Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-12
GOTHAM GOSSIP.

The New Era in architecture
Which is DaWning on
the Metropolis.
The Age of Iron Gradually Civ
ing Way to Brick
and Stone.
Philadelphia Press.
NEw York, January D This city
Is at last to have q gateway, with q
handsome porter's lodge; and the
gates are now almost ready to swing,
and the porter is moving into his
lodge. The gate and lodge are at the
extreme southern point of the city,
standing on the battery sea wall, over
looking the bay and flanked by trees
and lawns and flowers; and they are
to be known as the United States
barge office. There henceforth
all cabin passengers and their
baggage will be landed from
ocean steamers, instead of being
dropped on whatever ramshackle pier
may happen to be the steamers final
stopping plrce The porter who nc.
cupies the lodge Ia the surveyor of the
port, and there will always be a goodly
force of custom house inspectors on
hand to levy duties, and skirmish
around for surreptitiously imported
cigars and laces aud jewels, and what.
not Although the building Is not
yet finished, and its full business will
not open until May 1st, some of the
| officers have already moved in and on
Tuesday last the flag was run
up on Its tower for the
first time; though, it came
down to half mast an hou- Liter, on
account of the death of Deputy Col.
lector Bush. The Barge office is a
stately structure, standing very near
the spot where ono was the flagstaff
that Drummer.bo Van Arsdale
| climbed to teal down the British flag
when the red-ceats evacuated this
port, nearly a century ago. Its dock,
which was constructed eleven years
ago, is 225 feet long and 112 feet
wide, enclosed by a massive granite
wall that rests or the bedrock. The
building itself is of Maine granite, los
by 50feet; the first story seventeen and
one.half feet high, the second sixteen
andone.fourth and the tower eighty.si1
feet high, with a flagstaff on the tor
of that twenty. five feet higher. II
the top of this tower will be placed @
powerful electric light which will BIZ
visible far down the bay and even fal
out at sea. The lower floor Is taker
up by waiting rooms, baggage rooml
and two small rooms for Marine hos
pital officers. The second floor vii
be occupied by the officers of the Gus
tom house. The walls within ar
plastered In . grsyish tint. TIL,
wood work Is of natural white pine
The windows are of plate and cathe
dral stained glass, and throughout the
structure is a fitting portable the grest
city beyond.
ARCHITECTURE IN THE METROPOLIS.
This subject leads me to observ,
that a new era seems to have dawne,
in New York architecture. The ag
of iron 10 past and the age of bricl
and stone is here. There was q time
when A. T. Stewart built his enor
nous store, when every one though
that metal was to be the building ma
terial of the future. 1t wau reasonably
cheap, it was rapidly put up, 1t wal
easily ornamented and it was thought
to be durable and fre-proof. But the
balance of sore experience has proved
it to be lacking In the last two re,
spects. 1t gives place now to its elder
brothers of the clay pit and quarry.
Going through this city one can reat
Its history and mark Its growth in
styles of architecture. Down by the
battery and in the oldest down towr
streets bricks prevails. The region o
old brick extends up almost to Unior
Square. 1t comprises some notable
buildings, such as the huge New Yorl
hotel and that row of brick housel
trimmed with white marble OF
Washington Square, that were
built half century ago, anc
yet they are good as new.
At Fourteeth street and at intervals
below the brownstone age set in,
Fifth venue and the fashionable
streets on each aide were built there
of. Among large buildings of brown
stone arose the Cooper Union and tn,
Metropolitan hotel. Marble was alsc
used, as In the Grand Central hotel
This age lasted until the close of tn,
war, when iron was introduced. Ir
the central Business portion of the
city, Just below Canal street
whole blocks of imposing iror
structures went up. Their
the great Chicago fire showed
the worthlesspess of iron In such al
emergency aad Its use was checked
Granite was called to a front rank, II
such monumental structures as tn,
~postofice, the Equitable building, tn,
Masonic temple and Others. But yer,
soon brick was chosen as the only ma
terlal that had stood against the fur
mace breath in Chicago, and since thel
brick, trimmed with granite or sand
stone, has become tire most popula
materials for all kinds of buildings
Brick bids fair long to hold it's plac,