The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-20
GOLD Plated STAIRWAY.
AIaddIn's Dream Surpassed by
George GOuId's Lakewood House.

AIaddln's Dream Surpassed by
George GouId's Lakewood House.
From the New York Herald.
Gold has been used in house decoration
but here is something which in splendor
exceeds anything ever seen in an Amari-
can house-a gold-plated railing. The rail-
ing of the spiral stairway and the bal
cony in George J. Goulds new house at
Lakewood will be plated with the most
precious of all metals.
Much has been written about the splen-
doris of this palace which the young mil
lionare is building down there among the
pines. The foremost architects ana art
lists have contributed to IL, but this stair
rail and balcony will surpass anything OF
the kind ever attempted In this country.
There are legends of palaces where the
soft light was reflected from lamps of
solid gold and shades of alabaster. This
dwelling down at Lakewood win equal in
splendor the palaces described by the ro-
nlancers who wrote the Arabian Nights.
Aladdin might have pictured such nall
way as that which forms the entrance
of the house at Lakewood NO slave OF
the lamp could have cailea iOto being so
splendid an apartment as tAe hallway OF
this modern palace. There are many beau
tiful stair rails of wrought and polished
iron In the houses of New York's million
aires Some of these rails have sod-
plated ornaments The star rail in the
Gould house will surpass all these, for
1t is gold-plated from the first step of the
stairs to the last wreath Of the balcony
front
In design the staircase itself is a model
of graceful architecture. There may be
seen In some of the old New York houses
stairs which are similar to It, 1t used TO
be said that stair building was lost art
The stairway in Mr.. Gould's house As
constant reputation of this theory. The
race of stair builders has certainly not
become extinct If there are men who can
still design and build such marvels of
art. Even if the rail of this stairway
were not gold-plated the light and airy
structure which leads to the second floor
of the house at Lakewood would attract
the eye of the artist.
Workmen have been busy upon the stair
rail for several months, and 1t will be a
month longer before the rail will be ready
for the plating process. In design TINS re-
rnarkable ornament of the millionaire's
hallway closely follows the style of Louis
XIV. Bruce Price, the architect, has not
followed the style slavishy. There are
some variations which may be noticed by
the close student of architecture.
Both the rail Of the stair and the balco-
ny along the second floor are the same IN
design. The balcony itself rests upon
four classic pillars, and the space between
these supports is filled with the graceful
railing. There are four sections in the
balcony, all of the same design. The pam
els curve gracefully outward, and they look
not unlike the fronts of opera boxes, ex-
cept that the curve Is not so marked. Gar
lands and torches are the principal orna-
ments used.
There is no newell post at the bottom of
the stairs The railing ends in a rams
horn, after the manner of the ratings of
the Louis XIV period. The general design
Is wonderfully chaste and simple. The
gold-plating viii enhance its classic beau
ty.
Several skilled artisans are now devot-
ing their time to fashioning the patterns
from block tin. The railing will be cast
and plated at the foundry OF the John
williams Company, in West Twenty-sev-
enth street. The various parts of the de-
sign have been made in block tin. The
soft metal is placed upon wooden form
and bent to the required curve. After this
model is completed mold will be made
from it, and the ratings will be cast in
brass Then there will be the tedious pro-
cess of cleaning and preparing the brass
for plating.
This splendid ornament will cost thou
sands of dollars. A Queen Anne cottage
of many rooms could be built for the price
of 1t. When it is placed In position the
hallway of the house at Lakewood will re-
mind one of the descriptions of the SPLEEN
doris of ancient palaces.-New York Her
aid.