The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-26
New York's Architectural Progress


We publish to-day very interesting resume
of the progress which New York is making in
the direction of architectural beauty. The
day has almost gone by in the Old World, and
it happily never dawned in America, when q
prince or potentate could command his people
to commence some vast architectural under
taking which it would take generations to ac-
complish. The American tourist who visits
old Europe, older Africa and Oldest Asia,
speaking in the order Of civilization, can mark
these monuments and wonder at the might
and patience Of the people-often peoples
that erected them. When he comes
back to his native land he misses these;
but if he be not archeologically mad
as Nathaniel Hawthorne he can take
new lease Of pride in the young, Wig
orous life which insists on being beautiful in
marble and granite, but will not undertake
to wait an hour longer than necessary to see
the work accomplished. Magnificent public
buildings rise up with rapidity. Here it is
well to mark an exception and state that no
one is likely to blame the haste of the New
at Harlem, which latter will discourse an elo-
quent sermon on what might have been if
the ballot box had not been a stumbling block
in the road The new Court House, however,
has not been as long building as the Cathedral
at Cologne Our new Post Office is some
will be massive, substantial, cheap, and not too
long in course of construction. In all parts
Of the city our merchant princes are running
up magnificent shrines where the great god,
Mammon, will be worshipped in temples
worthy Of his auriferous name. Our churches,
too, are gradually taking character from the
dimensions of the city, and, as it rises in
splendor, we can feel assured that all public
edifces will keep pace Herewith. Benevolent
institutions, also, in which people are more
prone to look to inside arrangements and com
fort, are becoming more and more imposing in
external appearance. The hotels of the city
are buildings which will tend largely to give
architectural character to the city, and it is
gratifying to observe that they are being
planned and built in styles commensurate
with the future Of New York. The activity
which is exhibited in erecting the classes Of
buildings we have mentioned is not confined to
them. The city spreads out it's brick and
mortar arms northward, runs over into Brook
Ign, Williamsburg, Jersey City and Hoboken,
and plants its hardy hands beyond the Harlem
River, in Westchester county. More south
ward the smaller class of buildings disappear
and the cloud-supporting tenement house
rises on the ruins of the shanty. This is very
encouraging; but its very haste has its dan
gers to which attention has been called more
than once in these columns. Under the
lightning contract system houses are erected
which are the merest shells and nothing more
than so many man-traps only depending for
their upright condition on a merciful Provi-
dence and the absence Of a fierce tornado.
While we glory in the spread of archi-
tectural beauty around us we must not
be unmindful of these dangers. There is
bureau for the inspection of buildings here,
but we have had ample evidence heretofore
that its judgments are no more sound or dis
interested than the boiler inspectors, who
leave us such fearful legacies of memory as the
Westfeld or the later disasters in the same
line. Accidents fatal to life and limb have oc-
CURED within year or SO with these man-trap
houses to justify what we say, and in the hurry
and rush of the present building season we
coll on those who have special knowledge in
these matters to fearlessly point out shortcom-
ings and dangers before frightful catastrophes
result. To the inspectors we would appeal
also, and tell them to remember that no amount
of shifting responsibilities will save them from
public odium if disasters in the future can be
traced to their culpable, not to say venal, neg
igence
The Steamship Baltimore-The Wreck
and It's LessOn.