The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-22
OUR MONSTROSITY.
Extraordinary Defects in
the New City Hall
Building.
DISGRACEFUL STAIRWAYS.
Conflicts Between Architect
and Contractor Produce
Queer Results,
Doors Won't Fit and No Sills Are
Proyided-A Disgraceful
Job.

by inspecting it. Louis A. Broome, the
SIT 200 architect, took offense at portions of
Expert Maynickes report, in which he said
eff he had been the architect he would have
done so and So" Within the past week at
least fifty people who admit that they know
nothing about practical architecture, have
gone through the new building and are more
forcible j their denunciation of it than the
expert was.
Approaching the building at the Grove
street entrance attention is at once attracted
to the large stone forming the front of the
balcony It is cracked in the centre, and
for safety's sake is bolted together. The
bolts are conspicuous and destroy all the
beauty that might have cen ascribed to it.
Entering the corridor the glazed bricks OF
ssuniform size and color" loom up.
The bricks are all colors and sizes. 1t is
safe to say that there are not dozen bricks
of the same size and color in any hundred
which have been laid. The City Hall Com
missoners have condemned them and or
dered their removal Contractor English
refuses to remove them. He has informed
the Commissioners that he bought them
through Architect Broome, who informed
him that they would comply with the spe-
cifications sufficiently. The city will prob
ably have lawsuit over the bricks.
STAIRWAYS A DISGRACE.
The next attraction is the iron stairs
which branch off to the right and left and
lead to the second floor. They close two
doors very effectively. A gentleman wear
ing high hat cannot go up without striking
his head against the ceiling of a little plat
form built over them Three days ago il
was discovered that the approach to the
stairs extended SO far out into the corridor
that it would be in the way. Broome asked
the iron men to remedy the defect. They
consented. The plumber had in the mean
time run his gas pipes and electric wires
through the floor to the point laid out in the
plans, so that light could be placed on 6
column at the approach. When the ap-
proach was set back about two feet the ga:
pipes and electric wiring had to be moved
AS result the flooring OF the corridor had
to be torn up for a space of about five feet
The plumber demands extra pay for the
changes he has made.
ssThe stairs are disgrace to the building,
said builder s'If they were in the rear o1
the building it would not be so bad, but tc
come in the main entrance and be confronted
with stairs that close doors and are SO low
that person has to stoop over to keep from
striking his head, is disgrace. The job is q
botch one and destroys the whole corridor
USEFUL FOR CRAPS.
While in the corridor one naturally looks
up the centre of the main tower. Foul
platforms are visible about fifty feet apart
ssWhat are the platforms for" Inspector
Tallmann was asked.
II do not know" was the reply.
A wag has said that they were built for
the use of the employees of the building who
could enjoy little game of ''craps" or
'spoker'' on them without.fear of detection.
The tiling of the first floor is worthy of in
spection. The specifications call for tiling
to cost 45, so and so cents per square foot
The Grand Jury's expert reported that the
tiling in the City Hall could and would be
laid by reputable firms for about 40 cents
per square foot. One of the contractors or
the building declares that the coss between
the tiling laid and what was called for i
about Sc, 600 The shrinkage of $4,000 is tc
be looked up. and explanations will probably
be in order Before leaving the corridor
visitors usually ask Where are the front
doors to be?n And the answer is mo one
know exactly; but about there" and your
informant points to break in the corridor
wall.
ssWhy are they set SO far backw is asked
$50 they can be opened without striking
platform or anything else, is the reply.
Tie proposed location of the doors is about
ten feet from the entrance to the building.
The ten feet of open space is for the collec
ton of snow in winter and dust in summer,
it is said
The woodwork OF the first floor has been
examined by builders and prom nounced first
class They say that it does not show to
good advantage, because of the general plan
of the building. On the first floor the steam
pipes are set SO close to the walls that build
ers say there is no room for radiators. Ar
ehite ct Broome is going to try to have this
little defect remedied, however.
MORE DEFECTS.
From the first floor visitors are escorted tc
the basement. and on the way downstairs
they are usually told of some tri1ing defect
in the sanitary arrangement OF the building
such as failure to connect the closet pipes
with the pipes leading to the sewers On the
way downstairs, if the front stairs, which &C
down from the main corridor are followed
the visitor has probably banged his head
again a masonry projection. The front
stairs have clearance of about five feet il
is said Once in the basement the good
natured workmen usually provide the visitor
with lantern The basement is as dark as
pitch, and it will doubtless surprise people
to learn that Carpenter Kiernan's men have
to work by light furnished by engine head
lights. The basement is cold and damp and
will, the workmen say, always be so. in the
halls under the Mercer and Montgomery
et,.,at .,,,t,.ae,fa. fba doors have hnpn hing