The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-20
PHILADELPHIA VANDALISM
GHE "REsrORlTzoN" OF IyDEPBN-
DENOE HALL.
R9erts OF ths Ceisni,N Dnrss aua Daushters
OF the Reveiutisn tee Tinker tie Oid Buiid-
tpE tate tie Ortgi cal Appearance Resuit
In, n Ptece Of Arr hitecturnt ratchwo rk.

ting 1nta tie Ortgt eni appearance HSeeutt
In y Piece Of Arc bitectpTni r~atchws ERIK
PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 19.-vandalism never
had a more shining ma rk than independence
Hall, which is now undergoing an involved
process OF I" restoration" I nd furnishing Mt tho
hands OF the city workmiu ". Tho old building
in which the Continental Congress sat. and
within whose walls the declaration OF indie
pendenco was signed. now looks as though IL
had been battered by n h'Ft of foreign war.
ships. A high board fence Gong the Chestnut
street front prevents the eycs OF the curious
from knowing just what libs Cttcs the horde Of
vorkmen are taking with I be relic, but above
the fence towers q wilderness OF dismaniled
~-slls that indicate the ruin b dng wrought.
Independence Hall always aSs been regarded
as belonging to the nation. 1t has been n patri.
etc shrine for pilgrims from ocean to ocean for
many years. Philadelphians do not like 10 DO
told so. but 1t is n fact that the old building is
more highly veneraucd in Chicago. San Francis.
co and New Orleans than ii y in the Quaker
city itself. And yctit has made even the stolid.
est philndelphlan shiver these last few
weeks to see coiorcd labor US hacking away Mt
the historic walls with pic and crowbar tearing
apart the old briol;s that had seen young Amer.
ica grow old thrO .gh manv generations.
Nobody knows Just who started the idea to
have Independcu e Hall restored " to the con.
dition /, is suppos d to have been in a century
ago. But it is generally believed that the
Daughters OF tho Revolution and the Colonial
Danes must bear the awful responsibility in
volved. When CITY Councils moved ont OF the
second story OF Ind ,pcnderse Hall in 1895 per.
mission was granted 10 the Philadelphia chap
ter OF the Daughters ~ the Revolution to take
charge OF the old chambers. tear out the wooden
fittings. and fix things 'rp rs they were when the
Colonial Assembly OF Pei isy;vania used TO meet
here. The thing was done, hrhi the new-old rooms
thrown open with n blipc OF glory and remi-
nisccrt speech.making in ST one year ago. Then
the Colonial Danes caug II the fever. They Sc
cured permission TO do tsc tenrinS.out act in
the old United States Sen ate chamber at Sixth
and Chestnut streets. on tie extreme west wing
Of Independence Hall. 1t vas hero that Wash.
ington was innuguratcd fi his second term as
President, and il was here. that the United
States supreme Court nftcrw Gd sat. After the
old partitions and flooring haC been ripped ont.
the walls scrapcd. polished. painted and deco.
rated. and everything made spick and span. the
enthusiasm ran so high that twas decided TO
subject the whole of Indcpende nee Hall. inside
and out. 10 the Same rcjuveuati ug process.
Frank VI. Ritter. the prcsent u rector OF Public
safcty. Immediately TOOK complete charge of the
work. Mr.. Ritter is n young mar with an eNpan-
sire ambition. and he saw in the tinkering OF
Independence Hall 4 means OF getting himself
talked about. II: has succeeded. The newspa.
pers have scored him and .eered at the work.
PROMINENT CllIGeHS nave protested. lnlrIeS -.
Keyscr. the historian o. the building. who loves
every brick in its walls. has denounced tho Job
as vandalism. But still it eoes on. An ad-
visory committee. upon which are James T.
Mitchell. Judge Samuel W. Pennypacker. Mrs.
Charles c. Harrison. Mrs. Mary ID. Chew. and
others OF less note. watch every detail OF the
work and sec that everything shall be in &C.
cordance with the modern :deas as 10 what was
proper in Colonial and Revolutionary times.
In6npandnnrc Hall ne 4 y~oa lone l-,ory - al al
grims, comprised tho old. large central building
or old State House. with its square clock tower.
in which the Liberty bell once hung. and two
square buildings. one Mt either end. connected
with the main structure by rows OF smaller two
story buildings which were occupied for half a
century b. the municipal and court offices OF
Philadelphia. These buildings have now been
razed to the ground. The approved plan Of the
proposed restoration indicates that tho open
spaces TINS left are TO be filled in with arcades.
presumably reproductions OF the archways that
hanscd the State House in Revolutionary times.
Some curious relics Of the days when the ma
tion was young were brought TO light while the
workmen were tearing down this building. In
q niche In the west wall OF the state House was
found a wel.-rrcserved specimen OF the chain
shot. n sort OF life destroyer that was supposed
to be a terrible projectile. 1t consisted OF a shell
divided into four quarters, neatly fitted to-
gcther, and in its hollow inside strong iron
CD, ms holding tho fragments. with perhaps six
inches Of slack. This shot, fred from
ono OF the cid snooth-bore cannon. was
supposed to hy open after leaving the
gun. and the quarters. swinging on their
lengths OF chain, were expected TO cut down
whole iiics OF troops at one fell swoop. Several
solid shot were found OF a calibrc that might
have lifted any one of the six brass cannon cap
t9red from BurGoyne at Saratoga. from which
the Americans modelled their guns. These and
some shrapnel shot, together with a lock from
finds. One Of the shells is said TO be loaded. and
h!d powerful powder in colonial days.
IL is ,upon the central building OF Indepeu.
thusinstic restorers Will be expended. The adj.
visory spent many months burrowing
Out just how the building looked in oldcn times.
The results have been carefully pieced together
when the builders get through with it the hall
VII DC 2 superb piece Of arehil ectnral patch.
floor. known as Congress Hall, where the Dec.
l%ar",ion OF Independence was signed; and where
to be refnrhished and remodelled so that it will
bs an object OF admiration for ages to come.
An unexpected discovery was made in the
ch,mbers. The worSmen began TO tear away
the interior searching for two tireplaces-one on
known 10 be there, hut covered by the vain
scoting.. II was supposed thar these freplaces
were OF the same dimensions as those just above
bTe the soot.coycred backs and oId-fashioned
places were . foot wider than those on the seS,
2nd floor, which had been used as a guide. prov.
Ing, that the p%ilasters and the beautiful old
fashioned woodwork in tho centre OF the wall
were not original. Part OF the centrepiece was
found TO, extend over and cover the old fire.
pieces. thus showing IL to be OF later origin.
Want, was originally there became an open
QUESTION.
The advisory was thrown into n
naItSr. should the centrcpiecc be allowed to
teinain, and the open CRATES shortened enough 10
cing them clear. or should the centrepieco be
tmoyed and the CRATES kept at their original
length After much discussion il was decided
thar, as the centrepiece isl great feature Of the
room, II should be allowed 20 remain. And thus
the old nreplaces. before which benjamin Frans-
lin ana the picturesque Carroll of Carrollton and
ali the rest once toasted their backs. must con-
the restoration"
Der, which is undergoing a similar ordeal.
a rnsted steel tomahawk was found in the
mortar under tho flooring. II was \ combina-
lion weapon and pipe. OF the kind given the In
dams by the French; How it got in the floor
history does not record.