New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-02
THE NEW STATE CAPITOL.
OF THE BUILDING COM
PLETED.

Observation-Disclosures REPORT OF THE COM
MISSION.
IrRoN TrE PECULIAR CORRESPONDENT rUR TRIBUNE.
ALBANY. Dec. 31.-The new State Capitol
has begun 70 assume shape. Tho chaos which began
with the lunss OF tho shovel in December 1857 BY
December 1874 IL resolved into something like erder'
and TO thu av.raFs eye, something promising beauty
But official arehissctare been made nonstrous by
Mullett-u,s alone the mighty Auiett, but tho h1ue
Mullets hat have been aud are-by Mulett as GLASS
that TO Point out building as city hall Is enous" !"
damn 1t beyond OF faint praise whie' gen.
orally speaking, the man who Is heard 10 20 ih'o "p
lures over State capitol may safely be ses down as
fooa or contractor So that when the ordinary man
finds himself adnrng such structure no Is lhehueo 10
doubt either sanity hs taste and In either case
suppressos his opinion thus perhaps losing al oppor
nifty OF distinguishing himself by his discrimination
But building which Is modelled after the Now Louvre
tho Hotel de wills Paris and the AaiSon de Commerce
IN LYONS xht to beautiful II FOR other reason
than that distance lends enchantment 10 every archeo-
tural view and whether the criacs commend or con-
denim this particular structure there Is doubt that TO
The wayfarng msn who has eyes for details ana only
two general elects, tho building Is aud promises 10
DO beautiful. the style Of the French 2enals
sance and is termed OF the early reports to the
Capitol CommisslOn, "a composition Ia the ooiu anu
effective spirit which marks most admired specimens
OF modern civil architecture"
PROGRESS DURING THE PAST SEASON.
The first stoae was laid in July 1862 and now by the
sIose OF the season the cellar story anu tWo
steres above the ground completed leaving the two
upper stories and roof yet to be added. The progress
made in tho work the opening Of the season has
been considerable. Five millions OF bricks have been
laid with 1900 feet OF cut stone, aud about SS@o
worth OF beams and grders, Ia scarcely more than
four months working time In the last item are in
euded the beams aud Orders of both floors Tue second
or entrance nOor called from the fact that tae pr
epa entrance Is on that foOr has been largely built
since June. I hight is q feet, and While the average
hight Of wall put during The past season is IL ieet IN
many parts hight Of ths whole story has been su
All the and rAfers In this fOSr have also been
laid aud &c columns have been placed IN position All
the work cxposed to the weather is carefully guarded
from the inclem.ncy OF Winter, and only awaits
the genial warmth OF Spring and the vvifying touch OF
au appropriation rise into the third Story AS far as
the construction and expense OF ths building itself are
concerned The work is three-ffhs DONE but the finish
ing aud decoration that must follow VIII necessarily In
vove large expenditure Of money aud time aud 1t Is
moro than likely hat some Of the members Of the first
Legislature tnzt will SIT within its walls
are yet too young and innocent to know
what going to tie Legislature means. The total
OF the building up to tho beginning OF the present
season slsss 400 land having cost s62242o Tho
expenditures Of tHe past season have been over $4,000
bringing Up the present exclusive land to little
over s5O0000o. Tae Commissioners estimate that tho
two remain be built for s. 6099O and the
roof put Tor $4,000 making the cost OF the true-
ture $4,000. The Flushing and decoration will do
pend entirely upon the taste aud economical tendencies
Of The Legislatures who vote the money, but the Hon.
Hamilton Harris the Chairman OF the Commission estt
mates the work could be completed for SO0oOOo,
provided that the finish were not extravagant. This
would bring the total cost Of the structure TO probably
sl2OoOOOO. including the site. 1t remains to be seen
however whether 1t be completed within that
margin.
Az APPROPRIATION OF TWO MILLIONS TO BE ASKED
FOR.
Tho Commission expect TO ask the Legislature this
Winter for an appropriation OF s2OOOO0 aud Mr. Thomas
Fser the architect who built the Parliament building
at Ottawa Canada, Is confident that II he can obtain
this amount this Winter and $5ooOoo next Winter, the
roof can he on early 1876 and the Capitol Of the En-
pre State thus in finished before the Cenen-
NAL. Both Mr. Harris and Mr.. Fuller depore the lack
Of money which has compelled the almost total cessa
son OF work time when. owing TO the decline In
wages it would be possible 10 get labor at reduced
price and when there many Gborers who have been
employed or thls very building who are out OF work
and this fact will undoubtedly DO used as powerful
argument with Legislature. Only very small force
s. at work now uuder superintendent James W. Eaton
Tho original limit 10 the ~ the Capitol imposed by
nc Legislature 100000 Jut that vsA for build
tnx which would have bee ch less elaborate and
eommodous than this. and thcSe having charge OF the
work inss. that ths Legislature has accepted tho mod
fled plans and made appropriations year after year
without restriction instructions for any change.
MIR. Harris in his testimony before the Invesugat-
aug Committee last Winter. which only recently
emerged from tbs printers hands urged that the cost Of
the new Capitol which had been the subject OF such
tended criticism would compare favorably with that OF
large buildings OF granite in this country For instance
the New York POsOoe has just onethird the area OF
tie Capitol and has granite In the interior. Mr..
Buett's last estimate was 100000, the first having
been s. 100000 The Boston PosOfics is onehtth the
0Hn lafau afiuNat nf IFS mat
was between three and four millions. The new State
Departr ent at Washington will certainly cost more
than s. ooOOOO The cost OF the ChicSSS PostOee is
set down at &OOO0O The granite and marble alone Of
the new city building in Philadelphia were contracted
for at the interesting figure to taxpayers Of Oo0Oo
Such instances the Commissioners are enough TO
show that the Capitol has been made worthy OF the
Empire State at a moderate expense.
TIE NEW CAPITOL DESCRIBED.
IT Is 90 long since the illustrated papers ceased 10
print the plan Of the new Capitol that some little
description Of 1t may new Because 1t is so old Tho
square on which the building stands comprises nearly
eight acres and contains also the old Capitol the
IAbrary and Congress Hall, which 1t Is proposed to
remove the completion Of the new building leaving
a mark on the east OF two and one-hah acres, and a
somewhat narrower park on the west This will give
an opportunity for architectural display which the
eranlpod surroundings OF the structure VIII not now
permit The exterior Is 200 by $40 feet the Dundng
lying cast and west and the night OF ne eeba to"ei
from the ground will be feet The east front will he
approached by grand OF steps, which VIII add
greatly 20 the beauty OF the edce and will surpass
anything OF the kind. ii Is said. IN America The
entrance floor TO which the terrace OF steps
rises will lofty pOrtieOs at both the east and west
fronts rising whole hight of the building Similar
portos but without the approaching terrace Of steps,
viii mark the north and south fronts and reach to the
same hight Each OF the four corners Of the building
IS built IN a tower-form, and will be sr@wned with .
navliou tower. Each Of the four portoos b 10 be