New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
REPAIRING TIE BROORLTN CITY HALL.
TIE TOWER CLOCK AND BELL NOT LIKELY
TO BE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
nI.SIIS PLANS


The question OF repairing the Brooklyn City Hall
and making good the damage caused by the fire
which occurred nearly two months has not
yet been decided: ard. whatever may be determined
upon il is not likely that the work Will be under
taken Immediately. The people OF brooklyn are
getting accustomed 10 the absence OF the fainllar
tower and clock and find that it is easy to get
along without them. OF course. many glance III
voluntarily toward the place whore the clock used
TO be when they come within range OF the hail.
I'm order to tell the time. but that habit VIII soon
wear away.
The old clock not altogether trustworthy ana
had the habit of saying one thing on one side ana
another on another Then, too, the erection or the
elevated railroad in Fulton-st. few years ago
served 10 cut off the view OF IL from the side or
that thoroughfare which is most used and thus di-
minishcd its usefulness There Is no intention AT
present OF erecting another tower and supplying
il with a clock and bell The bell in the City Hall
had ouiIivcd It's usefulness. and the city had adj
vanccd far beyond the stage when 1t was thought
necessary to sound fire alarms 10y strokes Of its
clapper As for the clock there are othcr clocks
IN the ncighborhood especially that on the ''ar-
field building over the way "Hlch meet d" VI"
p" H citiznns become accustomed to the changed
nizc that the removal OF the tower is an improve
mg ,ldng ann NOR effScuay Just afcr the fire there
was some talk of adding story or Two I" me puId
nroy.iie more Office room. This talk was meyer
taken seriously by any one in authority, and every
one who has studied the matter sees plainly mat
10 add 10 the height OF the building would ho 10
i,npair It's symmetry and dwarf It's proportions.
* far az the interior H. concerned, II IS alto-
-othcr likely that steps will he taken 10 substitute
IRON and ST. for the wooden upper moor n"1rnS
and the roof Orders, TO give the bulidihg a
areproof character. Building Commissioner Bush Is
inclined 10 think that half dome would u" the
proper finishing touch 10 apply To IN" Centrc OF
the building. and he has also suggested that IL
would be a good thing TO inc!ose the roof with an
ornamental baustrade which would serve ~ con
ceal tho ugly Chimneys. which are now 50 con-
ypcuous and which interfere with the beauty OF
he sky line. ,
4 hiil has been introduced In the Legislature
ncrmitting the expenditure OF Si'c@r IN repairing
Tho building. Proba bly, official action on the
subject will taken until after the passage OF ne
ill and whatever work Is decided on viii Doubt
less ho post poned until midsummer, when the max
ing of repairs will interfere rs ltt,e as possible
with the transaction OF business.
a good many people strongly ofth opinion mat
the uIper part OF the cry HAL should be used Tor
nubit Offices and should no longer he given mp as
living apartments FOR the janitor There IS Ger
.airIv no more reason FOR providing rooms here
for the city Hall tanitor than there would he In
huilIing for which Re cares. THIS IS a survival
from earlier pcroi IN the history OF the '''N'
II Is time Il was wiped ont.
II Offices are established on nc upper story an
elevator in the city Hall Will be necessity. IL
ought 10 be provided anyway "h"n ~" WORK
Of repairing the building IS taken IN hand.