Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-03
PHILADELPHIA's CITY BUILDING.
Councils Refuse to Make Any Appropria-
ton For 1t.


ton For 1t.
Philadelphia city councils have refused to
make any appropriation to the public building
commission for next year unless the latter body
shall submit detailed statement Of the uses to
be made of the money and also an estimate Of
the entire cost of the building. President
Perkins declared few days ago that be could
not furnish either estimate. The city hall is
not only an extraordinary building. but has
been built under extraordinary conditions. The
public building commission was created by act
of the legislature in 1870 The original COM
missioners were named in the act and they
we're empowered to fill vacancies. They were
empowered to erect the building on the site
chosen by public vote and to make requisition
on councils from year TO year for the money
required. Councils were required TO lay a
special tax for the sums required or to take it
out of the tax levy. The four squares at Broad
and Market streets were selected as the site
At that time it was expected that four build
ings would be erected, one on each square
Instead of that the commission decided TO erect
the building the intersection of the streets
Up TO 1875 special taxes were laid for the con-
structlon. Since that time the money has been
taken out OF the general tax.
One year the commission got nothing and
generally its demands have been greatly cut
down, but the courts have decided that il has
authority to carry on the work in its own way
and that councils must supply the funds. FIRE.
quently when appropriations are insufficient
the money is taken ont of the treasury BY
mandamus. Nothing was expended for the
site, but S15.000.0O0 have been spent on the
building. The interior finish on half the rooms
remains to be done and the great iron tower
supporting the statue of William Penn remains
to be completed. Work on the tower is now
being done under a curious contract with the
Tacony Iron Company.
No specific sum for the work is named. The
commission furnishes the capital, TOOLS &c,
pays the wages and for materials, and provides
the engineer and superintendent The Tacony
Iron Company receives Is per cent the en-
tire cost. Wages &C., are not to exceed cur
rent rates for similar work, but where there is
no guide to current rates las there will not be
on such a structure) the rates are to be reason
able With such a contract il is OF course i'm
possible to tell what the building will cost.
The building covers an area of 1S4, 23l square
feet and is six stories high. 1t is built entirely
of marble, with a great interior court, also
lined with marble. The rooms are richly
finished with colored marble, stucco and hard
woods. One suspended stairway of granite
cost S100. 600 and there are to be four such.
The feature of the building is the great tower
surmounted by the colossal bronze figure of
William Penn, the crown of whose hat will be
547 feet 81 inches above the pavement The
marble work of the tower-has been completed
and the iron tower is now being erected. Ii
will be covered with plates of aluminium bronze.
The figure Of William Penn has been completed
and is now IN exhibition in the court yard. 1t
is OF aluminium bronze and is Sc feet inches
high. -Four other figures, each "a feet high.
will decorate the corners of the tower and there
will be four aluminium bronze eagles as center
pieces at the base of the DOME The metal work,
exclusive of the figure of Penn, will be l72 feet
high.
The building is 4S6 by 40 feet and contains
$50 rooms, with floor space Of 141l acres. 1t
will be the highest building in the world.
Washington monument will be 81 inches
higher. Not more than one-haf of the interior
of the building has been completed, and the
cost may run up to $50 600. 900 before the COM
mission lets 60 its hold upon the citys purse.
The building is not imposing in appearance.
1t is dwarfed by a mansard roof with heavy
cornice, so that experienced men guess that
the cornice is fifty feet from the ground, when
in reality it is ninety feet The building con-
tains an unusual amount Of sculpture. both on
the outside and in the highly decorated hall
ways. The details are generally good, but the
building as a whole is disappointing. Since its
construction towering Office buildings 200 or
more feet high have been built around it and il
will soon look like diminutive structure sunk
in a well. The refusal Of councils to appro-
pirate money may give some trouble but the
courts have sustained the commission in its
right to carry on its work and compel the city
to pay the bills.