New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-26

splendid example set by one OF their family the
OF the street. may back again, and once more re-
tie picturesqueness that left tho old city when
they went Tue summit Of this hghptched roof OF the
CAPITOL is eighty feet auve the c0rnce, and its sides
inclined angle OF sixty degrees. 1t is utilized
a room-and ma gniacent one It Inakes-for the
commOdation OF the rapidly increasing documents OF
the Assembly, and TO be reached by an ample, easy
staircase OF stone. Beside this splendid roof watch is
TO be matched OF with Others Of equal force on
the other sides, rhe skyline is broken by the strong.
welldesigned payons rooted with that flank it.
The dormers which have the defect OF being some
what taller in proportion to their breadth than seems
altogether agreeable. assist in breaking up the base
from which the great roof scars, and tnus emphaszes
grandeur. One in the mInd's eye, even now,
what magnificent this will be to the
city that sits upon these hills, when the build
iDgs that hide 1t removed, and
so much Of the southern side OF the great street cut
away at tie upper end will help bring the axis Of the
building more into line, II only apparently, with the axis
OF the main thorougbfare. Thus far the chief want In
the exterior effect the building is that Of color 1t IL
10 be regre ted that the roof OF which have Just
spoken could not have been covered with tiles for the
black slate employed has sombre effect, and makes,
brside. too severe contrast with the gray OF
the granite Of which the building Is con-
structed. Remembering the fine effect Of the red
tiles on the tower OF Trinity Church, in BOs-
ton is disappointment to md successful prece-
dent not followed, and II is to be hoped that when the
roof over The Senate Chamber is hand the architect
VIII fad to cover 1t with material that gives
color and texture than is possible with slate. AT
the time satisfaction that the
taste OF tine architect has left the roof plain here Is
none OF the fummery Of roncrestng nor Of patterns
in color the size OF the roof and its vast sweep ui-
broken except by few buseye lights. allowed to
tell their story without the help OF rhetoric.
Passing into the building and studying the interior
Arrangement and decoration, the outside the
portion OF the plan just approaching completion not so
cheerful. Some changes and radical ones must neces-
sarily DO made II passages the building to be
made reasonably light and comfortable. To widen
windows now too narrow, 10 open transepts across
dors restricted suggest those OF prison. to
cOnrIye ways OF lighting staircase walls left with no
means o. lighting in short, cly Ze the barbarsm OF
the interior design is the duty shifted from the
shoulders Of the original undertaken OF the building 70
those OF the architects ana the commission at
present IN charge. That they competent
90 the work any that could have been chosen IS
evident, they bring about satisfactory
result unless wide liberty is allowed them make the
changes that may be their predecessors
work Only n careful, Independent examination can
make plain how radically wanting in sense and in feel
ing for architectural proprety to nothing OF archi
icctural beauty. In the original plan Of this building.
when. however, We reach the Assembly chamber we
find ourselves altogether different ground. so much
fault has been found with the OF the Capitol
building snch OF woros and parties political arch
tcctura and financial has been wagcd about the walls
OF TINS Troy that the public has really been kept In
ignorance truly noteworthy work thtis being
mphshed there I'm its service. We must leave out OF
sight the absurdy bequeathed present architects
~ buld NC erected mainly for the accommodation OF
the legislature In the plan OF winch the two leEs
alive chnnbesthcse Of the Assembly and the Senate
are placed at the top Of the building The present ar
checs had do what they could with tie plan as 1t
came TO them the present Assembly ROOM as con-
ceIyed and designed by MI. Leopold Eidlrz is TO be
spoken Of without eXaggefatIon, Us one OF the
great achievements OF modern engineering We must
however to engineers aud those they instruct
the pleasant task of aualyzing the difficulties OF the
problem presented and Of showing how simply but how
magu incently those difficulties have been overcome
BE IL our welcome part 60 bring the good news that here
al last "a a pubic building America built by the poo
ule and for the people In wnch the work at present
m proress IL worthy Of the best and IN which the
one completed marks step Tar III adVance
not only Of thing tenplned yet In country
but of anything that could reasonably have been hoped
for for nuy years come. THESE are we are aware
srong words but that they are not strong any one
with know ledge OF what has been done among us and
of the shameful way In which our public build
ing has been Entrusted 10 hands grossly incompe-
tni and who has at the same time eyes TO see what
this Assembly really u, will cheer1uly admit 80
simple however is the design natural In It's adapta
nil the essential conditions. that ITS admirable quality
does not AZ once make itself felt. ONLY after CON
adorable stay In tho do we take the meaning OF II
iu That meaning Is sublime one and II speaks win
an el, quent voice 10 all OF us. This room ID
an embodied conscience. The profound science
OF It's construction employed In the service OF no
whms. ONO extravagances II Is loyalty nVen TO USE
"a eeopomy 10 q noble beauty; 1t II something OF which
We ave all honest right to be proud IL "a dmeut
wi hbut ground plan 10 give au explanation OF the vi
of tue Assembly Chamber 10 the reader but u may DO
briefly The floor within the bounding Walls
Of the whole apartment Ia paraieiogram lao by 81
feet At the eastern cnd OF tins space Ia cor"
dor enter.d tr I'm the landing OF tho great staircase
lighted Al each end BY window and divided by sreh~s
INTO three yaultcd bays. This corridor gives
entrance tho Assembly Chamoer proper
by three arches. and passing through these
tne publcs find itself In hall OF vaulted Stone
o. feet long by 81 feet wide. On the ground
floor this space clear. for at each angie squares
.ro m off the two on either side tue Speakers desk be-
ing solidy nclosed aud constituting rooms for the use
of the aud for committees those ON the oPpo
site side being marked of by arches, aud carrying game
s above thrm do those also at the Speakers end Oh
the Chamber At the angles OF the crucorm plan thus
stand four columns OF polished grnnite TOUR
feet IN diameter supporting the central vault rises
a, it, crown 10 height Of six feet from tho hoor
II wi he remembered the whole construction Is or
solid stone the only wood employed being In the nOor
aud In the DOORS and may DO hOped that the noor
id over iron beams filed ia with brick arches, Is only
temporary eIpedlent that before long marble or tiles
will be substituted for wood Not only tho ribs OF the
yautpg are stone the Gaping is also OF solid blocks
NJ stone but OF the mouldngs and VI the
great outlines OF the construction 40 ehcehehty pal
Iapord betwUun soidity ana hghhess tnAt' WHO VIC
o., att time the grandeur OF the conception, at first
wa think only Of the ghtness with which this vault Is
horne skyward The room Ia SO abundanty Lighted oy
| the double row OF windows on each slde that
there Ia none OF the gloom 80 oiteh cohpHuheu
OF IN yaued chambers and the heht au space arc Soh
49,, ,n ,e,,u,tion-and We were tine greater part OF