New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-04
ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT.

Capitol Commission
SIR: We beg to submit the following report
on various matters committed to us as Board OF ~"
vice 10 Your honorable Commission;
As 1t record Of public service OF an unnsua
md not OF grateful character we shall take
leave at the outset recall the considerations which leo
TO orr appointment snd 20 the acceptance OF H. ihouu
ing the narrative OF these the order of the report wi" De
US follows
r,rs, IA N the stains Of the new Capitol project.
Second As to certain alleged def cts Of superntend
Tbrd As o. the question Of and the
tieablity OF reducing this dimensions ana lhorepy INC
1Srb AS 10 What at the present stage OF the work.
should BE- required In the plans for completing the
mi As to various questionable features OF the plans
for completing the building; ...,o.. s.. ,,,,d
ing according the paLs and specifications as they 40"
Sercnh: As to the manner in which the design could
EgSN As to Row cost Of building would he Of
feced by tne adoption OF tue suggested modhtatos Vi
Ss@? As to what it will cost complete and frrn lab
Teah As to the time and OUTLAY for adyane
ing the buldng without fully cuinpetn the capitol
fSecron l SHOWS how the Board O Advice came 10 DE
fora.
WEAK BRICK AND INSECURE FLOORS
Before entering upon rcvew OF matters OF design 1t
Is our duty tO refer to the testimony of two master bud
ers sustaining various charges Of Ignorant hc'cieh'
and cupaby ncgecul superintendent OF the work oil
the Capitol made to the Governor and by His Excel
ency to you and the ate Of whiciwe have
been asked ny you TO give attention.
There are but two questions OF fact raised by this
testimony upon which has seemed To us necessary That
Tie first of the two questions Of fact raised by them to
which We have recreG is whether TIE bnck a'ey used
in the interior walls Of the building 49, as alleged oi
H9yiHg carefully examined the walls referred aud
taken them four bricks which on studl0us cont
parisOn we determined T. b. rather below TIC average
quality Of Ae Onts, NC subjected them 70 test 10y
'sSeraSe 9,COV poo Hes ~ tb best eIss of bnr,
burnt brick We have doubt OF the entire adequacy
of h-sc walls fox their duty SO lar as the quA!y OF Ie
The second question is as the sounduoss Of part OF
h0or-archlng over passage Il feet wide u ar the
@ urt of Appeals We find rs floor to be Insecure,
NOT however, tlc ndoa eu, but brcsuse one
of walls upon which it is designed TO resi- Sas sprung
away irOn IT, We nud also much more serious matter
than that described in the fact that this wall Which IL
Sc feet lcns and 20 neaes tieS ana upon wlo9 b Is
galleries the Assembly chamber rests Throughout
it, entire length upon the arches of tie entrance hall be-
euppOrg Ics. Iron columns have been lntToduccd ~
fi @ lit tber Ere IIadc hollow But We must
regard tine whole ARRANGEMENT as UnsOund
and not at all Of suIeiiDIendence is repeated the
Senate side.
USELESS SPACE And WALLS.
We asked at the time Of our appointment to give
early consideration 10 certain special inquiries They
as follows:
necessary
Second: II So whether it might be reduced in hight
with gain OF cOnvenien Of architectural effect and
In economy of cost
So far tue inteor accommodations OF the pito are
concerned 10 is simple cuOicu block from The center ~
which smaller cube has been taken out, leaving tho
court TIE space between the wallis ON the east ANA wet
sides OF ,e court Is nowhere less than IS I5et ana on
the north AMI sOath nowhere less Than So Ii space
parallel win them only two Gl the tIee spaces
formed have diiec, hsh, from the sides AZ gen
Capitol divided the space bewern the twopartitiuns
being commonly II ieot Wide VITA ienstn warp ns ac
codng to circumstance I'm eacn OF two cases 1t Is 3tO
feet hese the onl, direct Light recevedis by
single window at the end 0 the building. Every such
bit sdiie oplee IS essentially Wal IN an ordinai!
house is ,aLed " daik passage"
p Oltr wall being nowhere less than SO feet apart.
ami the pa sage l. feet WIDE tue ave rage distance
between tie irtltOn walls az tue passage AMI tlr Outr
walls is some tHg nOre tnn 30 iee TAG outer walls
broken by Windows at nearly UNIFORM IN clvais me
distance between the centers being about Is ieet ~
follows tnat 20 Obtain iOod iess ah 30 Iect Ih uep'h
from t window end, another IGutlOn IS necessary ~
which acc Is IOr,n d between the window anu the
pasase, RECEIVING 10 direct ii-Lt
1be whole structure beng divided horizontally INTO
sore3 p q tet t. 27i2 feet 1t wl be seen tDat,
ALLOWING Tor floors AN walls, normal unit Of space Of
the Capitol - Is feet wide % 10 % ugh, aud at
single window at The end, aud communicating WITH the
rest u tle olilh9g By doorway opposite te MnlGw,
such rooms. nor - throwing two together, can Mn5h OI
thee space be turned to account for the ordinary
work OF osaJYe eO1intC for accounting, audit
ing, SEARCHING, Registering, hhne engfCSspg OF any
other vi hc more cOnmon business VI Bureau officers
and ciergs.
The legislative halls TWO stories dhd Court OF
Appeals on enc runitg through rom wan 10 wall III,
trrupt arrangement wnich Gas beon described, ana
elsewhere lnt Obtained Tor interior rooms By meai
or skyng Is aad Wtlo, but the building contains more
than half mile OF passage aith rooms opening nom u
tween Ineu and walls is Occnpel by cross
passage on in part. BY chimney, arshIit, or otter
dark room. Tfhe Size Of the forty committee
rooms OF State Capitol 10 about double that " the
Of Congress, Including an esch case Tie
IL Is obvious that in this respect II in other land
there OtAeTs me CaptOl viii contain mum "astr
Il,
geted account OF its prime cost than because Of
It's making greater distances 10 DC Travelled over tban
might otherwise De necessary ana aGQS 10 the I'm
Guilty md expense OF heating and vi all houscSeiVice
STUPID ARRANGEMENT OF HE INTERIOR.
1t wiz boseYer, be obvious from what said
that this objection could now only be removed BY a
change OF the general plan Of the building FROM the
groand upward The question Of the feasibility q any
important general reduction the proposed hight " the
building turns upon that Of change in the position Of
the legislative ehaInDers these occupy With tser ga
leros portion OF the two upper stories. and the
allowed for them 8OOr and ceiling II IL desirable
~ increase "a. her Tan " dinJ4nsh.
independently Of TIE internal arrangements u thess
eha0b rs cannot t.Jnk tie disposition ~ TIE rgsa-
ty department ye9 salnesoiy ore sai ~ S,i
and Involves larger Attendance AM mo- t>sibs Va
aud ffo tln am oisr ne ssiaiAlss 49,, =, :, G
be. To reach ten fyEi ~ pfeDt syfl OF NE Ef"ind
And nSTzontsI distsncs 10 = sis4sglt line
feet must be overcome. %. HoeS9n'ns ~ ssy VI ths
arriving al the principal dODsisgs. ys VII Df " lAs
thro9kn tns building disidDes Slsa4 ~ isfss pss lSs
length OF tic Prcssnt CayiiOi AID asEd thf E4st
OF lgts Of stars Of "a iss bfs fsaesEk 80
door Of me senate or Assembly for,s - = ~ - -
door aud ascend thence b. Ne stap lf b. ie siss
lest apartments OF noble Dading sasla ~ s45aas -
a. vel as by less tedious. eiaIageg, sHG f@ss sg
than that elcfod the narfOa and sllag stss ssssi
= Again the commit ee-rooms bsiaseB uhleb sal 80
legislative ehambcs there u necssssfT s1a ftfstst