New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-30
CHANCES AT EUROPE. No
JETTCIIEN
No. VII.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

EaitorinI Correspondence Of The Tribune
LdSDos, Monday, May IS, 1851
Igtyy now been fifteen days IN this magnll-
cent Babel, but so much cngrosscd with the Tx
hibitIon that | have seen far less OF the town
than otherwise should OF the City proper I'm
the CENTER ! know a htle; and have made my
way thence out into the open country on the
North and on the West respectively bat toward
the South lies a Wilderness of buildings which
have not vet explored while Eastward the me-
tropoli.an districts stretch further than have
ever been The south side Of Hyde Park and
the main line Of communication thence with the
City proper is the only part Of London with which
| can claim any real acquaintance Yet on the
strength of what little | do know, propose TO
say something of London as It strikes stranger;
and in so doing | shall generally refer to New
York as a standard Of comparison, so as to rem
der my remarks more lucid to great portion of
their readers
The Buildings here are generally superior to
those of our City-more substantial, OF better
materials, and more tasteful. There are, think,
as miserable roOkeries here as anywhere but
they are exceptions, while most of the houses
arc built soldy, faithfully, and with thickness
OF walls which would be considered sheer waste
in our City Among the materials most extern
sively used is a fine white marble of peculiarly
soft, creamy appearance, which looks admirably
until blackened by smoke and time. Regent
street and several of the aristocTatic quarters
west Of il are in good part built Of this marble
but one OF the finest freshest specimens of 1t Is
ST. Georges Hospital, Plccadily which to my
eye is among the most tasteful edi6ces IN Lon
don. IL (as | apprehend) ST. PauPs Church,
Somerset House, and the similarly smoke-stalned
dwellings around Finsbury Oval were built OF
this same marble, then the murky skies OF Lon
don have much TO answer for.
Throughout the Western and Northern sec
tons of the Metropolis, the dwellings arc far less
crowded than Is usual IN the corresponding or
uptown portion Of New-York, are more diverse
IN plan color and finish and better provided with
court-yards shrubbeV, &c. In the matter Of
Building generally, | think our City would profit
by study Of London, especially If our lotown-
ers builders, &c, would be satisfied with Lon
don rates OF interest ON then respective invest
ments. think -four per cent. is considered toll
cradle and FIVE satisfactory interest on money
securely invested IN houses IN London.
BY the way the apostles OF Sanitary Re
form here are anticipating very grca; benefits
from the use of the Hollow Brick Just coming
INTO fashion. | ann assured by leading member
Of the Sanitary Commission that the hollow
tTick cost much less than the solid ones, and are
perfect protection against the dsmpneSS 50
generally experienced in brick houses and often
80 proludicial 10 health. That there Is 4 great
saving in the cost of their transportation is easily
seen and, as they are usually made much larger
than the solid brick, they can be laid up much
faster. think DR. SouthwO0d Smith assured
me that the saving IN the first cost of the brick
work of house Is oaethrd If that Is a mis-
take, the error is one of mlsapprehenSlon on my
part The hollow brick is a far less perfect con
ductor of heat and cold than the solid one con-
scQuently, a house built of the former Is much
cooler IN Summer and warmer IN Winter. 1t Is
confidently aud reasonably hoped here that very
signal improvements in the dwellings especially
Of the Poor are TO tie secured by means of this
invention. Prince Albert has caused two Model
Cottages of tins material 10 be erected at his
cost in Hyde Park near the Great EXhibl.
uon, IN order TO attract general attention 10 the
subject
The Streets of London are generally better
paved, cleaner and better lighted than those OF
New.York Instead OF our round or cobhle
stone, the material manly used for paving here
is 4 hard flint rock split and dressed into uni.
form pieces abou, the size OF two bricks united
by their edges, SO as to form surface OF some
eight inches square with thickness of two
inches This If course wears much more even.
N and lasts longer than cobblc-s,one pavemcn,S.
90 not know that We could easily procure an
equally scfviccable material, even If We were
willing TO pay for II. One reason of the greater
clcara,ss Of the streets here is the more unlveg-
sal prevalence of sewerage, another Is the
positive value Of Strcet-oflal here for fertiking
purposes. And as GaS Is supplied here to citizens
81 IS Cd. (Sl 10Y per thousand feet while the
coed people of New-lork mus, bend to the ne
ctssi,y Of Paying 50 80, OF more than thrice as
much for the like quantity, certainly Of no better
quSay, II Is but reasonable TO inter that the
Londoners can afford to hight their streets better
than the New.Yorkers
Bot there are other aspects in which oar streets
have a decided superiority. There are half a
dozen streets and places here having the same
name, and only distinguished by appending the
name Of neighboring street, as St James place
St James-st, to distinguish 1t from several other
St James places, and SO on. This subjects
strangers to great loss of time and vexation OF
spirit | have not yet delivered half the letters
eli Introduction which were given me at home &c
friends of the writers in this city, and can't guess
when shall 90 It. Then the numbering OF the