THE OMAHA ILLUSTRATBD KITE.
Omaha's Growth in Recent Years as Represented by the Notable
Record of Its Principal Architect's Office
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ARCHITECT JOHN LATENSER IN HIS PRIVATE OFFICE.
STRUCTURAL STEEL COMPUTER IN JOHN
LATENSER'S OFFICE.
D R AUG HTI N (3 ROOM IN JOHN LATENSER'S OFFICE.
T
HE wonder Cul growth uid tx
panaion . of Omaha In the last
few yars ta tho bent evidence
that thfc architects and builder
have been kept mors than busy.
Thli growth U nowhere more strikingly
exmpllfled. thun in the wonderful growth
and expansion of the business of one
Omaha architect, John Latitenser. 80
great have' beon the increasing demands
upon the services of Mr. L&teniwr and his
staff of assistants, that he has been
compelled to enlarge his ofllae quarters
and has within the past month moved Into
new office rooms on the sixth floor rf
The Bee building, that give him facili
ties for turning out good work, enjoyed
by no other archileot in this section of
the country. In fact, it is said that It Is
one of tha finest architects' offices in the
western country.
rn-6 nailed Office Quarters.
The location for Mr. Latenser's new of
fices has been selected In the north corner
ef the sixth floor, with a view to enjoying
the best possible light and air. From the
corridor, entrance U effected into a long
.waiting room for the convenience of
patrons, visitors and coatractont, and
utilised also as a working room for the
stenographers, who are constantly busy
preparing specifications and a correspond
ence. The mala office telephone Is heret
the filing cases for letters and racks for
storage of working plns.
Mr. Uatermer'e private office opening
from this waiting room occupies the
corner, with window light from both north
and cast. The fire proof vault safeguards
tho more important papers and records,
and suitable book-shelves house a work
ing reference library. A unique feature
of this oftlce consists In the cork lining
of the walls almost up to the celling,
tho purpose being to afford purchase for
tacking up drawtoga, photographs and
sketches. The room is further decorated
by framed pictures of architectural struc
tures and plaster models of ornamental
columns and sculpture.
Fittings for Draughting Room,
Tho draughting room has outlets to the
private office and the outside corridor.
It is commodious and light with three
large north windows, in front of which
the tables are arranged. For night
draughting, special meridaa lamps have
been provided for use In, the event of rush
work. Around the walls at convenient
height runs a wall shelf to hold pencils,
erasers, rulers' and drawing Instruments
out of the way of the draughting tables.
Hera, too, the walls are set off with photo
graphs, elevations snd models. All the
models and drawings represent . work that
has been or Is being executed by the
office. The photographs reproduced her
of these different rooms reveal all these
various feature.
While mechanical facilities are, of course,
important, the character and quality of an
architect's work depend, first, upon the ex
perience and ability of the architect himself
and the men he calls to his aaaitance in
various subordinate capacities.
Mr. Latenser's Work.
Mr. Latenser himself has been a resident
of Omaha for eighteen years. He got his
technical training In the best schools of
Germany and has followed It up with
long and varied practical experience in de
signing and construction. Without going
back many years, Mr. Latenser's skill may
be seen In most of the principal building
Improvements made in this city and vi
cinity in late years. He was superintendent
of construction of the new federal building,
which Is said to rank above the poatofneo
f any other city of Omaha's sise in the
country- He designed and supervised the
erection of the new, Omaha High school,
as well as a large number of other publlo
school buildings, shd has more recently
built handsome high schools at South
Omaha and Hastings. In all he has erected
fourteen high school buildings in Nebraska
outside of Omaha. On the subject of school
architecture, including the intricate prob
lems of heating, lighting and ventilating,
Mr. Latenser stands among the highest
authorities. ...
Another example of Mr. Latenser's work
Is to be found in the new Omaha audito
rium, which, even though still incomplete,
is most imposing in appearance and will
be still more architecturally impressive
when the ornamental columns and pedi
ments are all In place. He built the House
of the Good Shepherd ou South Fortieth
street, which is regarded as a model for
that class of structure.
Just now Mr. Latenser is working on sev
eral ' of the biggest business blocks ever
projected for this city. He Is building the
Hoagland building on Sixteenth and How
ard' streets, which is to be occupitd ty the
Orchard & Wilhelm furniture establishment
and the Thompson & Belden dry goods
houve, and will give these two concerns the
finest quarters yet occupied by any Omaha
retail merchants. The palatial department
store for J. L. Brandels & Sons, for whioa
ground has Just been broken and which Is
to cover the entire half, block between Six
teenth and Seventeenth streets south of
Douglas, and Is to be fitted out under his
plans with every modern convenience for
the conduct of an up-to-date department
store.
Vodtl Rnnlnrti BlArL.
Among other things, Mr. Latenser has In
hand several large wholesale warehouses,
among others, for the Wright & Wilhclmy
Hardware company, for tho American Ra
diator company and the Millard estate. The
two Barnard apartment buildings are ex
ample of work from Mr. Latonscr's office.
The residence districts of Omaha are stud
ded all over with buildings designed by
him, ranging from modest dwellings to the
most expensive mansions.
An Erroneous Idea.
"Many people get an idea," said Mr. La
'tensen, "that because an architect Is en
gaged on big propositions that he is too big
to bother with small buildings and that his
charges for modest dwellings and residences
would be excessive, because he is ac
customed to getting big fees for large
structures. This is an altogether
mistaken idea. The fees for architectural
services and supervision are proportioned
io the cost of the building and are propor
tionately no greater for small than for
large projects. As a matter of fact, a big
office like this, with work subdivided among
experts, each In his own line, can give
better results and economical cost for
small buildings than offices that are work
ing on a small scale. It stands to reason
that with the big work we have o give
out and careful study of details we have
to make we ran get best renults in the
small things, as well as In the large ones."
The growth of business In Mr. Latenser's
office has naturally gone along with a cor
responding growth In the sise of his staff.
Besides himself, the work now requires the
services of five assistants In the draughting
room, with two stenographers clerks and
inspectors. Each of Mr. Latenser's assist
ants has been selected because of special
fitness for the work assigned to him.
W. S. Burrous, the chief draughtsman, is
now filling his second year's engagement
In the oftlce, having had thirty years' ex
perience in Cincinnati and Chicngo. Mr.
Burrous holds a license as an arohiteot in
the state of Illinois and has brought to
Omaha a number of new ideas that are
being brought out In Mr. Latenser's build
ings. Besides being a draughtsman, Mr.
Burrous Is an enthusiastic yachtsman and
was former commodore of the Columbia
Taoht club of Chicago.
A. A. Fuller also holds a license as archi
tect. In the state of Illinois and has had
twenty-five years' experience In Chicago
offices. He has been with Mr. Latenser
two years. Mr. Fuller made the drawings
showing the architectural orders, which are
published yearly in connection with the
Chicago Architects' Business association.
W. E. Findley, besides filling his position
as a draughtsman, assists Mr. latenser
with his work outside of the city. Mr.
Flndley Is well known here and is entering
011 his fourth year's engagement with Mr.
Latenser, which makes his fourteenth year
In the business.
Special Engineer as Computer.
A; Gravelle is filling a special engage
ment in designing structural Iron work and
foundations for big store buildings, ware-
Xloush a Lid efflcaa. He is a cumber. cX j,u
American Society of Civil Engineers and la
at present designing the sieel work, fire
proofing, etc., for the J. L. Brandels & 80ns
new building, and the steel work for the
Temple building for the University of N
braska. Charles, M. O. Krogb holds the position of
general draughtsman. Mr. Krogh Is sn
Omaha boy and has had twelve years' ex
perience in the best Omaha offices.
When the building season la fully on a
special superintendent with practical con
struction experience Is employed to oversee
the progress of the work. '
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Growing; Clientage Alee,
Aasistanoe In the office la also rendered
by Mr. Latenser's two sons, who are shown
in the family group. Thean young men
make all the blue prints and help on math
ematical computations.
The growth of the architectural work
devolving upon Mr. Latenser's office Is
specially pleasing to the publlo, as well ss
to his friends, because so Intimately con
nected with the building growth of this
city and section. To maintain such an
office and to carry out the great projects
centering In It requires not only energy and
ability, but also liberal support from a
growing ollentage. The capacity of the
offices Is by no means overtaxed and peo
ple contemplating building who want first
class service in designing and superintend
ence will And it to their advantage ta on
sult with Mr, Latenser.
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30HN LATENSER'S OFFICE QROUP-From Left, (Sitting). . John Latenser, Alexander A. Fuller, W. S. Burrous.
. (Standing), Charles M. O. Krogh, A. Oravuile, W. E. Findley, Maud Mackenzie, Mary Quigley.
WAITING ROOM TO JOHN LATENSER'S OFFICIO.
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INTERESTING FAMILY GROUP OF JOHN LATBNSTSH. '
Our Big Panama Shops-Jamaica Negroes Under American Foremen
B
(Copyright 19t6. by Prank G. Carpenter.)
IAS MATACHIN, Panama, April 27.
(Special Oorreapotidenoe of The
Bee.) Take a look at the biggest
machine shop on the Isthmus of
Panama, It la situated half way
between the Atiantlo and the Pacifio, in the
mountains, high up from the eea. It covers
acres and under Its galvanised iron ruof a
network of wheels Is humming away at the
rate of a hundred revolutions a mliiulw.
The floor Is oovored with moving machin
ery and gangs of Americans and natives
are at work. Here they are grinding old
French locomotive wheels Into new ones,
there they are drilling holes through Iron
plates and burs and farther on steel pliia-
ra are shaving off Iron as though it were
wood. Traveling cranes moved from the
rjof, pick up steam engines and other enor
mous weights and carry them from one
part of th shop to the other, while in the
foundries, adjoining, tho boiling metal bub
bles and ret h c.i as It is carried fiom tho
furnaces by Jamaican and Colombian la
borers who are making castings of mure
than a ton in weight. Outside the shop the
ground Is covered with acres of car whc-Ws,
Iron dredge bucknts and steel rajlx. The
waivhuuhfM utarby contain more than
lt.(K)0,00i) worth of pumps, dredges and ma
chine tools and the whole Is like one of the
great Industrial institutions of Plttvliurg
or Chicago, rather than a repair shop tu
the heart of the backwoods of the IatUmua
uf ranama.
Shops at Kmplrt and Colon,
Ba Matachin is the chief shop for the
work at CuleUra. It is whnre the, oid
V Tench material Is being made Into new for
use on the canal. There are other shops
at Empire end there are also shops at Cule
bra Itsalf, where the actual work of ex
cevatton Is in progress. At Empire there
are fully fifteen acree of buildings and stor
age trevks, and thure we have fifty loevmo.
' tlvea, several hundred cranes and a vest
nurnberof dump car. At Culebra KO me-
haulcs are making light repairs on the
1 ut cars, thirty looutuotlve. seven excava
tors and the new steam shovels which are
working there. We have also big machine
hops at Colon on the Atlatitio aiui some
at La Boca on the Paoiflc. We have a saw
and planing null running at Colon, making
the lumber for the new buildings and re
pairs, and there are tinsmith and . black
smith shops for the same purpose at Ancon
on the edge of Panama. Indeed, the man
who thinks nothing is being done on the
isthmus has but to see these shops to learn
his mistake. .
Talk tith Engineer Strom.
I am here at Baa Matachin with Mr.
Carl A. Strom, the mechanical engineer of
the oommlstrton. He has charge of all the
mauliiuery of the isthmus, and it is his 4
duty to keep it In repair. The commission
hu told him to get what be can out of
the French supplies, and he Is doing this
with a corps of mechanical engineers,
Amcrii an foremen and a large number of
native laborers. Mr. Strum is one of the
xtienous young men of Uncle Barn's oorps.
lie is about six feet in height, broud
khoulded and muscular, and he looks as
though he could, defy malaria, yellow fever
'or any kind of hard work. He is a Swede
by birth and was educated In the Royal
I'ulytechnic institute of Stockholm, one of
the best engineering schools of the world.
After lus graduation there he came to the
United tJtatcs and learned the English
language while acting as engineer for the
Clu-sapeake & Ohio Southwestern railway.
Wheu that road was merged In the Illinois
Central he went with it, and soon became
the mechanical engineer in chief of that
syvtcm, with lln enormous shop and 6.000
or miles of truck.
Found tn I be Jangles,
Said Mr. Strom: "We found these shops
In the jungles. We did not know they ex
isted when I caiiie here last June, and
Il was only wheu Colonel Heuker and I
made a trip across the Isthmus to look
at the French machinery that we dis
covered them. We had stopped at Gor
gon, and, while moving about there,
noticed the corner of this old btiildtng
peeping out of a dense vegetation. We
made our way to It through a mas of car
whetls dumping buckets and other
machinery, and found a structure about a
half Uoien cmt, containing a complete
equipment of machine tools for a big repair
nhop. There was not a thing lacking. All
we had to do was to put new foundations
under the machines, clean them up and
start the stationary engines running. After
that we began to clean up about the
premises.
"We had a gang of machete men cut
down the jungle and clear out the vege
tation about the buildings. It took us al
most three weeks to do this snd get the
machines in running order. We then be
gun te organise our force, and we now
have a repair shop that I would not be
ashamed to show to tho mechanical engi
neers of any American railroad."
"What kinds of work are you doing?" I
asked.
"Almost everything in the Itne of repair
ing," was the reply. "We have 100 men
at work making general repairs upon loco
motives and car equipments and all kinds
of other machinery used In the canal work.
Our oapaclty just now la seven locomotives
and 115 cars per month. We have already
repaired about 1,000 of the old French
dump cars, and they are now In servloe
at Culebra. Most of them were badly
broken and rusted- out. We renewed the
timbers and replaced the missing parte.
We repaired a number of locomotives, and
now have between thirty and forty of them
In use, and we have also been doing a
great deal of fitting up of boilers, engines,
conorete mixers and other things for the
water works and sewer departments. We
are repairing cranes, excavators,
dredges and all sorts of things."
drills.
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IN C.TJC IMC BW- JUU'AiK tUOM XT &U4 iiAXACiUN.
French Machines ti American.
"What Is the character of the French
machinery', Mr. Strom?" I asked.
"It Is exoellent of its kind, but much of
It is now obsolete, having been supplanted
by better Inventions and by American Im
provements. When It was put here twenty
years ago it was absolutely modern, and
the finest that could be purchased. As it
is now, much of It is good, and when It is
sprinkled with additional tools from the
states we shall have machine shops inferior
to none. Take the French locomotives.
Those which we are now repairing are of
Belgian make. They are well designed
and of superior workmansliip, but they are
complicated and In Home ways hard to
maintain. We can use them, however, and
are repairing them for Culobra and other
points.
"We are also repairing the old French
excavators, which, by an endltws chain of
buckets, scoop up the earth and load It
on the cars. Theae are now In use. and
Chief Engineer Wallace will probably con
tinue to use them until he has enough
steam shovels or other superior American
machinery to take their placet. Just now
when our machinery has not coine from the
statee, much of this old French stuff can
be used.
"Inieed, it la hard to estimate the value
of the material which we got with the
canal. The equipment of the shops line
is, I Judge, worth at lat Ji'AOw."
"How about your labor, Mr. Strom V
"We have American foremen, with na
tives under them. We have some Jama If 'a
negroes, who are skilled mechanics, and
We havo a Spanish locomotive gang,
French gang and an American gang. We
have on blacksmith whom I will put up
against any whit blocksrnith anywhere.
The majority of the Jamaicans, however,
are worth leu as far an skilled labor Is
concerned. We can ue them for rough
work ocly."
"S hat other ra' vs do you employ'.''
' We have a number of Spaniards, some
r.f Whom are superior tu the merhanlrs
xoni the alette vt have some Fitosh-
men and a large number of Colombian a
We have a Spanish locomotive gang. We
work them side by side, and eaeh tries te
sea whether it cannot do the most work.
80 far the French play second fiddle to
none."
"Are your men Interested1 In their work?""
"The Spaniards and Vtcnoh are much, in
terested." "How about the Jamaicans?" 4
"We have to drive them all the time.
They have no energy snd no Individuality
They drag along, waiting far the whistle
to blow."
Americana la Pauama.
"What is the charm tor of your American
labor?"
"We have about the same class of work
men here that you find in the states, snct
use them chiefly for foremen. We pay
them 4S cents gold sn hour, and in addi
tion furnish tliem free quartnra. This Is
about 25 per cent more than they receive
in the states. We pay the common laborer
from 15 to 40 cents an hour In Hllver, which
Is equal to, from ?V to 30 cents an hour
gold. The Jamaican mechanics get more."
"Can Americans work heie in the trop
ics?" "I think so, especially under cover, as in
the shops. li:;n Malar, hi 11 Is hig,h gjjd
healthy. We have but little sickness, and
have had almost no malaria since the vege
tation was cleared away. We want toe
very best American mechanics we can get,
and I think they will eventually be satis
fied with their pay and their acconimoda
tions." lo-uus; Engineers nt Panama.
t "M hut kind or men havu jon In yuur en
gineering corps?"
"We have a large numb.r of college grad
uate who are starting out ! make a place
for themsclvee. We have m'ni from Cor
neil, Purdue, Ann Arbor, tho Illinois State
university and the Boston H'-houl of Teclv
nology. They are mechanical engineer
getting their first practical experience, and
as a rule they are doing well."
"is this a good place for suuh men?
"Tea. The lathroua now offers unHlsritedJ
, iCutlnued on Iae fix.
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