New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-26
LONG LIBRARY ,ELAY.
THREE YEARS MORE WORK
DR.. Billings Does Not Expect Com
pIcti0u Before That Time.


Dr. j. S Billings. director of the New-York
Public Library todd a Tribune reporter yester-
day that it woud he three years before the
magnificent marble aIE1uc At 427-st and : H.
ave. would be ready for use or the face of the
contract a damage pena!ty of more than half
, million dollars will be due IN the main contract,
performed by Norcross Bret ers. The contract
calls for the completion OF the building within
three years from August ~. 1901 a cost OF
S2.S65. I06 for the main building inclosad. The
tine was up on Angus, - Of last year, but the
work is only little more than half done Al
though the damage clause for non-completlcn of
the building is 800 day. and the delay viii
be more than six hundred working days il is
doubtful about the city imposing the penalty.
Almost without exception contractors dealing
with this city have escaped paving damages for
falling to complete their work time.
The Endorsements on the contract Of Norcross
Brothers on file in the Finance Department show
the payments to have been as follows:
Contract price 50 se5 70s 90
Amount earned " = " / e61 s1S 90
The failure on the part Of the contractors,
Noreross Brothers to have the work done at
this time is a bitter disappointment to the
trustees of the library and to the architects.
Carrere & Hastings.
delay to the architects. the contractors and
others said DR.. Billings yesterday. and that
Is about far can go at present From
all that can learn it will be three years vet
before we get into the completed building. I
understand that the progress on the work for
the last year has been excellent 1t is said that
the contractors worked under very great disad-
vantages in getting the marble quarry de-
veloped to furnish the material IN the de-
sired quantities.
THE specifications are very stringent, and
only about 25 per cent Of the marble quarrieo
stands the inspection required by the specifca-
lions. This discarded marble is being used in
some OF the finest buildings by some of the
leading architects of this city. 1t is being used,
for instance. in the building of the Medical
School of Harvard University. and for all prac-
teal purposes is first class marble. The fact,
however, that only % per cent Of the marble
met the specification made it slow work at the
outset. The advantage of the strtngency in the
specifications viii be felt after the library Is
done as it will stand the test OF the weather
and viii. as it ages, be of a uniform ivory
whiteness without streaks or variations
1t was learned yesterday that one Of the bids
submitted for the new Grand Central Station
contemplates the use Of the marble discarded
BY the inspectors Of the library marble, and
there is a strong probability that the new STA
ton will INTELLECTUALLY be companion puIlLo-
ing Of the library, and Of practically the same
color the only difference being slIghL VaEIa-
ton in the shade of the marble here and tnere
that would not be noticed unless hunted Ior'
Snead & Co.. the firm who obtained the
contract for the book stacks at a cost OF %s1O,-
1903 have got fairly started on their WORK nay
ing received SAC, 900 on account There are Sun
TO be let contracts for electric lighting plump
ing elevators furnishings and furniture II Is
expected that bids will be asked Tor these
things within the next twelve months
While the architects assure the trustees that
satisfactory progress is being made on the "oIh,
# was learned yesterday that the trustees at
their next meeting are likely TO demand an eX-
nlauatfon from the architects, the contractor
for the main building and the Park commas
sioner for failure more nearly to comply win
the time specification in the contract Decay
Of three wears in the completion Of the oulIa-
ing was thing entirely unexpected When the
contract was let in 1901. and 1t was said yes
fardey that George l. Rives, of the board OF
trus+eaz will cali to the attention OF the
trTgtees and through them TO the various IN
terasts responsible for the delay, the lnpeFs-
tive mead of pushing the work on the h0raFy u
rapid completion -. r,,-.1orr
The trustees Of the library are John BigeIo%'
7 l. CadwaIader, H. Van R. KENNEDY; !; o
kennedy, Edward King, Lewis G. Ledyaro, AZ ,@t
ender Maitland S. H. DIN. A. E. orr, II: =; ~
fer c, L, Rtves, Philip Schuyler, q W SILlttl'
Frederick Sturgis, C H. Russell: w w. apple
ton Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan, SaHuet
Creenbaurn. NJ. ]. O'Brien, J. NJ Farley ana 6 lHs
Mayor Controller and president Oh TIC
of Aldermen ex oftcio.