New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-19
THAT CEILING AGAIN.
THE PAPER MACHE SWINDI.E DROPPING
INTO THE ASSEMBLY CHAMBER

IT HAS LASTED FOUR YEARS AND * 40 DIL\P-
up,Trp THAT THE NEW LEGIsLATtHE WILL
HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TO REPLACE IT.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBrNEI
Albany. Dec ls-rhe ceiling OF the ASS, mb.y
Chamber after maintaining Il good character ior
several years has again fallen into notorious ana
d,srenu,ahc WAYS II was a noble ceiling
of gray andsione which proudly curved Itself anoNe
the heads OF the Assembiymen, but IN u" IL SUI
denly created alarm by dropping a lew chuhhS %
Itself into The body OF The Assembly 'hamp'''
When fragments Of the ceiling weighing -FOUR OF nN'
bounds began TO be found q mornings IN inc ~
s,mblv Chamber the A-senD.ymen. In the highes
interest Of the state vacated the room ami ordered
a new ceiling constructed Of OAK. 'fl.ns ''"-
mittoe WA appointed having a. IL members ft'-
mont cole William +. Shcehan. FRANK ~ Eh@'
William II. Gallup and George ;. Weed Inc mem
hers o: this committee gave out contract - John
Snalih u this city. In which they thought th'>
had provided for panels ~ quariered oak. when was
20 bo carved by sklifui wooI-carVrts when. ho"
ever the .ub,y me; again. IN the W'"ie! ~
1897 j., members quick, discovered That the Iines'
instead % being made II quiriered oak were "ct'-
ally made Of PAPER macht. much .e"' costly
material
This lcd - the appointment 81 committee u
investigation consisting ~ Hamilton Fish. Joseph
Asplnall. Charles H. MoMdsier. Francis y King
Thomas }. Creamer. George IT, Bush ami Peter n.
Mccain This committee after a cIfrf" lnNeA'H'-
ton denounced the ceiling .winilc. The re-
port c.Dscl follows.
The work is unfinished 20 is details. bad from an
architectural standpoint Hiih M toys = Oh" arches
at each cni of the Assembly Chamher cut II hy %"
ceiling. wooden beams have been l.ncod ~neTe =,
beams were called foi by the contract PAPER il,.'
IN the apaudr-le ln place ~ oak. AM ~" pih.''fS
have been Improperly nu-hci. ali b-inE dom ln
negligent careless ami cheap manner. While 10"
AUTHORIZATION allowed b. the state r.lir tAan
-uff C.ent 20 have made perfectly finished pee ~
work Andrews. sullivan sni Snaith con nined io
defraud the peope
And now. after four years th~ phpier-niche cci.-
Ing Itself Il reported 10 De cruntling into rdn and
vii BE- repia 'cI. possibly ~ the carvcI-oak
ceiling originally lnt-ldod. There are ho.c- IN u.
some OF the panels ro;tlns away and others are
sunken. All the rest OF the holes caused by the
sagglng and giving away Of the PAPER machc. The
percent ceiling will last only short time. Parhr"
have already begun 10 drop. although The "r"ichel
condition OF the ceiling cannot De detected by iOok
INK at Il from the floor. TO see II the visitor must
go above IT. which. by-the-way, he VIII probably hot
have a chance TO DO. Every square Is In bad con
dillon and beyond repair Nothing can be done eN-
cept 10 substitute Il ceiling II Is probable That
the LEGISLATURE will be called again 20 take up
and order the construction OF new ceiling Pos
sihiy this time the handsome design or Isaac %
Perry the new Capitol superintendent. VIII D." To-
lowed In this the new ceiling Will b"autiiy
the great Assembly Chamber Instead II marrIng IT,
az the present one has done