New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-20
ESTIMAELE VALUE.

PEELED TO consul, the records which It contains
naturally think OF the results which would follow II
the heat became sufficient dndcr m" intense of
the the Hat roof 10 start a blaze among tho
dusty papers IN the attic the rotng boards Of
the ceiling 4 similar thought has been suggested
In winter. whom the old-fashionci furnace In tho
cellar is AZ work vigorously raising tho temperature
In tho oil structure IN which many valuable records
stored.
The Hall OF Records "a one of tho odcs, municipal
buildings in tho country II was built in i7'7-5s
and though I, was rcmodccd IN 1880 10 isli. II
has s'ill the walls and some OF the other parts 81
the original structure a building less suited for
the preservation ~ important records II would be
dGicu, TO find. and lawyers have for many years
urged the demolition OF the bul.Iirg and the
ton OF a suitable for the Registers Office.
County Clerks Office Controllers Office and FOR the
use OF any other department in which documents
OF especial value are kept The floors Of the build
Ing are OF wood. the cases In which "libers" Of
mortgages and conveyanccs ar KEEP, are OF wood.
and the same material Is used IN the ratings IN
the pigeon hole cases. in the partitions and in all
other places where careful corporations use only
stone steel or iron. that the safety Of i'm
portant papers may be secured
The entrance TO the Registers once IL through
temporary frame structure. which has been built in
what was formerly the front porch ~ the build
ing as rcnodeci In 1894 The Registers private
ONCE IL the entrance AMI some q the copyis'
hava naces IN the same frnll extension of the main
building. This part OF the building Is 50 slightly
built and Of material combusth,c that IRE
would destroy II almost Immediately II one started.
Inside Of the main walls 81 the building. which are
OF great thickness there the nrst floor wooden
cases containing record books md railing and
desks principally Of wood. behind which some OF the
officials have their places. The second floor II
bull, in even larger proportion OF wood Tho map
room on this floor H. not only entirely inadequate I'm
size but Is 50 situated that the danger o, IRE II
especially great. The heat iron: the furnace IL car
rled through the wooden frame IN which the maps
are kept ana until recently there vas no protection
20 the woodwork. Slight pieces % meta. now partly
mace bu, In the depth OF ~lntc- these sheets be
come sc heated that Their" r. danger that tse wood
work may be nrc.
The third noor OF the building II even more unfit
FOR the storage 81 pHhlr records than the be-
low AT each end 81 the ihiri no0r - attir space
Immediately under the roof. These rDoms are built
over the original porch"s Of Ionic coumns pnsed IN
position sixty years ago The noors ar" butt or
loose boards and In OF the rooms there IL trap
door or iis hinges and lying loosely over hole In
IN. floor Wooden beams through thcse rooms
liz sitting ola chat'-l mortgages and bills Of sal"
are piled IN disorder about these attic spa and the
and his assistants say that no other place can be
found in the overrrovtcd building In which to place
cid papers ana books.
SEVERAL appeals have been made To the i.gislat-
thus far without success \ new attempt VIII b"
made In the next legislature and the strongest
The title 10 the real property IN the ciiy depends
largely upon tho preservation Of The records con
tanned IN the Registers Office. The records are
dated In some cases two centuries ago. and
asst 200 years mas been recorded In the office which
Is now housed In 50 Inadequate a structure.