lead to the last. And once the building is enclosed, all the material is taken inside and .the problem of handling it in the street is at an end. "• ' .„,.'.