New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-06
LOCAL NEWS
THE RUINED MARKET.


uAw ON THE DECLINE AND FALL
OF THE EIGHTEENTH WARD MARkEr-rhE
ARCHITECTS PLANS.
Three weeks ago the very damaging charges
BROUGHT by Assistant Alderman Gels against tne Do"u
A. Commissioners Of tho Eighteenth Ward Mnket were
,b,,sbcd IN TaR TRIBUNE. II was charged that the
market was built for the private profit OTIS Propc'ois
and their political friends; that more thsn s2oO'v"
beyond the $50 900 appropriated by the Legislature 10,
the purpose, had been squandered IN us ereeon u.
that consequently every had been taken 10 rem
dor the building unfit for the purposes for which IL was
oensibly designed with the object apparently OF cauS
inc n 10 be condemned as market and TO pass INTO Ve
hands OF those who have been schemug for ls posses
sion To this end, land in its immediate neighDorhoVa
had been used as a dumpingground, Disgusting V0V~
pants and visitors with s slckenng odors, ana his
hoard fence had been erected on both sdestrees su
tpc ont LIGHT and air. AS result the number OF stand
holders had decreased from 800 to g. and the rent WHICH
the city now receives is only 81 80 per week.
Some surprise has been manifested by tho friends OF
william Haw, it, President Of the XAIst Assembly,
Grant and Wilson Club that he should ano" 30
long time to elapso without volunteering some cAp'
nation OF O matter affecting 80 seriously MS Pei'Vua'
honor TRIBUNE reporter called upon him. al MS resi-
dence, No. 2l6 East One-huDdred -
learn all that he willing to communicate IN Iesu
10 his connection with the Eighteenth Ward Market
Mr. Haw said that on seeing the article referred 10 IN
Tur TRIBUNE he had supposed that the attack upon tne
Commissioner had been made especially LOT ms D0"on
an account of his connection with James brlon' anu
that the truth would probably come ou' "'nVu' ''-
bothorinq himself about the matter He was inc laS'
ono of the Commissioners to become menper VI .'O
BOARD Gov Hoffman having appointed nun " IA Uio
vacancy oooasloned by the appointment OF Col beehoy
- ,.i,oDt Tax Commissioner. None OF the men then
os.i,nting the Board were among the original Com
issioners and as he was the latest conner, ana Inc
oI Renublican he never telt that he had mueh lhlu
once The plan had been accepted the oon'"o' in'u
and the work begun, when no entoIeu uPoH
his duties subsequently, he concurred IN hi'oi
atons which he believed essential "i'nousn
thew greatly increased the loost OF tho bulld
inc Tho original plan would have made IL IooA
"souattyp and the elevation was nearly doupou
Atanv other important deyiations were made, and OF
had TO be paid for. They all tended to make inc
huildine better as market and 1t was his snpposto
al the time that 1t was market they were erecunP' anu
one which should servo densely populated portion OF
the city for many years. The flooring, the painng te
having outside tho building. the foundation oit
pnon niles were all outside the contract with fahuer
WORT. and all helped swell tho cost The Commits
sioners had however, expended the money In their
banda IN the best advantage, he believed, and had
had no money which could not be accounted ior' Inc
law undor winch the Commissioners were appointed
empowered them remain in office untii all the sIl'
we're let This II taken literally, might nave maze tne
Board perpetal but they had no desire TO saddio
themselves upon the city after their WORK was
dome they turned tho market over to Controller
Connollv in Aprjl Is7O-abOut the time when MI
c,ois savs e. was in its most nourishing conditoh
since then they have exercised no authority
and have felt no responsibility There were some uoO'S
upon the building which were also turned over 10 inc
Controller He did not know whether any unnecessary
work had been ordered, fraudulent claims pald' ZIG
,tofla nqVmnnt
"a .oo 70 Mr. Rch tho architect whose plans were re
ctad was not authorized By the Board, and the money
had NOT been paid at the time OF its dissolution lie GER
family was not entitled to more than the SOo or
him. il no was TO that amount. Mr. HaW coud SEQ ho
reason why the market should not have proved sue
oes ~ properly managed To insure this the BOARD hau
contemplated making arrangements for the establish
roeut of three lines Of ferries from seveneenhstwo
20 different points on Long Island and one 10
Harlem Bridge but the plan for some reason
yvas not carried out. The gas house ana
tbe dumpingground must, however, in hs opinion TN
terfere sadly with its success, especially Tue aei &
use az the lots oppOse the market for thls purpose WAS
given 10 John L. Brown, streetcleanng contractor ny
the Board OF Health Ihs wa RaaTd Of commsionSrs
aud under tho control OF the city. ne knew not,nS
about the fences he had not been near tne Marker
FOR long time AZ 20 any design TO render the building
untenabe as market IN order to divert IL 10 oter se
he could say nothing; be was not III POSITION 70 pVs
h tbe srcress OF any such scheme, even he had the
desire Perhaps there were some Things I'D the pass anu
preseut which gave some coiOT W suNi
AS none Of the Comuissioners seemea 10 hhS S a
thing about the g. 800 which according 10 the C4ho
lers Looks was pad 20 Joah g a entitled to the
amount TRIBUNE reporter called upon nm at ms nr
for bv the old Board OF Commissioners,
sisting Benjamin 20 Manlerre Dc ~ HaY wool, au ..
rcSitects and his Tans were accepted by the Commits
sionera He then proceeded from those preliminary
studies aud completed the general drawings anu tPeo
dcations making a complete set OF working drawings
as II the work TO 90 on upon them uhuer bs
vision The estimated cost was $4,000 as ordered Dy inc
Board. After these plans had peeh n SoJpSSGui
the Commissioners, upon cOnsutal0n, cOhcIuu. y.
not TO expend more than 900 the building so as 70
leave margin for incidental expenses, whereupon r
Riteh made another complete set OF drawings reducing
tbe ornamental work. These pronounced salts
factory and the Commissioners advertised Tor blus'
which met with favorable responses. one OF the CO
niSsoners who had been anxious from the first TO have
Hatch appointed architect, alleged that the Dudlhg
vailed upon the Board to urge him to enter INTO another
competOn with Hatch. This he refused 10 DO Whefe-
upon he discharged and the plans OF Hatch one OF
the original competitors were accepted MI htGh as
sured the reporter that, win the ORDINARY
business, the market could have been erected ~ tIct
accordance with his plans at his estimated cost whereas
the present building which he pronounced miserable
affair" had cost five or SIX times as nuch vi course
they could have sqUandered or stolen as much on one set
Of l,aDs az on the other. Mr. Rch made charges for
his services accordance with the schedule adapted by
the American Institute OF Architects, which provides
that for Preliminary Studies General Drawings, De
tails aud specihcatiuns - per cent shall be paid He
charged both sets of drawings each in its turn had
been absolutely accepted by the Board Inc fouoWns
the bill - 70 -, -
The Public Market the III hteena Wand
NJ the CITY Of New-York John W. Rch architect Dr.
NAV lS65-Por plans specifications and working drawings
or the above market estimated Of same, $4,000 regu
s5 fee Ps sSS me-. oaa: for The sn: building a.
tnste cost $iJrOO regular fee, "a per lSo
This bill was presented the Commissioners and Its
validity never questioned by them the only reason
for its nOn-payment was that they had no money.
Finally, Mr. Htch placed the bill In the hands OF Alex
ander Frear and it attached TO the City Tax Levy
and passed In the Spring OF 1870. Controller Connolly
Int 80 still Iemalns nnnaid