The New York herald., 1879-02-05
THE NEW BARGE OFFICE.

CONGRESSMAN MULLER COMES FROM WASHING
TON TO SEE THE TITLE TO THE LAND PER-
FEcrEp-wHAr HE SAYS ABOUT THE BUILD
ING AND IT'S PROSPECTS OF ERECTION
ME- Nicholas Muller member of Congress for the
Fifth district, up yesterday morning
from Washington to look after the passage
of resolution by the Board OF Aldermen
perfecting the title of the United States gov
the land at the Battery intended for the
site of the new Barge ONCE Before leaving Wash
ington Mr.. Muller had communication from Secre-
tary Sherman. in which the Secretary after pointing
out that under the present condition Of the law
the Barge Office, if relinquished for any other
uses in the future than that OF 4 Barge
Office. wond revert to the city. remarked that it was
manifest the interests of the United States required
that there should be few restrictions the deed
AZ would he consistent with the authority Of the
Common Council. and that the United States should
be guaranteed the privilege of holding the property
in the event OF turning the building to other pur-
poses than those originally intended The resolution
proposed to meet this difficulty. and TO be presented
yesterday to the Board of Aldermen by Alderman
Burns of the FiTst ward did not see the light. as
the Board adjourned until Tuesday next for want of
quorum;
with the resolution passed suppose the coast
will be clear said HERALD reporter to Mr. Muller,
he waited in the corridor of the City Aall,
iouSly awaiting the action or the Board.
"Yes," replied the member from the Fifth, with
beam OF joyous anticipation IN his eye, THANK
God, all the trouble viii be over when that's done"
"And has there been mach trouhleT
"Why. end OF it. When I hrst agitated the
question or building new Barge Oihce. to put
an end tho complaints about the terminal facilities
in this city. knew the right track. because
every sensible and patriotic man agreed with n that
ga Brao sny WAS Was aaa that sa the
thought I'd have such heap of bother
in getting where now stand. Everything
looked lovely whom the President signed the bl but
10 and behold! the trouble only beginning. Up
came dispute about the title to the land, and the
." as 70 Ifeasay aa 10 aodtar
to undertake examindNon of the title to the land
adjoining that now belonging to tho United States
next to the Whitehall boat slip Tor the pur-
pose OF securing proper location for the new Barge
Office. crowd OF opinions We're given from dinor-
ent lawyers confusing the whole subject about title
but finally got clear out of the fog, and now We
only want the Board of Aldermen to ignore any fu-
ture claim to tlN land to make the title perfect"
THE PROJECTED BUILDING.
care the plans for the building all ready 2?
''Yes; the plans were furnished by Supervising
Architect Hill and approved by the heads of the
Treasury, Interior and Post Office departments, these
forming the permanent board FOR the approval OF the
some building. combining several orders of archi-
lecture, and room will be provided for the deputy
| surveyors OF the Custom House."
''When will proposals for bids be issued %
Fright away after the validity of the title is esab-
lished and the building will be pushed to completion
| rapidly possible. 1t will take perhaps year
and half expect to sec it constructed by day s.
| labor Last week introduced resolution in Con-
gress providing that hereafter all public buildings to
be erected i'll process OF erection in the United
| States shall be done by days labor"
"Do you think it will pass!
'Of course it will. It is proper and sensible res
oution and the result will be that we will have
better and cheaper building than any the country
| put up on the other PLAN"
| '.Will it be any considerable sze?"
"Well. not quite as large the Post Office or as
| expensive, because the main building will be of
brick 10S feet front by 32 feet deep. 1t will be two
stories high, with raised centre pavilion and tower
the northwest corner about seveutyfve feet high,
| to be used as lighthouse. You'll be able to q
light from there clean the harbor. At the
will be large structure OF iron and glass made to tit
the shape OF the lot, which is like what the Post
Office is built on and that will have front OF 17G
feet on the adjoining lot and 16o feet on
| the river. The outside enclosure of the
building will be of rolled beams filled in with cor
! rugated sheet iron. The roof will be OF iron and
glass. Piles will be driven down to the foun-
daton. The shed part of the building, it is believed
be made available for business purposes-that is
the landing of passengers and the examination OF
baggage-about four months from the time the build
| ing is commenced; but the main building and the
wall can hardly be finished in less time than a
| year and half Within the shed portion there will
and the comfort of passengers in great contrast to
| the way passengers and their baggage are treated
now. On the river front there will be- large entrance
for passengers and either side of that two smaller
ones for baggage. roadway Is intended to &C
around the building SO that passengers and theii
| baggage can be moved oil in hurry without confu