THEATRE BUILDING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1384, 9 March 1912, Page 15

THEATRE BUILDING.

NOVEL SCHEME IN OPERATION. WHAT O.NK MAN CAN DO. "If not on business, keep outside." This abrupt announcement appears on the hoarding outside the section on which the new Jiis Majesty's Theatre in Coiirtenay i'laco will arw within the next nine month-, it is typical of the man, wlui, in this case, is "the whole job." This is .Mr. Henry K. White, who has designed the big theatre for Messrs. John i'nllei- and Suns, and is carrying out the work en the day labour plan himself. Not only is this wT, but Mr. White has designed and had made for him the two big electrically-driven cranes, which are to bo the arms and hands to fetch and carry the big weights. He is the designer of a new style of "Batch" concrete-mixer, and in tho completeness of his scheme iutenila to carry out nearly the whole of tho work in connection, with the building on the spot. In order to do this, he lias already instituted a miniature foundry, engineering fitter's shop, and blacksmith s shop on tho ground; and ns most of tho plant will ho electrically driven, he hu3 installed his own power-house—three big gas engines (36, 28, and 25 h.p. respeciivoly), with generators, with which tho power required will be secured, as well as current for lighting up the works at uight when necessary. This is oil as it should be, according to Mr. White, who has imbibed up-to-date notions as to how a large building should bo erected. So far, the work is not in full swing, Mr. Whito states that he has been fortunate in securing a good lot of men, and, when they "get going," ho prophecies that there will be a particularly busy spot in Courtenay Place. From the outset, the men started to work nine hdurs a day—eight ordinary and one. overtime—and wnen the steel-workers "get going" two shifts of men will bo employed—night and day, as in the case of one theatre replacing another delay means loss. Tho new His Majesty's, which je to seat between 2200 and 2100 people, will be one of tho largest and most up-to-date in Australasia, yet Mr. White, who is now engaged in putting in the concrete foundations (four feet wide, reinforced with 701b. railway iron, hopes to see the public streaming through its doors next Boxing Night. Tho dominating features at present are (he two great 3-iou electric cranes, the uprights of which aro 30ft, in height, and the jibs G2ft. in length. They are so placed to control the whole of the area. They will lift the concrete in skips from Ike mixer to the men in the streaming trenches; they will manipulate the big steel girders and standards; and will hoist the bricks to tho wall-builders. As the building grows into the air the cranes will be elevated so as to always be in a position of command. A circuit-breaker is provided as a check on the loads, so that if any attempt is mado to lift a weight heavier than has been set, tho breaker flies oh" and the crane refuses to work beyond the limit of safety. The concrete mixer is of a kind.new to Wellington. Immediately at tho rear of tlie mixer two compressed-air pumps pant and snort at their work. Their mission is to keep down the water in the foundation trenches as much as possible. These are sunk lift, below the old level of ' the ground, and six feet below the subsoil water surface. Th<ty pump from wells sunk to a level below that of tho trenches, and they will work night and day until the foundations are in. The plant on the job is a revelation. There is . a cold steel saw, capable of cutting through five 12-inch girders at one time, and said to be as powerful n saw of tho kind as there is in New Zealand. There is a very powerful radial drill, two big nnd one small vertical drills for boring the standards and girders, a screwing machine (for putting threads on lj-inch bolts), and, towards tho end of the month will bo installed punching and shearing machinery (the latter to shear inch-plate and to cut β-inch nnglo iron in one action; a jaw rivetter, which will punch in lj-inch rivets in one action at a pressure of 10 tons; and a pneumatic rivetting and drill ing plant, for work which cannot be reached by the jaw rivetter. As soon as the staff gets used to the plant, tho rate of progress will barf.pi I To facilitate the work, a complete woik ing model of the building is being made by Mr. White. There is also on the ground a dark-room and plant for taking off blue-prints of tho sectional plans. The cast-iron bases. Rtrindnrds, girders, etc are all standardised, logged, and numbei ed in a wonderfully clear and complete manner, so that anything in the nature ot :\ mistake is impossible. Mr. H. E. White is the son of Mr. John White, contractor, of Dnnedin. Though only 35 years of age, lie lias been through every branch of tho building and archi tectural professions. He learned hi knowledge pi' architecture in the Dunedin School of Art, and subsequently in an architect's office in Western Australia Uo has worked with the'-pick and shovel in the trenches; he took a long sei voyage in a sailing vessel to learn all about knotting nnd splicing, and has beei employed by his father iu all classes or concrete and wood-work. He has been building and planning "on his own" for eight years. His first job was the big cafo iii Cathedral Square, and later I e built the Cafo Continental at Sunnier, aud tho "Press" oftko, Christchurch. He co \ structed the big tunnel in connection with the Waipori water-power scheme for Di cdin, and recently, turning his attention to theatre-building, is designing and building theatres in Timaru, • Blenheim Wellington, and Wnngauui at the same I time. Mr. Whito is ft busy man.