New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-21
A MODEL PRIVATE HOUSE.
coupopT AM IIryI,RY COMBINED.

TIRE "FINESr HOUSE IN NEw-YOkK "-ADMi'-
ABLE SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS AND ELEGANl
DECORATIONS.
The advance which has been made OF late years
in the art of interior house decoration gives inter-
est 70 the description presented below OF the mouse
of f. N Dickerson. No. GA East Thirty -fourtn-s'''
which. in many respects, is regarded as mous' e',S
residence Particular attention has been pald 10
the sanitary arrangements, and the devices loi So
curinc health and comfort are noteworthy The
elegance and richness of the woodwork, tie taste
dispaved in the fitting Of each room the fiescong'
the nlan of the apartments and the facilities ior
heating and lighting the house. have drawn express
sions of admiration from all who have shared MI
DickcIson's hospitality
DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSE.
The Count de Lesscps, during his recent
visit in NewYori asked to see the finest private h'
in this city and at the suggestion OF many members OF
the Society CIVIL Engineers and Of the society OF
American Architects, he taken to the residence OF
Z y Diclcrson No 81 East Thir;yfourti-st The sur
prise ana admiration which Count de Lasscps expresses
at the elegance and taste displayed in the interior inr
nishlng and decoration and the ingenious ana arpa-
renly perfect arrangements 1r securing HeSI sweet
air an even temperature ard plenty Of gi. were briefly
r,farrcd 30 in TIE TRIBUNE 10 The zine Of ms visit II
occurred 10 TRIBUNE reporter 1t The time iiat li
description Of such house would I've of mAe lhan or"i
nary interest and through the courtesy Of Mr. Decker
son he recently spent an agreeable hour IN examining
tho interior with tie owner a. e guide.
Tho house occupies the siglt OF what was formerly
M Dic.crsons Stable. II J, dive stores ia height ana
has width within ,ho walls 81 tw nywo feet ana ok
iuchcs Tue front OF the house built 81 h" ~ that
prevailed at Antwerp ~ the time OF ire hrnai'sln'e'
and j. composed ~ pale hine SANDSTONE from Tue
WYOMING Valley and rcd bricks. The eject Of the .'a',
flo .f.tr fhg
- udnvs is 70 give one the precision that the Eonse IS
wider than 1t really is. Ant en- enters Tie doo' Whrh
is ON level with tie iayc:ncnt, this impression - SIM
Kept up. owing 20 the peculiarly cf c;ve arrange
lacnt OF the rooms on thc several floors anI Of
TIE hail stairway winch leads them. lEc home was
built under the personal supervision Of Mr. Dtersch
who Niih his family moved III last Iull.
First Of ALL he wished t0 have the Zoe hou' IN the
world 10 live Iu." iousc hsowu words; AID therefore
The sanitary ariauScn. MS were all important GU H
fist exclamation on entering The hall IS caused by inc
uncxlcctcd purity freshness and soltncss OF TIE eir
which comes up through the register Tie secret VIA
soon explained. In The basement, which is below the
level Of the street. thrc sources OF air by when the
house l. kept agreeable temperature" The fresh
air which introduced through large hne 1a-s- up
through a cotton filter. which removes all the dust ana
impurities fiom H. over the litter are arranged coils oil
steam pipes ana above tLc pipes Is an op tank oi con
tuay cvApora:ing water, b, the sides Of which the air
"a ~ drctlu1 To tlif nav "lf' l'''' ''f' ~ "
swinging screen the air after being filtered, can b Kept
from coming In contact with The steam pipes, and TINS
its temperature be regulated The ch'ct of HE al
rauCciuent 10 make the air 5udrriGJ soft ana Virr
and m refreshing c0uiris. with ta out o doors owing
TO the pcr!ec clrcuatou the air throughout tAc h"us
is changed every ten minutes. " have mace an c'l
mate OF IN, quantity ot air ~ tic world" snd M IAcS
rrsnu with laugh ms he explained tais system; and
have come To the opinion that II ISN'T necessary 10
breathe any tvlcc.'
sructrd under Mr. ID c6rrsOL's direction. TIC rr'u dI-
nv alb ut il IL that scarcely any neat 70 " strd ia"
water is made 10 circulate through the boir rlpcs
with great rap1iil, 50 iai al ol tAc neal OF tc h -
absorbed tn, temperature % the uiT u thc tIb. D.,
generally NOT above 100 aud never ha been above 10"
The economy o. eat seems To "r almost perfect me
har-fclt ana canvas with which %" smoke PIC 10
wrapped is never even sngcd. Indeed the hcai ~ the
register in the hall is greater than the hcai winch c,
capcs from the bollcf-a singular TACT mat ~ uist
thought seems impossible
Near the boi- is an open sewcrppc. and this served
Mr.. Dickcrson text for some remarks on sewer -
An through his house the so pipcs act as v'nulntors
and not outlets Tor impure air " burning paperl,
held to any opening in pipc thu fame sucked IN and
not blown out Mr. DickcrsOn says mat Is deu'iou
The germs Of disease come from me deposu' Oh we
sides the sol pipes. and not from Tho sewer Whic
,irowgh fbr vtni-iol. 10 The level Of the street IL
turning 10 The basement one hn'7 shali room l'd
with Jars wires aud ther apparatus hy winch the t,'
II CIV winch ls H. " i"f = "i, ' putt ' ' W. ''
house. is generated NcXt 60 TIL, I'1h J, large ld'
cutcd icebOx. ant hy She s,fc TN s The vince lar,
WHERE are arranged dozens upon foIcus Of iuviins-
looking bottles Going SUI ], iihsr toward thr F,3r'
scaI-iryIng ana the laundry, ana ast OF an tnc
kltcncn In these rooms .b.uauce o. Hight.
since tnc slope OF the land 10 the Inward - 80 abrupt
that the western windows let m q Hood OF h'h..
TIE FIRST FLOOR AND STAIRWAY.
The first floor on the level OF the street contains
cepton room, the left enters the hail. and ur
Their III the bardrO0m Still further back are
weI..lgLted sowing-room and winters bedrooms aud
panrAs As stands IN the hail hc bcgin- to get
idea OF the elegance and taste with which the whole
house Is fitted mp The stairway extends with square
landings To the top Of the house, forming large square
well, down which the sunlight Is streaming through
large glass skysht I'm the roof The woodwork OF The
halls from the lower TO the upper floor, Including the
stairway and railing the paneng and the doors leading
10 the several rooms OF the richest carved mahogany
but the light is abundant that the dark wood sug
gest- 10 idea Of sombrencss Everything In the halls
the Frcuch wallpaper, the Persian rugs. the ciOss0t
bases OF the casnXurcs the delicate frcseocs The
ceilings and the matched woods IN the floor In
harmony with the leading idea suggested by he mahog
any finish.
Facing one AT the first landing on the stairway il 2
tall mirror. before which hangs q chandelier Of two
burners OF course. wh,n the gas is Ited these
10 lie four burners account Of the red ciion Ju Il
below the skylisht, IN the dome, crcc OF 100
tets which may be lighted by electricity " Spirg
the lower floor touched The effect o. thh i, 81 lrye
a brilliant appearance to TIE hall in the evening One
has the light without the glare directly In thc face.
Mr. Dckerson tells with amusement Of policemen and
others who q few minutes after he has touched the
magic spring. have rushed madly 10 his house from
Madison ana Park ayes, TO break 10 him the dreadful
intelligence that his house fire
Mr. DcHcr-OH's assertion that nothing IN the house l.
ham certainly 10 he true. II u built thToug Oh
ont of brick iron and cement. and il literally founded
on a rock" And the principle OF sOldify and duiabiIty
app ars have been adhered 10 IN nc construction Of
every part lnled MI Dickcrsons effort 10
brauty elegance and utiy IN the most tasteful and
permanent forms. The stairway Is regarded ~ model
Of grace an6 simplicity. The mahogany was subjected
10 test 200 bctOre IL was used, and IL Of the finest
quality. The iessraiod noor IN the entry Of
fine lower floor il made Of haywood and
ash In the east side Of The hall opposite the stair
way are FIVE large closets that would make the heart
OF any housewife fairly leap with Joy. They in
the coats aud hats Of the men of the family
and their friends. Properly speaking his nO0r IS not
Giving floor" Mr.. DckcrsOn isa strong believer IN
having the stairway leading to ones parOGs In the in