, 1873-05-18
MR. TuLY'S DEFENSE.

The DESIGNER or s. Eureitn0 Comes to
the Rescue of His Plan for the City
Han.
10 the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
Sra: Certain statements having gone abroad
in reference to the plan known as Eureka, or
No, s" (now On exhibition in competition with
others for the new Courthouse and City-Hau),
and such statements being at variance with the
facts in the case, desire through the columns
OF your paper to make such explanations IN re-
gard to said plans as shall prove to the public
that the objections raised against it are absolute
~ without any foundation.
It has been asserted that plan: No., s, or
"Eureka,": was designed to extend eight feet
beyond the building-line Of the street, and that
any attempt to shorten it up to make it come
within said line would not be practical, as such
proceeding would destroy both Its proportions
and beauty. -:
on Clark and LaSa1le streets the main building
is about, on an average, eighteen feet back from
the building-line OF the street, and about forty
feet On Randolph and Washington; and the por-
ticos at each Of the entrances are several feet
bacK from this bui1ding-line; and that the only
points Of the whole design that touch the build
ine-line at all are one corner Of each OF the
four flights of steps that lead up to the en-
trancee. -
These corners Of the steps extend beyond tho
building-liue feet-9 inches each, and were 60
placed in accordance with the city ordinance.
which allows feet for steps and areas beyond
the building Of all the streets that surround
the city block. These corners, however, do not
project so far into the streets by foot aa 90
the steps Of The old City-Hau en- both LaSale
and Clark Streets, as can be seen at the present
time.
These obnoxious corners can be removed, Of
which must say do not see the necessity, Il
required, by shortening the steps. which are 56
feet in length, or by throwing the steps back,
between the columns OF the porticos. to male
without any change in The deaign Of the building
EIt has been asserted that: No. s, or Eureka,
calls for building four stories high. This is not
the case.., The basement and first and second
Offices required for the city and county, and
several Of the cou4 s-rooms.- Above these. and
occupying the upper portions of the building, are
the following Apartments, viz. :: The Council
Chamber and the Supreme Court room occupy
one wing, in another wing is the large hall for
holding public meetings, and in the other two
wings are the principal court-rooms- All these
halls and court-toorus have large md commodi-
Gus galleries around them, with one row Of
windows below and another above them, SO that
while the exterior elevation treats this as two,
the interior treats it as one story only. These
halls are all made quite high IN order to secure
narfect ventilation, and afford ample room at all
t;Tnas for spectators, and at the same time pre-
serve and: secure the acoustic properties sc
necessary for public speaking: - -:
To place longer windows n tne m npPe; din1'
not only dwarfs it, in appearance, put 1s also
violation OF proper architectural proportions ane
harmony OF design IT. :. :. :: ~,
Another assertion is, that the corridors N Nc
1t. 1xr11fs s+a - 9n1&61