New-York tribune., 1900-12-15

-..s,5era he apprehension exists on the part
- members OF the Union Club lest their
= clubhouse. for which the excavation has
-, nearly completed at the northeast corner
= Fsffh-avo and Fifty-first-st.. will be endan-
- after its erection by blasting on adjacent
s.o,s-tr. II is even argued by certain members
= me club that work on the structure would
s..,er be suspended until all likelihood OF dan
rer r. removed
s-he whole block in Fifth-ave. between Fifty
s-st-st. and Fifty-secOnd-st.. which for good
,,-tion of q century was occupied by the
pomsn Catholic orphan Asylum. and which was
euany bought by the Barney-sheldon Syndicate
srs cut UP into lots. one OF which was bought
~ she Union Club. is for the most part
"a. which in some parts is OF extreme hard
r..s The builders Of the Orphan Asylum were
content 10 leave the rock alone. and perched
,hel- building on a hin OF stone
After the property had been sold some OF the
,urrhasers began 10 clear away sites for dwell
,ugs. while others prepared their respective par
csls for resale. Gangs Of men were accordingly
,uploved 70 remove the great masses OF rock
vhich encunbered these sites, and which could
orlv be rendered ready Cor the pick and shovel
bv blasting The firm OF J. W. Cody was en-
MOVED by the Union Club to exoavate for Its
funding. al Fifty -first-st- and Fifth-ave. Cana
vap Brothers were employed on the dwelling
,.lo-s Of EDWARD l.. Eugene and Thomas Kelly.
n Fifty-drst-st.. and another gang OF men has
hsen al work IN Fifty-second-st.. eKcavating for
,bs new dwelling houses Of Mrs LOunsbery and
% Roberr Olyphant. So tremendous have been
the concussions resulting from the blasting that
residents living in the neighborhoOd have often
hen seriously alarmed. Plaster has been shaken
soVn IN some dwellings and as a result OF one
last set on on the Union Club site flying piece
NJ rock crashed into the window OF the house OF
George W Vanderbilt. on the opposite side OF
ths street. and demolished some pieces OF
st8tuGry.
The work OF excavation for the Union Club
has been almost completed, and the contract
for the cellar work has been Jet TO Richard
Desves. of No. 800 Broadway. But the lots ad-
iacent 20 the Union Club property are stil
er ercumbered by great masses OF rock. The lot
10 the north forming the southeast corner Of
Fifth-ave. end Fifty-second-st. Is stiI unsold
by the syndicate. in spite OF constantly recur-
ring rumors 10 the contrary. II is accordingly
argued by certain club members that IL the
work on the clubhouse be pushed TO completion
and the new house furnished and decorated In
the elaborate fashion which the architect has
designed. when the owners Of the rock encum-
hered property adjacent begin blasting the
heavy conclusions viii wreck the building.
When Mr. Dewes was asked yesterday why
he had not begun work. he was extremely reti-
cent Asked IL he had heard that work was 10
be delayed on the building for fear Of blasting,
he said he knew OF no such plan. The Building
Committee OF the club consists Of John Mel
Nash. George C Clark, Charles d. Dickey'
George De Forest Grant and Isaac Townsend.
A member Of the committee said, on being asked
why work not going on faster, and no work
had yet been done on the cellar construction
although almost ive months had elapsed since
excavation was begun:
True there has been delay but from now on,
Is the weather permits. the work viii be pushed.
There has been some fear Of blasting, but be-
heve the CONTRACTORS have arranged 50 that the
rock on adjacent lots viii be removed without
danger 20 the building"
When asked II the contract for the building
al the entire clubhouse had been let, he re-
Piled IN the negative.
Another member % the club. however said
that he would not be surprised IL work was sus-
pended until adjacent property owners had en-
tirely removed the rock masses and there was
nc further need OF blasting He said that this
suspension might last for year.
The new clubhouse was designed by Cass Gil
bert and John Du Fails.