The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-01
rHs NEW Arlxrxxxr nousss.


tho Western Union building. and tho tall tower
Of our noiehbor tho Tribune whom tho
flrst hugo apartment houaes wore prosected.
halt a hundred magazine writer's entertained
us with FANCY skesshcs OF tho New York OF tho
future which WA " be esnbe1ishod with count
less sky-scraping structures. aorial bridges.
elevatoA streets. and gardens on tho house tops.
That WAS only fow years ago. yet tho won
derful pictures that they drew havo boon In
measure realized. We havo the elevated roads.
We have tho Brooklyn bridge. and q very large
number Of high buildings: but although
from . distance those latter and tho
great towers Of the bridge add much 70
the appearance OF the city. near by they
scarcely fulfil tho promises al their pro-
motors. Tho three buildings mentioned. the
elevated railroads. the now Post Ohice. tho
Domestic building. and some other construc-
tons OF the sort are. indeed. heavv additional
load Of uoliness for q city by no means hand
some to carry. A large proportion OF the new
private houses that aspire to the architectural
consequence OF palaces II not downright ugly.
would show conspicuous bad taste In tho
community that admired them. And the big
apartment houses which were. according to the
gentlemen who wrote them IN in the month
lies. to give us a street architecture equal to
that OF the Faubourg ST. Germaip or tho Via As
sarotti In Genoa-well. they are not exactly mod
OILS OF architectural beauty either. They were to
be like the hiReis OF tho French nobility. only
without their squalid upper stories. or like the
old Italian palaces. but with cleanly halls and
stairways. They are like barracks. or Fourier
tie phnlanstare or q simple cross-town block
OF brick or brown stone. projected ton or
dozen stories into tho sky.
They may contain luxuriously furnished
apartments. but In all that relates to tho gen
eral economy OF tho building. tho stairs.
the halls. the entrance doors. and the
elevators. most are mOnumonts OF menn-
ness and some OF them OF criminal stu
pidity. The large entrances the spacious
vestibules. and broad stairways which one
would naturally look for In buildings OF their
size are absent. and. instead. they are honey
combcd interiorly with vertical and horizontal
holes. and pitted exteriory with windows. till
they resemble nothing so much a. worm
eaten log OF wood or An ant hill laid ope" by
the ploughshare. Tho light and air that should
be furnished to the interior by good-sizpd
central court or hall, Ia supplied by n number OF
badly constructed shafts. which carry noise.
odors. and fire. IL fire breaks out. through every
floor. Tho stairs are almost suppressed. al
though the elevators are constantly getting out
Of order. Tho passages and corridors arc
squeezed to get II few more feet Of space TO
make into rooms. In many Of which gas must
be burned all day II they are to be used for any
purpose requiring light.
Bad construction Is very apt to show itself In
poor proportions. and the eye that is not dis
tressed by these is not one to Judge OF the
beauty or fitness of any architectural ornament
Accordingly. we find that where such has
been cssayed though the material most
used. terra Gotta. Is capable of taking fine and
effective form. and though photographs are
easily had Of hundreds Of splendid old Italian
examples OF terra-cotta mouldings. pilastcrs
capitals. and bas relicfs though tho Certosa Of
Pavia alone would furnish models enough in
this limo to distribute all over New York. as u
rule everything ornamental in these buildings
is heavy. clumsy. disproportioned. poor in
color. and Of the most wretched design.
1t is no small matter. this multiplication Of
colossal eyesores. and 1t Is n relief to find that
n change is tsl og place. Down town. tho Mills
building. tho hsw Produce Exchange the Pc
troeum Exchange: up town. tho Jefferson
Market Court House and the market building
adjoining. and some half dozen OF the newest
| apartment houses. are handsome or imposing
II their ornament is still nothing to bra9 OF. it
is ct any rate bccomingly used. Tho huge
masses OF stone or bricks and mortar quite re-
Gently erected or now in course OF erection
give some evidence Of intelligent planning and
honest workmanship and in spite Of volumes
OF nonsensicai talk to the contrary. mere hon
est industry goes n great way in nrt. The face
OF q true man is always pleasant to look
upon. ana abulding which Is not a fraud Is sure
to have something about 1t to please the eye.
There is so much that is novel about those
huge buildings that it is little wonder TINT
those first put up should turn out monstrous.
unsuitable for their purposes. and dangerous.
1t is an entire new architecture that is in uucs
ton. Tho need. Of modern life. crowded he.
set with great organizations making use Of
enormous machinery. void OF any but material
aims as 1t Ia. were sure to be-. sooner or later.
expressed IN its buildings. For tho last thirty
years We have been making efforts in this di-
rcction. Iron has been tried AMI found want
ing. Durable stone is not within our reach
Wood Is no longer to be- thought OF. In New
Jersey right at our doors. we have. on tho
other hand. plenty az clay OF all qualities.
coarse and fine. suitable for baking. 1t was
almost q !oregons conclusion. therefore. that