The evening world., 1911-01-26
Demolition Begun of Structure
That Provided Armories
for Two Regiments.
FOR. $780, 1000 SCHOOL
Equipment to Provide Com
plete Plant for Scientific
Education.

Cooper Union, which for years has
been in the same uncomfortable position
az a full-grcwn man forced to wear a
boys clothes, is in a fair way to secure
quarters more in proportion to the needs
OF the great lumber of students enrolled
there. The old three-story Tompkins
Market, facing Cooper Square and occu-
plying the block bounded by Sixth and
Seventh streets and Third avenue and
Hall place. Is being torn down and upon
Its site a new building for the Union is
to be erected.
The contract allows four months for
the destruction Of the market building,
at the end OF which time. or sooner, IL
possible, work will begin on the new
structure. The plans call for a FIVE
story ediice, but 1t will go. UP only as
the cash is ready to pay for 1t.
At present $4,000 Is available, and Il
Is proposed to. erect with this the base
ment and first story. and roof them
over. The total cost OF the new build
Ing. as planned. will be about s6cO,0 900,
with an additional 100000 for equip
ment.
For Many Years an Armory.
The present Tompkins Market build
ing was originally erected TO provide
for the Seventh Regiment, which occu-
pied Il until 1880. 1t was then turned
over to the Sixty-ninth Regiment, which
occupied the second and third stories.
Upon the removal OF the latter regi-
ment to Its new armory at Lexington
avenue and Twenty-seventh street. the
trustees OF Cooper Union obtained a
lease OF the market premises for ninety
nine years al a nominal rental of 800
a year.
At that time the trustees Intended to
expend $4,000 upon the old structure
and use II as an annex 10 the Unions
present quarters, but defects developed
which made It practically impossible to
meet the requirements of the new build
ing law. and II was found impossible to
ma G the place serviceable for the out
lay contemplated.
The plans now filed with the Sinking
Fund Commission OF the city explain
the ailur OF the Union so far TO make
!, use of the premises and call for the
OF a structure that will house.
steam. hydraulic and electric labora-
tories and machinery testing rooms. as
10 a. 'NaAb ic'H'o ~ ''oSSts' -
Ia planned to use the new building ex-
clusively for the department OF science,
rsserving the present building for the
courses in arts.
Whole Union Crowded.
Prof. c.. r. Richards, director OF
Cooper Union. said to-day:
THE institution is certainly justified
in asking for more pace. Its students
are all but hanging out the windows.
In the evening there is not a nook or
granny OF the Union that is not crowded
TO its extreme capacity. In the ffty
years since its inception there have
been enrolled nearly 1000 students.
and applications rejected for lack OF
facilities have equalled twice that num-
Der.
For the present year there were
l,l65 applications for the freshman
class. and only 200 could be admitted.
The total applications this year were
nearly 5000. and the total enrolment
$500, the largest number ever admitted
and representing the utmost capacity OF
the Union"
Cooper Union is looked upon by its
students and their families as the COL
lege of the east side. The money for
the new edlfice is expected to come
from gifts and requests.