The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23
NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL.
CoMMIssIoyER PERRY,s REPORT
ON THE PROGRESS OF THE WORK.

eept the Approaches, Terraces, Portieos.
sad Towers-Deseriptio, or the East
srn Approach .na the ~. Terraces.
ALBANY, Dec, o2.-The time has passed when
people say, Never will the Capitol building at
Albany be completed" II has been steadily
growing towsrd completion for the eleven
years that Capitol Commissioned Perry has
been In charge Of the work. When he. q hum
bic architect packed his grip in B%lnghamton
and went to Albany he found there a mass Of
dlsordered stone, and before him . work which,
he thought, would bring but little reward. But
the capitol became = part Of the life Of Mr..
Perry-his very b~eing-and, wrapped in his
work. he has built . monument that will last
long after he has gone forever.
Not for four years has any report been made
as to the progress Of work on the Capitol build
ing. Much improvement, however. IL evident as
the result Of the four years work. and the ex-
penditurs BY the State Of about $50. zoo. 900.
When the Legislature convenes and Governor
elect Morton has taken the Gubernatorial chair
there will be presented TO the people of the State
through the Legislature q report from Capitol
Commissioner Perry covering his work for four
years. 1t has been prepared, in view Of the fact
that the control Of New York States
Affairs has passed from the Boards Of
the Democrats to those Of the Republicans.
The years reported upon are 1891, 1902, 1893,
$3.50 ~ DVO So Aho COMMISSIONER mas
been at work upon the report for some weeks.
and the main part Of 1t Is now offered TO the
readers OF The Sun. 1t begins by saying that
during the four years past work has been con-
centrated upon the eastern approach and ter
races, tho western staircase, the library, the
apartments Of the Comptroller and Treasurer.
and generally extensive repairs to many parts
of the building. The report says:
The remaining work to be done to complete
thu Capffol Ia tha naatarn aan.a.l - -
races. north. south, and western ~porticos, the
tower, repairs to the granite walls to complete
the western staircase. the furnishing of the
apartments for the Comptroller and Treasurer,
the completion of the fifth story and the
pinnacle of the sixth story of the state
library. The work of finishing and furnishing
the interior Of the Capitol is nearly completed.
The work yet to DO done on the interior is the
finishing OF the slopes to the western staircase.
The building is occupied throughout, except the
apartments of the Comptroller in the second
story. The State Treasurer is occupying the
apartments assigned to his department. but
they arc not quite finished. II will be seen that
there Is little to be done except the granite
work required TO complete the exterior and the
tower. The only mason work remaining to be done
Is that in connection with the exterior granite
work and some repairs to the interior of the
building. There is a small amount of carpenter
Ns NNbSshcA Wv ooho tDdlT1
There will be but little employment for I'M
skilled labor. The maximum number Of men
that could be employed to advantage on the
Capitol is 700 In all branches of the work, and
they principally stonecutters. Special attention
should be given to the exterior walls of the
building. as they arc suffering for much-ueeded
repairs. The pointing has worked out Of many
OF the joints in portions of the outside and court
walls, and as a matter of preservation to the
structure a good deal Of work Is necessary to be
done to restore IL to o sound condition.
" Originally tho stone cutters were not lined
with metal. The Joints were calked will lead.
Experience has demonstrated that by the cx-
pansion and contraction OF the granite the
joints could not be kept water tight by this
method. The consequence was that they leaked
badly for many years. During the last four
years the cutters have been lined with copper
and are now water tight. Many Of the outer
and court walls were damaged by reason Of the
lraky cutters, and II would be advisable to
thoroughly repair the walls, fll and point the
joints and clean down the walls, In which
case they would be preserved, and the
building would present a better appear
ance than IL does now. A force of
men has been kept employed for the past four
years in lining cutters and repairing the roof.
The Hastings and many OF the dormer windows
and walls were once In a bad condition, and
this combined to make the roof leak badly at
many points. The Hastings were taken out and
new ones put In; The mortar had worked out
t thS% 5o Eens ssd 10 .nS Be f ieSsIisd OF ana nde r wiIaSSs' T aha
copings back OF the cutters were In AN unsound
condition and the mortar had fallen out of the
joints. Now oil the stone work back OF the gut
terra has been covered with sheet lead and the
stone pointed up. The slate aud tile roof was in
made water tight. The curtain roof next TO the
southeast pavilion was in q lsskY condition
The slate was taken of and q tin roof put on.
The terra Gotta finals OF the payili0ns and
sound condition have been repaired. and the hip
rolls have also been made sound. pointed
up, and the stone work has been repaired so that
the roofs are in pretty good condition, except
certain ones which face on State street and
cred with copper, The slate on the copper roof
on the, north side should be taken down and
TIE Commissioner then enters upon a careful
description OF the eastern approach to the build
THE eastern and principal approach to the
Capitol provides for an entrance TO both the first
first story and through . portico over the arcade
in the second story. The foundation for the
approach wss laid in 1901, since which time the
when money was available for the purpose. The
plans OF the structure are on a liberal scale, and
the eastern approach extends out from the
building a distance OF 100 feet z inches aud
connects csG,leS :, Nth ~ the GGsnl,sl End End Prpisc!ing
Is III feet broad, measuring to the out;
side OF the ledestals. The strings and
ard terminate In original pedestals, on which
are designed 70 be placed statuary bearing cleo
loo feet Z inches broad and are constructed on
convex curves, the height of each step being in
broad curved platform, at which point there is
q great CORDIAL, supporting pedestals at the end
The platform Both the corbals aud pedestals
carving. From this platform there are
sixteen additional straight steps landing
steps leading to the second story. Resting
a great pier at the junction OF the
terrace and the upper run of steps Is a great cap,
4 feet llLa inches by z feet 3 inches, rising
about l6 inches above the platform. This cap
i designed 70 DO carved and 10 support pedes-
tails with carved bases, and which will receive
the strings, balustrade. and rails. and form a
proper platform for supporting s~tatuary bearing
electric lights. This is contemplated by the
six terraces extend on either side OF the up
per run Of steps 10 the roadway. This roadway
I1rms q porte cochere in the hTst story OF the
Capitol This roadway is "a feet in width by dI