New-York tribune., 1900-09-02
HALL OF RECORDS RISING.
WORK SEEMS SLOW, BUT THE JOB IS A
BIG ONE

Progress upon the great Hall of Records has
been slow but sure during the last two months
and now the foundation walls are up as far as
the ceiling of the cellar. and the huge steel
beams are being laid which will sustain the
ceiling of the cellar and the floor Of the base
ment proper. This vast building will be eight
stories above ground and two below and when
completed VIII have cost more than S4OO0.O00.
1t is too big an undertaking to permit of the
contractor architect making any safe esti-
mate yet of when it will be finished. The
bonds for the interior work which will cost
S2.250.0O0. it is estimated. have not yet been
passed by the Municipal Assembly. When they
will be is hard to tell. II the delay lasts much
longer, the difficulty of installing the lighting.
heating and ventilating plants will be much
greater, because Mr.. Pierce, the contractor for
the exterior, will not wait but will go right
ahead with his contract. If the exterior and
interior work could proceed hand in hand the
whole job would be greatly expedited But no
one predict what New-York's Tammany
controlled Municipal Assembly may do
More or less delay has interfered with this
building from the start The plans were ready
in June 1897. and the contract for the erection
Of the building awarded in December of the
same year, but the debt limit and difficulty in
ordering the first issue Of the bonds SO retarded
the matter that it seemed at time as though
the whole scheme had been abandoned. When
the Municipal Assembly finally passed a resolu-
ton in the fall of 1899 authorizing the Con-
troller to issue the first batch Of bonds to the
amount of S2100,O00 for the hall it became
evident for the first time since work on the
foundation had been discontinued that the
beautiful plans Of John r. Thomas, the archi-
tect. would be carried out The new building
occupies site bounded by Centre Chambers
and Reade sts and a new street which is the
continuation of old Elm-st. 1t will be built Of
Hollowell granite, the same was used for the
fronts of the American Surety and the Empire
buildings The of the site is 191 by 152
feet. approximately, and the foundation walls
go down thirty-six feet below the curb.
1t is the intention to make the building ac-
tually fireproof The interior walls together
with the backing Of the exterior walls will be
OF brick, laid in cement mortar The floor
beams. girders and roof Trainings will be of
Railways, corridors and principal offices to
have floors of mosaic. The central hallway,
the stairways and the exterior walls are to be
of granite The storage rooms in the basement
will be lined with white enamelled brick
1t is the intention to have the exterior, es
pecially the Chambers-st. front decorated with
statuary. If the scheme of the architect is
fully carried out in this particular, there will
be allegorcal bass relief group of heroic size
at each side Of the main entrance. over this
entrance will be the heads of four Dutch Gov
ernors Of the old colony of New-Amsterdam.
Twenty-four statues of distinguished citizens of
the State will be placed in inches at the level
Of the sixth story, and the dormer windows at
the seventh and eighth stories will be hanked
and embelIished with allegorical figures.
For the purpose Of giving light to the in
terror rooms a huge well, about 47x60 feet,
extends in the centre of the building, from the
top of the second story to the roof. 1t has
vauted dome Of glass and iron. An areaway,
from three to five feet wide, also surrounds
the entire building. affording light and air TO
the basement and cellar windows. Two court
rooms for the Surrogates will be the fifth
floor. The other rooms have not been allotted
yet. Aside from these courtrooms there viii
be no woodwork in the entire building except
the doors and the window frames and sashes
The latter will be covered the outside with
copper to prevent the spread of flames from
story TO story, should the infammable
terial with which the building will be stored
ever take fire.