New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-01-25


TO agree the shutting out tho gallery oItogether by
suspeDding muslin across its front. Hardly
was this done when enemy appeared-the puDlics
old acquaint tnce. acoutics-and set the members by
the ears declaring that they could not be heard ana
could not hear This matter Of acoustics being the I'M
known quantity that enters into every study OF nall
Ion the display OF the human voice II was to he
expected it would turn up but there seems to
be reason why this hall should not be good
one 10 speak and hear in. aud 1t prob
ably is good the most. Trial of it when
the members not sitting resulted Ia hndng that
clear speaker could be heard without difficulty In all
paris Of the room when using his ordinary tones
But, OF course, member whose sense of hearing is
little gone of cannot ENJOY much he would ike to
OF the elOquence of other member who reminds
OF Demost lenes, far that he speaks II his
mouth we're full Of pebbles. In short, the complaints
appear for the most part to originate with the older
members, PLAIN blunt men, no orators. VINO ONLY
speak right on, and who have all their leg
lslatve lives been speaking in the much smaller
OF the cid Capitol Naturally they lind 1t difficult
to their voices to their quarters. and
naturally they do not try 10 do So They think the hail
should have been made for and it Is unreasonable
TO ask them TO remake themselves for the nall. They
forget. or perhaps they don't know. that there Is no
science OF acoustics, and that this muchvaunted
nneteea century OF with its EdsOus and IOrses.
cannot buld hall. or a church. or opera house. OF
watch il say with certainty. "it VIII be good To
hear and speak in" And indeed many build
ings are faulty in this respect, aud the only
remedy for the speaker to humOr his and for the
hearers to humor their This advice however has
not been followed aud the members bent entirely
remodelng their handsome hail. shutting up the gal
ery, ana either lowering the ceiling raising the floor
TIey forget that after they have done their best the
suit may be improvement on the present and that all
their expensive alterations may be thrown away
To lower the ceiling the only possible remedy.
and as it Is not constructive ceiling but merely
canopy suspended on rods this might be done, though
prObab the plan adopted would be to suspend a
second ceiling below the present one, shutting ont the
upper row Of windows. This was done In the case OF
the Senate room, which formerly showed second
line OF windows above the large by which 1t is at
present lighted. The change made not account
OF acoustic difficulties. but we understand,
to secure better proportions In the shape OF the
room. 1t ia unnecessary TO say that these
changes to be regretted they 5ctray want o due
cOnsid in the original planning Of the structure
IN the OF the Hall OF Representatives, however
the architect is not blame In his original design the
room had 4 gallery At each end ana not proJec
non from the building, bat answered To
the library on the opposite side. The pres
ent room must he thrown WIN all its de-
fects upon the members themselves. In itself 1t Is de-
serving OF some commentator, but the approaches to
It unnandsome, the room i reached by mounting
several shor; steps, and the corridor is deprived Of
dignity by but oppression 81 llc
gallery which is built above 1t and whose floor makes
for It low s0ping ceiling.
II from the consideration utilinesthe
iense Of the plan AMI tn consideration for the COM
fort OF those are TO use the bulldng-we turn To
the art sic Sid 50 much cannot fairly b said in
meudation. The Capitol il well placed on rising
ground IN Bushnell PARK and is seen not only In
the town Itself aud from points near it. out also from
considerable distance IN the surrounding country Seen
from point IN the town itself and at the foot the
park Il - found be too Iowa detect not the
hrs to point sIuce II mas been much commented on
and remedy proposed in the shape OF stone terrace
he nort1 front the architect himself read IN
the port OF tine Commits Oncrs Tor ISIS, considering
such terrace " essential 70 its compete development
IN dignity, proper elevation and symmetrical proper
tion." Il must occur that the design OF
great public binding should never De made To depend
on something that NAV not be added to IL in
the future but snail mt blame the architect too
much what after al h. may not be To blame for. His
design has been much tempered with, and subjected
To too much alteration that he should be held RESPONSE
be for all ia SHORTCOMINGS The building is all his in
IN t and he has designed every part OF It, It is true,
but have II Is not all OF II spontaneous. To
our thinking. the chief Objectionable element in the
building great tower. We object principle to
towers unless they can be to relation
the purp OF the structure or can be brought into
direct actlon with the building a
OF It's plan. Spires aud dOmes in the me
dieval churches held bells. served landmarks
10 the wanderer land, or, over the relies
OF a departed saint the altar OF risen God " gave
back the Bonded heaven " 10 which he had assembled
with painted stars ana peoped with the celestial
hierarchy. In every the dome or spre had mean
ing or use, il in civic buildings cannot
be made 10 serve an absolute meaning. ought % be
justified m some way by conforming with the plan and
uses Of the structure. This tower at Hartford
has no such excuse for beng. not even the
sole excuse OF beauty. Not that it Ia ugly
structure; 1t is by means such, but 1t
is not beautiful either and its height is out Of pru
portion TO the length Of tue pulling IL is itself re-
sponsible fOr something OF the appar mt lOwncss
ot the edidce. Besides, it does not grow
out OF the architecture OF the whole; 1t ap-
pears 10 be what IL is really. separate stTuc-
ture it ID tower built ii Ia the middle Of The build
ing and not at tho pains to attach itself to the side.
Of the PIT stands ia. Inside the building 1t ia moi only
az no use IL the Eay, and occupies the place that
should been IL tae staircase. There are Two
sarcases where there should have been They
built sahst the and sides o the tower and are
both contracted ami ifsudicently lighted besides that
the detail their design, their ramps aud ratings, with
the supports that they give TO the platforms which de
pend upon them are 80 unreasOnaby heavy and clumsy
rs 10 increase both these defects The tower pierced
all sides with pointed arches tout Of proportion tall
30 thoroughfare, but neither its size nor
shape gives it any artistic interest or value and its
height ia neek-torturing curiosity. with NO
beauty to reward the pain Above the roof tie square
foundation breaks violently into dodecagon anu this
Il accomplished not by the umehonored aud lime
justified arto OF good building. but y the cheap tricks
OF the modern contractor. Instead OF corbelling
with masonry and showing US that the solid struc
ture above IL supported in way TO satisfy the mDd and
give il the pleasure that comes fIOm seeing things
done logically Gud mounting TO the attic that the
tweye-sed structure rests partly on the solid square
and partly iron beams, which thrust out their
meeting ends plainly 10 view, and honestly declare
the shabbmess of the business they are engaged IN
Above the roof the drum OF the same coarse white
marble which whole building IL constructed; this
drum supports dome ot iron To he covered with cop
I--L- L-L- ~. l-... -.--.- IL LIZ. .a.. IL