Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-11-20

O.; substla's of quicSsIud. Tue custom.
house is bldiy shattered. He recommends the
etfcron OF snirable bulldog oa the Marine
Hospital property, a nd tue erect,oa OF a M<riue
Ho-pi'fl on some other Government re .erya-
ton toe present hospital bang a wretched
faFsniobIe.
In Jelerenca to the nm fms he'd granite cas,om.
nome At New OriPaus- which is still stukng
in he mud having already gone down two
'ee' Mr.. Mulleit recon uds that the valu able
ms .sTial ih II should BE- u,Pd IN the ere tiou of
a HJ'ahle aai credrsole st-uc ure n 4 shoIid
pOt y.cl1ta the trne D-iuc pies OF architac
tasfe. a. IS tHe ca e ith the pre seut one
TakAsURY EATANs,os
TDe t1TCe UpYe- oriss Will be cornpletsd
fnd en- b ocCdhE by the first OF d. m .r
DIX AVID he Tenaind-r of the bu utlding shoul .
no uniorseen difficulty occur, by IN. first o!
JauuaTy following, orfe>s than TWO years IRON
are l. me- The rrmoN al OF tue old Slte Dan lrt-
meut was completed, and twenty y-one month !
liom me da1e the first stone was Ind in The
iOnndaitou. The south wIngw.s commenced
on tee 7th OF September, 1855, and was COM
plettd for occupancy about the same tine in
lSol; The approaches were not, however. COM
ple'' d until some time Subsequently. In the
COmplet.ou OF tbe north wing OF the building
Mr.. MulIett says he has endt A yored TO make in
tse be - fnishe d aud most durable portion, and
as lar as the original design wouid permit the
best and most srIistIc work that tue skill of
American me Chanics could produce. and has
spe eoially avoided all shams and limitations
In reference 10 the business room for the
cashiers department. OF the Treasurer's bu-
reau be Gays that il was Considered tbat tins
room should In the purify OF 1t design aud by
the avoidance of all shams and iniiat,ou- of
material be emblematic Of he dignity of ths
rauon and the stability Of its credit. The de.
sign Is not more costly than was dena udei by
the rses FOR " hIch il was intended and he work
has been executed at 80 low a rate that il wouId
De Impossible 10 duplicate il unless at greatly
PtyaDCGd cost
In his last report be called attention to the
excessive height of ihe SUBJ b. OF ,ne exterior
tiIusuade, which by dP7troying the p-opoe.
lion on which all the be- uty OF class arcai.
lecture depends, dimi1ished tue apparent
height OF the building and dc stroyed tue h,,r-
mony bel ween 1t and the btIustrade In COM
pietiHg The north lTont the sub-bise was low
tfed IN accordance with those views The re-
cult has rutly justified his expectations and
gwen general satisfaction. The completion of
he building rendered IL necessary, he SAYS 10
ADOPT the remaT kable gllvanIZsd iron sstcro.
'erlal ornaments" designed BY his predece= sor.
ana remove the stone bllustrsde, or remove
he galvanized iron and restore the balustrade
1t Is scarcely necessary 70 say the baIustrade
was adopted, aud the paltry gaivaniZad iron
work tnat had so long dis figured and dis yracpd
me grand front OF the building has been re.
moved"
al Id"sire 10 call atientiou 20 the unsirhtly
HyotdbeTapce over the " 81 frost generally
sGrpO, I'd 10 be a sho'-proot turre, on tue
"monItor" pripciple, erected for To. defence of
'he buIlciDg: but " pich was supposed by It's
'' slsner 10 be sky-light Efforts have been
made 10 use ~ tor tnat purpose since its COM
pie non, though without much success. L IT,
commend its removal, aud the erection of a
sky light 10 the Ioaiu stairway that will give
IOiHe light aud ventilation 10 the bIildlDg,
wHeout oisfgurlng the exterior. 1 woald also
recommend that the iuclined driveway aud
enormous area that now destroys the propoy-
liens of the western front be dispensed with
aUu the area reduced 10 such a width AS will
give sufficient light and v, ntilaiion TO the cel-
lar. without affecting the architectural SYM
me'Iy and proportion of the building. 1t was
construcfed IN the belief that fuel could not
Otherwise BE- supplied to the building, which l
have shown IN the arraL gements for TIE sup
My for tbe north wing 10 De error. 1 wouid
also call attention 10 the IN genious effort to de-
s'roy The architectural cheat of the b. utiful
souIh portico by illumiD ating its back ground
WIN y-iigLt, and strongly recommend that
the original design be restored, which can be-
cone AT reasonable xpense"
"l he design for the approaches 20 the north
wing was adopted afser much study aud con-
siceIation, and is believed 10 De as satisfactory
a solution of the problem ; the location of the
oLllolng would permit, and NO more costly
tban the difficulties to be overcome aud ths
cnaIac'er of the building required. In this
connection i desire 10 recommend the removal
of tie driveway under the south portico, which
y n,ifely UnneceS s3ry. and detracs SO much
from It's arch .tsctural effect. The fence on each
side OF the same can then b. q spe sed W an
and the gardens carried 10 the line of the area.
] would also urge that the present fences and
ea'es inciosiDg ne sou b front be removed ard
ihe approaches completed in harmony with
no = of The remsiIder OF the building. The
cost would not be great, aud when pared
with the improv ment Tins change would make
IN The appearance of that front particularly in
the porIco would be- trihIug.
sS1kRsIoN OF THE TREASURY GROUNDS ON
THE EAST
In my last report urged the condemnation
Oh a strip OF Iapd siXty-one feet wide On the
ST siGe OF fIfIeeuta street, between New
York HDd Pennsylvania avenues, and the re-
moval OF the street corresponding distlnce
Irom Tie Treasury building-l desire to rene W
my recommendations, aud say that 1 bsiIeve
that tue adoption of this plan is indispensable
to the proper completion OF the building, and
sseh year adds to the value of the property
and Improvements thereon / would stropgly
rrEe that Immediate steps BE- taken 10 secure
IT, In This connection l desire 20 remark that
I'D M opinion the extension of the Treasury
buiio'Dg nj It's present level was an error,
trough cannot too highly praise he design,
'Or Which, The country is indebted 10 Thomas
L. Walter, ESD, whose knowledge OF classic
Architecture is probably unsurpassed by any
iiv Dg architect. Untortuna ely, other ptrtiss
were entrusted with the execution OF bis de-
sign. be old building should have been raised
u n proper grade (whicn was entirely practica-
ole al That time }, or a building according 10 Mr..
walters design commenced nearer the Execu.
tive Mansion, which would have probably
been the cheapest and most satisfactory
arrangement, and would have ayoii ied the
prt tsent necessity for ch,nging he line OF Fif-
enth street, and lowering its grade and that
OF PennsylvaDia avenue ON the north, from
Seventeenth 10 Fifteenth streets; wlich, in
connection with the condemnation OF this strip
OF laod, i desire 10 recommend. A careful
survey has been made, aud practical or
serious difficulty exists 10 prevent the adoption
of tbIs plan, which would relieve the Trsa ury
building from the difficulty OF its present loca-
ton, aud render il the grandest departmental
BUILDING in he world.
THE MALL as A PCBLIC PARK.
al also enclose plat Of reservation No. I, in
clu6ing the grounds of the Executive Mansion
and OF the Treasury and Wsr and Navy De-
par.ments, which hiss been prepared with a
view 20 han moniZe the recent Improvement Of
The Treasury building aod grounds, and pro.
posed Improvements Of the War department,
Downing, to connect the Executive Mansion
and the Departments with the CIpitol grounds
by coot'nuous drives through the Mall and the
reservations, q project which strongly recon-
mend be carried out at the earliest moment.
No serious difficulty exists, and it can be ac-
eoDplshed at q small expense, giving Wash.
ipgton, in her midst, an ample park for the
recreation and anu sement Of her citizens, and
one that, from its location, Is available to the
poorest as well ss the richest. The prominent
feature Of the plat ] submit herewith Is the
extension of the avenues recently formed be-
tweeuthe Executive Mansion and the Treasury,
on the arc Of . circle towards 1sth street, and
the ultimate extension 6etween the Executive
Mansion aud the War sud Navy Departments.
have been permitted by the courtesy Of Brig.
Gen. N. Michler, Commissioner OF Public
Buildings aud Grounds, to complete the
grounds Of his avenue 70 18th street, without
expense to the Goverumsnt, by deposIting
thereon The earth removed thereto from the
Treasury extension. i would strongly recon-
mend that authority be given 10 the Comm
sloner TO open the avenue between ths Execu.