, 1889-08-01
NEW YORK LETTER.
Opposed to the Destruction of City Hail
Park---Tweed Recalled
BUddensiek.

New YORK, July Is. 1889. There
seems to be a universal public seuti-
ment against the proposed erection of
new municipal building in City Hall
Park, bill for which purpose was
passed at the last session OF the legisIa-
ture. The proposed building will oc-
cupy $4,000 square feet, and, if erected
according to present intentions. will
oveFshadow what is conceded to be one
of our finest gLoCimeus OF arcIiteo
ture-the City Hall. This is the sec
Ond tins that an ercroachment has been
attempted on the City Hall Park, the
first Que being successful. 1 refer to
the slicing off of a large space for line
general post office. No doubt the post
office is very useful building, and was
much ueed4d, but it was really too bad
TO take away any of tho peoples breath
ing space. The attempt to gobble up
81, 900 feet more is meeting with such
determined opposition that it is ex-
tremely unlikely to succeed. The park
is certainly small enough now-so small
that We wonder where the $4,000 feet is
to come from, anyhow.
TWEED RING DAYS.
The recent death in New Orleans of
John H. Maginnis, son-in-law OF Viii.
liam NJ. Tweed, recalls the palmy days
of the Tweed ring" When Magin mis-
married Tweed's daughter, nearly
twenty years ago, Tweed was then at the
zenith of his career. The Wedding was
a most magnificent one, ana it is SAID
the bridal presents amounted to more
than $l50,O00. Among tie donors and
the presents they made we're Thomas j
Creamer, gold ana silverware, 81 600;
James Ryan, gold chain necklace set
with diamonds, 81 800; Senator Norton,
gold chain and diamond pendant. $3.50;
John j. Blair, cameo. diamond and
pearl set, $500; Joseph G Harrison,
cameo sleeve buttons, diamond settings,
$1,000 aud Thomas @. Fields, gold aud
diamond necklace, $1,000.
BUDDEN6IEK's BUILDINGS.
The annourceme Mt is made that Chas.
J. Buddensiek, the contractor, who WAS
sent to State Prison for ten years for
manslaughter, has petitioned Governor
Hill for a pardon. This will recall
remarkable accident, in which q row of
eight houses. each five stories high, tum-
bled down with fata! result, and the re-
markab!e fact that somebody was con-
victed for it. Buddepsiek had charge
of the erection of these buildings, which
were on 62d street, between Tenth and
Eleventh Avenues. A large number OF
carpenters, rooters, masons and other
mechanics were at work on the build
iugs en- the forenoon of April l3, 1885,
when, without warning, the entire row
of houses collapsed. One of the end
buildings, eye witnesses afterward said,
was seen to sway for moment aud then
the outer wall fell against the inner
wall. This cansod it also to fall in
ward, and the whole row went down in
much the same manner as a house of
cards. & gang of laborers who were
put to work on the ruins, reinforced by
the fire department, extricated thirteen
wounded men an hour after the collapse.
One of them, Louis Walters, died the
following day in Roosevelt hospital.
Buddensiek was tried, convicted, and
sentenced to ten years in state prison
and the payment of $500 fine. Public
feeling was very strongly against him,
and 10 many parts of the city there was
almost a panic. as il was learned that be
had erected more than 1000 houses.
His name became q synonym for
"shaky" building, but he probably has
counterpart in every town in the
land. FDwIS ARLINGTON.