Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-28

built for the economies Of q pristine age, ex-
cept that we are the dupe Of the fashion to
reproduce oil styles"
awhat is the present architectural fash
icnTT
at is q phase of the Norman somewhat
modernized and adapted to the present wants
This style IS directly opposite in its character
istics from the Queen Anne, is severe to clum-
siness and will undoubtedly have its run"
what do you think will be the next fash
ion!n
"Romanesque and Gothic will surely follow
the present fashion. And after that time we
will have arrived at the period when fashion
in architecture will have to take back seat
and individual Judgment based upon refined
taste will reign in the land. Our people learn
quickly. and our stages OF progress are much
shorter than those of other countries We
have such a cosmopolitan population, and we
import so much of the brains and experiences
of the old countries, that we 60 further ahead
in a decade than other countries do In cent
ury."
How about our public buildingsT
"The architecture Of our government build
ings is more pretentious, but IS actually be-
low the average private architecture in New
York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, etc.
The public buildings are big, and the costly
materials used in them, such as fine marble,
bronzes, rich finishings, ETC., run through
them all There is little artistic conception
in them, and they are lacking in those archl-
tectural qualities which should be found In
the works of a great nation. The trouble
with our government architecture is that the
immense amount of routine work which
occupies the attention Of the supervising
architect, who makes all these plans, the
very nature Of the duties which devolve upon
him. and the fact that he is at no time free
from interruption, leave him no opportunity
for the proper study of his designs. This
work is done under all the disadvantages of
want OF time and almost entire preoccupa-
ton with other matters, which must
always result in Imperfect and unsatiS-
factory work Government buildings
should be let out for competition to the best
architects of the country and the best plans
taken. In this way we would have a variety
of designs and the best talent in the United
States to draw from"
What do you think Of the Washington
monument"
1T is not the CONCEPTION Of the present
age but that Of a past age. 1t belongs To
our first stage Of monumental architecture,
To the period when the first rays Of monu-
mental architecture dawned. when bigness
ruled supremacy. 1t corresponds to the idea
that some people have of America, in that it
is wonderful country on account Of the big
ness Of its territory. This desire for bigness
is always the first stage Of nations monu-
mental architecture. You find it in the
pyramids, in the Tower of Babel and in the
Washington monument. We have gotten
over that now TO a certain extent and are
now in the second stage in which we want
our national structures not only big but
gaudy. Nations are like individuals, and we
are now in the position of young son who
has suddenly inherited all his fathers i'm
menSe wealth We graduate the value of q
thing by its cost, and we throw our money
around more with an idea to show that we
have it than to bring usefulness or beauty
out of it."
"What do you think of the durability of
the monument"
How long it will last is question that
structure OF this size has never been tried be-
fore The monument weighs nearly 100000
tons and you can see how time has affected
its lower half The difference between it
and that which was built during the last few
years is very plainly visible"
What are the chief faults Of the public
buildings Of Washington"
"The chief one is that they are not fire
proof. The main old parts Of the Capitol
have wooden ceilings and roofs and fro on
either side Of the great dome would bring it
| down to the ground. II would consume the
national library and would destroy millions
| of dollars worth of property The state, war
and navy department is not strictly fireproof,
| and should big fire break out in the treas
ury department nothing could save it, The
White House is not fireproof, and in fact the
only public building in Washington which is
GrproOf are the two wings Of the interior
| department which were rebuilt after tho fire
of few years ago.
"Another great fault of our public build
| ings," continued Mr. Smithmeyer, lis that
| they are too small The great increase Of
the public business has outgrown them. The
| Capitol ought 10 be twice its size, and almost
all the departments have their clerks scat
tered about in rented and insecure buildings
| There was a scheme for enlarging the White
House before congress, and some legislation
will have to be done to give the president
more room. Congress has the matter in
charge. There ought to be an addition to
thc White House. President Hayes bad the
| right idea of it. He told me one day that
| he thought the old building should he en-
largcd in every direction, but be preserved
on account of the historical associations.
Here said he, 'our presidents have lived
and here have been enacted many of the
chief scenes of our nations history The old
White House, the White House of our presi-
dents, should stand as long as the country
stands 1t should DO kept sacred to the
memory of the past.
IL think President Hayes was right" con.
tinued Mr.. Smithmeyer, 1--WE could add to
| it and make beautiful building This IL
the way most of the great palaces of Europa
have been built, and think it is the way in
which the presidents mansion will I've i'm
proved some day"
| FRANK G. CARPENTER