New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-21
ASSEMBLYMEN IN PERIL.
TONS OF STONE MAY FALL UPON THEM.
RECOGNIZING AT LENGTH THE GRAVE DANGEv
IRON THE CRILING OF THEIR CHAMBER
SOLEMN WARNINGS FROM TIE ARcHr-
TECTs-A COMMISSION OF En-
GrNEERs TO BE APPOINTED.
LEY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE1

AMMAN Jhh SO-lne talk among the ASSEM-
pTmen to-day was that the Assembly chamber
was unsafe in consequence Of the uneven settle
meht OF the foundations of the CAPITOL II was
further said that the four massive granite pillars
which uphold the stone ceiling were not sinking
into the earth at the speed. aud therefore
the " balance of the stone arches which curve
above the heads of the Assembly was disturbed
This was not a lucid explanation. but it was ac-
ccpted as such by the Asscmblymen. Nor were
their fears allayed when one of the Senators
stated that a stone weighing seven pounds had
chippcd off from the c'Iling and fallen into the
Assembly chamber in October last. MANY OF the
Asscmblymen after they heard this, spent the rest
Of the morning gazing upward at the mighty
stone roof above their heads. observing every
crack that appeared, and calculating where
fragment would strike if it fell into the chamber
Toward noon Mr.. Ainsworth the chairman OF the
Committee on Appropriations. introduced the fol
lowing resolution:
Resorrd II the senate That the stats Engineer
cause examination TO be made OF hs Assembly Cham
Der in the Capitol aal particularly or the ceiling
and foundations and supports thereof fer the
ascerainns its condition and stability and the
danger fany to he apprsnded there'ron and for that
purpose TO associate with hin In sail erapinaoa aui
report TO be made thereon, Thomas Clark OF the City
OF Nsw-York. and Professor Richari VI. Upjohn that
the results OF said examination be 10 the Leg
ature within forty days from the date OF the Of
this reselu On together with their juig TO the
such defects shall be revealed their
vestgatiOn that the eXpensss OF said examination shall
not exceed the OF s. 900 and shall be audited and
paid by the Controller the certificate Of the state
Engineer and surveyor
Mr. Ainsworth desired to state his reasons for
introducing the resolution and for asking for it's
immediate adoption. but Mr.. Hamilton. of New
York, objected. and therefore the resolution was
laid on the table according to the rules
wARxINGs FROM THE ARCHITECTS.
Mr. Ainsworth will call il up oil Monday night
and will ask the Assembly to pass it. Tie said
TO The TRIBUNE correspondent later in the day:
Il think the Assemblvrnen should not occupy
the Assembly chamber a day longer Last spring,
after tn, Legislature had adjourned, Leopold Ed
litz of New.York. the architect upon whose plans
the Assembly chant or was being constructed.
wrote 10 Governor Hill that there was such I'M
mnent danger of the Assembly chamber ceiling
falling that. the designer OF the room. ms
would no longer be responsible for the saieIv Oh
the Asscmblvmen unless the ceiling OF the room
was repaired. He said that the stone arches re-
quired balancing, that the central arches had oceh
loaded with stone and brick at his expense 10
prevent their rising and thus had been balaheed'
but the side arches had not been thus balaneed'
and consequently the equilibrium of pressure on
the stone ceiling had been lost Still Mr.. Eldll|
did not think that the stone ceiling should be re-
moved Isaac c. Perry the architect Of the New
Capitol did not agree with Mr.. Eidlitz that there
was danger of the entire stone ceiling. when
weighs hundreds of tons. suddenly falling INTO
the Assembly chamber. lie did think. however,
that the arcl es were balanced so unevenly that
stones would scale off and fall into the chamber.
what did the Governor do with Mr EldltIs
letter?7
lie read it, said Mr.. Answorth " and thought
for a time that he would call special session ot
al 1 al
chamber But then he feared that the newspapers
would excite Il panic among the Assemblymen,
if the facts were made known Mr. Perry assuftn
him also that there was no Immediate dahger ni
the ceiling falling But early ,; ths year yoo,aj mI
EidlitZ again wrote to Governor lll and repeated
his warning about the unsafe condition oi the 10,
sembly chamber. In that letter Alr. Eldlltl salu
he wished To file protest IN Wrtlng agails. tn'
occupatiOn of the room by the Assembly tne pres
cnt winter
GOVERNOR HILL WAITS FOR TUE COMMITTEES I'D
MEET
Governor Hill deemed it best not to say any
thing about the protest by Mr.. Edtz,' continued
Mr. Answorth " until the committees OF the Leg
islature were appointed. Then he sent for SEN
ator George B. Sloan, chairman OF the FINANCE
Committee of the Senate, and myself as chairman
Of the Committee on Appropriations of the AS
sembly, and submitted to us the letters OF Ar.
Eidlitz. The Governor said ne wished to clear
himself Of all responsibility in the matter by
stating the facts to US. Then we could inform
our fellow members and the ASSemDlymen must
look out for themselves. But II he were al Az
semblyman he would not occupy tnal ROOM q
single daV We have therefore decided tIdJ -
commission of architects and engineers had Detter
he appointed to learn the actual condition OF ihc
building State Engineer Bogart who Is to DO
one of this commission. is one OF the leading ehFln-
GERS of the country. lie is secretary OF tile SOciey
of American Engineers and has charge OF the
obstruction Of the great bridge across the iarie
River i'm New York Mr.. UpiOhn Is an eminent
New-York architect. T. c. Clark is the engineer
who has charge of the construction OF thG % greac
railway bridge across the Hudson River at Pougl-
keepsie The problem Of deciding whether tie
Assembly chamber is safe is largely an engineering
one. Above the ceiling ol tle ASI"oiy & Gi'no Iiilo
you will find monster iron rods that look Hkc
section Of the Brooklyn Bridge. They hold the
arches together but heat ana cold expand ana
contract iron. As the rods shorten or lengihen
their hold upon the arches is tlghened or RELAXED:
The equilibrium of the arches is greatly DISTURBED
by this constant change; and 1t has been 09served
that when the fires are lighted in this building IN
November stones begin to scale of from the cell
ing In my opinion Assemblyman can sit in
this chamber without thought OF an awful doom
perhaps. before him.
THINKS THE ROOM SHOULD Be ABsNDoNEn.
Senator Sloan was OF the same opinion as Mr.
Ainsworth in regard to the danger that the AS
semblvmen run in occupying the chamber.
have talked with Mr. Edtz,' said Mr. Sloan
TO day and am convinced that he fears that
there will be some awful calamity unless repairs
are made to the ceiling of the Assembly chamber;
Mr. Perry thinks also, although he speaks more
cautiously. 1t is plain to me that the room should
be abandoned. To examine the ceiling OF the
Assembly chamber thoroughly the commission
will have TO put up scaffodng. In the Teantimo
the Asscmblymen will have to occupy some other
room In the Capitol They once used the room on
the second floor Of the Capitol no occupied by the
State Library. I presume thc books could be
removed and the Assembymen given possession
of the room"
ryr covrpyop WILL NOT SHOW THE LETTERS
Governor HILL when told Of the action taken
bv Mr. Ainsworth, said: Mr.. Perry Superin-
tendent of the Capitol several years ago asked
for certain amount of money for extraordinary
repairs This money was to have been used 10
repair the Assembly chamber ceiling Mr.. Perry
did not tell the Assemblymen what he wished to do
with the money because he did not care To alarm
them But the Legislature refused the money.