Evening star., 1905-10-28
A NEW SHOW PLACE
New York Custom House Now
Nearing Completion.
DECORATIVE SCHEM e
INCLUDES COLOSSAL GROUPS AND
HEROIC STATUES.
Eleven Masters in Sculpture Engaged
in Decorating Exterior-Descrip-
ton of the Structure.
DECORATIVE SCHEM E
Written for The Star.


A year hence there will stand completed
in ''the port Of the United States a monu-
mental building that Is undoubtedly des-
tined to be one of the chief show places
not only of the metropolis, but of the entire
country as weH. This is the new custom
house. whose corner stone was laid with
much ceremony in october Of 1902 by Sec
rotary Of the Treasury Leslie NJ. Shaw.
1t will be the largest custom house in the
world-the superlative of Itself always at
tracts.
Its cost exclusive of It's site. which em-
braces an entire block, will be approx
mately four and half million dollars-a
structure on which money has been freely
lavished is always certain of wide atten-
ton
There will be eight acres Of floor space
devoted almost exclusively to the business
Of collecting GJ per cent Of the customs du-
ties of the nation this is more than double
the space now devoted to the same purpose.
Fronting on Bowling Green and with one
of its great sides bordering Battery PARK,
at the tip of the island, the building Will be
plainly visible from the upper bay 10 every
one Of the five thousand and more vessels
that make the porto all practical iNents
and purposes these modern argoSles Will
sail up TO the very door OF the custom
house that the commerce OF the world may
pass through II.
Broadway st it's place Of starting, has
twelve immense granite columns, each htty-
one feet IN height, starting at the SECOND
story and running up three stories Inc
side visible from the bay has twelve col
umns exactly like those on the front. Inc
opposite side, also, has twelve columns
indeed on these three faces the exterior OF
three stories consists almost wholly OF col
llmns between which windows are set
In the rear there are also four, making
all told forty columns. No other building
of similar size In America can show an
equal number of gigantic pillars.
Sculptural Decorations.
But neither columns nor cost, nor situa-
tIon. nor size. will be the feature that Will
make the custom house pre-eminent Be
side its exterior sculptural decorations all
these distinctions pale, though similar ones
have made many another building noted.
The sculptural decorations will be to the
new custom house what its wonderful mu-
raj decorations and frescoes are to the Ii
brary Of Congress in Washington. AND
with good reason the worlds sightseers
will hunt out the custom house Just as
they do the library. for the decorations
have been and are being wrought by Daniel
Chester French. Louis ST. Gaudens. Kari
Bitter. F. NJ. L. Tonetu, Charles Crafty
Albert Jaegers. Andrew OConner, Augustus
Iukeman, f. NJ. Rucksthul. f. p. Elwel
ana Johannes GC-tIl l4tSt al . men WIZ
through their work. are POLITICALLY showing
in stone the worldwide interest and signih-
CanCe OF the building.
Four big sculptured groups, one on either
side OF the main entrance and mounted or
broad pedestals. will adorn the main front
Twelve large-sized figures will run across
the front Of the sixth story. A gigantic
cartouche will be In front of the seventh
story. and over the main entrance Will be
another large cartouche-eighteen heroic
pieces all told.
But this is not all. The sculptured head
Of Mercury, the ancient god of commerce
appears forty times in the building. II
every instance II looks out from the center
OF tho fern leaves OF a columns capital al
OF which are now in place. Though he thus
wears the winged cap OF his heraldic office
some seventy-ilve feet above the street
level. the lively gods features are of suci
heroic proportions that they can be easily
studied from the street. Each granite lin
tel-and there are many-also shows head
not a gods, but a mans. There are eight
kinds of heads, each representing distinct
racial type They are placed alternated
and In this poetic fashion all the races o.
the earth, much Of whose international
commerce will pass through the custom
house. are given fitting recognition.
Four Great Continents.
In much more imposing and striking styl
the four great continents will receive rec
ognltion at the hands of Mr.. French in fou
groups for the main front. Mr.. French ha
by FAR the biggest commission to fulfill o
all the sculptors, and placed as they Will be
his colossal decorations will be the first Il
catch and hold the eye.
In the group typifylng America the figur
OF Columbia, OF course is the centra
theme, and, like the woman who typine
the continent OF each group. she is OF tt
tanic proportions. Then TOO. there Is tn
sculptor's Indian, who in this case Is Dor
trayed peering over Columbia's shoulder
evidently trying to look into the future
But Columbia herself who is seated look
upward. The unusual note in this group /
struck I'm the laborer who kneels at Colum
bias right, and on whose bowed head he
clenched right hand rests protectingly
AS with America, no one could mistak
the group typifying Asia. In the lap o
the much-robed woman, on whose heat
sits high cap Of the Persian style, rest
an image of Buddha. At her feet on til
left n Hindu kneels, his forehead touch
ing the ground; close by him staggers
Chinese coolie. whose arms are bound an
in whose footsteps follows woman witt
the agony of ages of suffering chiseied il
every line. a huge Bengal tiger squatte
on his launches gazes menacingTy int
the woman's face, while his paws res
heavily on her shoulder. She holds he
hands, palm downward. on her knees play
ing not even a passive part In the world
active affairs but with the calra face OF n