New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
ABRAHAM
STRAUs:
HARD TO HEAR THE ALDERUEN.
CHANGES IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER HAVE
AFFECTED THE ACOUSTIC PROP
ERTIEs OF TIE ROOM

,,-h, IL thu matter with the acoustic properties
OF the Common Council Chamber" That - n ques
tion that everybody about the city Han Is asking
Aldermen clerks and reporters. Nobody seems 10
be able TO answer it, although every one Complains
tina, It IS almost impossible to hear the proceedings
-, ,ho poard of Aldermen meetings n one happens
IN he af,cen feet away from tho person VINO Is
speaking. ,..,,
II has never been any TOO easy TO hear inc c'e'N
and the aldcrmanlc orators OF the Board p"' '"i'
WAS attributed 10 the fact that two SIDES oil inc
Council Chamber face upon court ana Joi"'e'o''
ats These thorOughfarcs are NOISY IN the oaS
time because Of the trolley cars and other uahc'
~ .,,1o,ye With which the room l. copousy sup
uod arc rnouired TO be opcn more or less Tor pur-
noses Of ventilation. and this was tho"s"' ~ az .
count for the difficulty in hearing. Inc crucial
question now Is whether the new c'!nhs ""''" "'
inst been finished has made the acoustic prope'''s
=, Tho room worse than they were before 1t was
put in. . a.,
That the difficulty of hearing speakers IN inc
,o,ohor ia no, caused solely by the rumbins OF
outside traffic is shown by the way those VINO NJ
tend committee meetings at night crown "'o"''
snoaters in order to hear without trouble the re-
marks they are making. The ruIhiha'o" VI
this trouble at the meeting OF the Board he'u
last Monday afternoon. When the reporters WI"
o,.or tho mornings for their respective papers en-
,ered the room they were astonished TO md their
tables taken from the position In front or the hrst
row of aldcrmanic dcsks-a position when 'hey
have occupied for many years-and showed away III
a corner to the left OF the President desk IL was
,mnossible TO catch any OF the proceedings from
this location and Keeper Splitter, who PROMISED 10
rive the reporters table better position here
or,.r exnlained the change by saying that he had
boon endca yorng 10 satisfy tho Aldermen win
roar desks who had been loudly complaining tha'
thcy could not hear what was going on. In ordcr
that they might feel that they were taxing part III
the proceedings Mr.. Splitter had moved the front
ro,y NJ aIdermanic desks up flush with the clerks
deek and the rear row up the same distance
The first complaints of inability to hear came
,ber the present Board took their seats. In the
Roard Of 1875 there only little family circle
of sixteen members. and they couid SIT cosby
around the clerks desk and deliberate without
s,-.,ninp their ears But the present Board has
,uen.v-eicht members and their iesks MAKE
dmuhic circle reaching from window TO wall. or
from one end OF tho room TO me other. - A.
ane aro stoughton & Grifiths the archi
tccts. and eastman & Fallon the contractors rars
c o. inc in the Council Chamber in place OF the old
lath ceiling During the three or four months tnat
tne plsstform protected the Aldermen at their
meetings from falling material Ihis pa,iorin nus
,ne h,nscity OF hearing has increased to marked
dnornn An attempt was made to explain this on
the sr s,hnr for timbers and wooden ahs in the
Construction Of the ceiling TrSune ena reporter a.s
ha,h.r the new ceiling responsible for the
trouble. and he laughed at the Idea 49,. ,,,..
Non ha We been taking for some time under board
ceilnr only sixteen feet from the hoor or course
they notice marked sdnnge NOW now hsy. ,be
thirty-hve-foot ceiling again.
Mr. VIM: thought that the tSe ana c. HIes
and would have to reaccustom them to the
a5ss.S aa t EsBs.s e the City Hall VI" not