New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-23
THE ENGLISH CAPITAL.
SLACK ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TOWN
sHOws-AN ARCHITECTS SCHEME
FOR REBUILDING LONDON
METROPOLITAN PROB
LENS AND DANGERS.

A@A@-H' Az O<A->pE<HS-
London. Novennbar ?
There has been a low rumble Of croaLt,,
and discomfort since the reception OF the Io,5o-
Volunteers. That town show was not well ma
aged by the military authorities With tvran+,,
four thousand regulars and volunteers to kAs,
the streets. the veterans were compelled to nyht
their way through FIeet-st 70 the Cathedra1
while the police were making a fatuous attepnnt
TO drive unmanageable crowd through brtck
walls. The moralists have convinced themselvs.
that London has outgrown it's accommodation
for such spectacles, and that the Guards ana
other bodies OF returning soldiers must Be r.
ceived on Salisbury Plain. They do not eons,ds.
1t practicable to block the approaches as soon =,
narrow thoroughfares are full. and thew cor,
denim the suspension Of traffic and business To-
hours in the heart Of the metropolis IN order tina,
few thousands Of privileged spectators In win
dows and balconies may have recreation wbu.
the masses behind the military and police line.
can see nothing, out are in great peril from n.
pressure OF the crowds These pessirnisrs bav.
only TO revert 70 the Jubilee parade for p-oos
that. with scientific organization. a town show
may be witnessed in safety and with pleasura
Bile excitement Lord Methuen never has had
full credit for his remarkable success in arrane-
ing the military details OF that splendid paeAa,t
After popular celebration Of this kind Lon
comings Of their capital The route for the
march Of the veterans was the best available
yet 1t led through series Of narrow and dln1v
streets Piccadilly has a few handsome rest
dences at the upper end and a Wren spire lower
down, but IL is the shabbiest and most com
monplace Of the famous streets OF the world
St James's-st and Pail Mall ara bordarad With
clubhouses, and the old palace Of St James lies
at the angle; but they are not spacious avenues
The Strand and Fleet-sr- are stuffv thorough
fares. and the Cathedral is beTttled by fgnoble
narrow approaches There was an alternative
route through Oxford-st. and HoIborn which
would have been broader. but these streets ara
dull and prosaic, without fine architecture and
with only one or two picturesque buildings tow
ard the bottom Whitehall Will be a stately
street when the new public buildings are COM
pleted and the narrow neck at Trafalgar SQUARE
is widened by the removal Of shabby structures
The Embankrnent is the only fine avenue in the
metropolis; but the approaches TO IL at each end
are narrow. London is without broad thorough
fares. spacious effects or an air OF imperial dis
tinction.
OPPORTUNITIES NEGLECTED
London had its great chance when Sir Chris.
TOPPER Wren after the fire proposed a mag
nihcent plan for the rebuilding OF the city with
broad avenues and frequent open spaces He
Creal1ad
Of an imperial London which has never been
created There were economists in those days
as there are now. ard his plan was rejected on
the score OF expense From that day London
has been under incessant reconstruction, and
the streets have been patched up from decade
to decade without symmetrical plan or artistic
feeling IF the great chance was lost after the
fire there was still opportunity FOR the In
provement Of the architecture but little use was
schools Of architecture; there have been no en-
dowments for the development OF this great
art. and the universities have paid attention
to the subject. This lack OF encouragement has
prevented the growth Of a national school OF
architecture and Englshmen have been too
proud and too insular TO do what Americans
have done; they have not gone to Paris 20 learn
the principles Of modern architecture at The
best school The houses OF Parliament, the
Tower. St. Pauls. the Wren spires the Abbey
and the new Law Courts hardly suffice 10 re-
deem the English capital from the reproach Of
being commonplace in architecture. The Ma
ttonal Gallery is a shabby substitute for the
Louvre. Covent Garden Theatre for the Grand
Opera House. the marble arch for the Arc de
Triomphe. and Trafalgar Square, with one beau
riful portico and single majestic column. for
the unrivalled Place de Ia Concorde.
Until British school Of architecture worthy
Of the name shall arise ii is dangerous 10 raise
the question: How can London be rebuilt
Mr.. William Emerson has had the courage 10
discuss the subject AT the Royal Institute this
week. but he has wisely urged, as a preliminary
step, the necessity for a more comprehensive
and methodicaI system of education for students
In architecture than now exists in England.
he does not believe that il is 700
ate to expect the municipal authorities 70 do for
London what Haussnann accomplished in Paris.
or what the enlightened governments OF Prussia
and Austria have worked out in their capitals.
He proposes that at an early date q general
scheme shall be prepared for the rebuilding of
London; that provision shall be made for broad
thoroughfares with trees like the Paris boule-
Yards or the Berlin Inter den Linden. thar the
roads shall have efficient means OF copious flush
ng with water; that arcades shall De built over
the sidewalks for shops; that there shall Re
everywhere for sewers. drains. water
ana telephones and hydraulic power
pipes. and that all public buildings institutions.
middle class blocks and large tenement houses
'or the poor shall have clear. open spaces around
them. He lays stress upon the rebuilding % the
,ity measure that is Indispensable FOR the
prevention OF ove-crowding. and FOR raising the
evel Of the working classes by rescuing them
from the worst evils Of poverty and misery.
\ DREAM NOT To BE REALIZED.
iress. but II does not carry conviction A me-
ropohs which Is increasing at the rate OF fifty
thousand annually IS too far gone TO DC recon g,
'tructed on symmetrical and artistic lines Lon
Ion will continue without doubt 70 be patched