The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-31
A"HO1 DOG" ENGINE HOUSE
WILL BE THING OF BEAUTY IL THE
ARCHITECT HAS HIS WAY.
John III. Stem Submits His Plans to
the Safety BOard-Pertinent
Suggestions Made.

IrVlngton is receiving a great deal OF
thought by the city administrative de-
partments these days. Irvington, being
such a source of thought. of course is de-
serving of ii and the boards and the city
engineer are looking toward it's future with
benefcent eyes Not only is Irvington to
have water system, with plenty of pure
plain water Throw wine to the tremulous
debauchee), and sewer system and a new
system of street nomenclature against
which there is slight rebellion. however)
but it is to have the most aesthetic engine
house in the city-perhaps in any city.
Architect John II. Stem showed his plans
to Chairman Megrew, of the Board of Pub
lie Works, and Commissioner Bryson. of the
Board of Public Safety, yesterday after
noon. Their faces were radiant with joy
after perusal of the blue prints.
Charming" said Major Megrew.
Delightful" said Mr. Bryson
The new engine house does not belong to
the classified styles of architecture. 1t is
to be something more than brick walls and
windows with double doors i'm front. 1t is
to be built of stone and concrete blocks
with a long gable roof which will extend
five feet over its front Ii might be called
art nouveau. The front is of irregular
stone blocks and the sides of concrete.
The plans call for much work that is in the
line of aesthetic architecture
Its first floor will be for the baser pur-
poses-the keeping of the horses and the
apparatus. OFF of this room there will be-
no. not cardrOom, but a restroom. This
will be for reading and lounging.. Pro-
vision FOR bookcases has been made. So
far there has been no provision for litera-
ture. but IL is likely there will be- Already
Major Megrew has been in the bookstore
coy corner looking at editions of Emerson,
browning and other authors of the rarer
atmosphere 1t has been suggested to the
major that one of the first books to be
bought would be Darwin's Data of
Ethics Then could be added Motley's
Dutch Republic" Rants ''Critique of
Pure Reason" Balzac, Shakespeare,
Moilere, Dante without Dore), Thoreau
and James Bryce's 1.-The American Com
monwealth," the Rubaiyat, Swinburne,
ct al.
OF course the nucleus of this library
would be Washington Irving, for is not the
engine house to front on Washington street
| and guard the property of Irvington
| against fire?
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS.
| But there are other things. In the rear
of the building large room will be built
which is intended to confine, temporarily,
what few disturbers of peace may
drift to Irvington. AS there is little prob
| able use for this it is likely the fire COM
| panies will use ii as classroom where
| literary lectures may be heard 1t could
also be used for examining the companies
| and passing them along the pathway of
| Butler College curriculum.
| The discussion yesterday between the
major, Bryson and Stem was unanimously
in favor of setting the building BACK from
4 the sidewalk further than five feet so as
| TO permit the Identification OF the front by
| flower beds and greensward. 1t was unan-
| imously figured that the only reason the
| plan had been made to put il at a line five
! feet from the curb was because the fire
| chief wanted to get out promptly to an
| swer calls. But ii was likewise unani-
| mously figured that ten or fifteen feet more
| would not give the fire tiend any practical
| advantage and il would rebound to the
| benefit of the beautiful, the artistic and
| the aesthetic.
In its appointments the engine house will
be complete as we'll as aesthetic. Its base
| ment contains a boiler room and baths
| promises to be cool in summer as ii is
| surrounded by an air chamber. Besides
| there is plenty of pure plain water provided
| for the building.
The building is a departure in all respects
| from those built by late administrations
| Compared TO the building of the Taggart
| regime on English avenue-four walls, nc
| heat, no sewer, no water, no nothing-ii
| seems like comparing the Statehouse and
| the old county Jail. The departure is no,
TO be costly either, as the plan proposed
| about what plain, prudish brick building
| of the "four-cornered' variety would cost
Aestheticism in engine houses is not tC
| stop at Irvington, either. The board is &c
build another near the end of South East
| street Fire Chief Coots, who is probably
| becoming an aesthetic, recommends Ray
mond street The cheapest way to acquire
| a site for the new engine house is to get
| the consent of the Board of Park Commits
| sioners to give strip fifty feet wide ano
100 deep at the northwest corner of the
| park. What could be more aesthetic thar
| an engine house in park? Perhaps CHIEF
CoOts saw this denouement when he sug
| gested Raymond street. The plans for this
| house have not been made, but if the boarC
| adheres TO its ideas about using plans that
| may make buildings ornamental as well as
\ useful they will not differ much from Ir
! vingtons.