New-York tribune., 1912-02-25
BOROUGH GOSSIP
Seth Lows Portrait ISsMOved to
the "HaII of Fane."

Tho members Of the Municipal Art Com
--,tssiop visited the Borough Hall on Fri
dav and directed that the portrait OF eN-
Mayor Seth Low be hung in the so-calleo
.HaI of Fame" a sort Of lobby on the
second floor Of the building The portrait
IS an old one. Painted by William NJ. CAase
IN 1855 The commission did not Ike the
cut of Mr. Lows coat, and some time ago
had a new tail put on II, making II con-
form with the present day aesthetic tastes
which are otherwise displaying themselves
In the .'Brooklyn Beautiful" movement. II
might be added that the eX-Mayor VIII
need the extra raiment in his new percn
The "Han of Fame is only slightly less
draftv than the Flatiron Buildings cor
ner All along one side doors open upon
the wide steps that lead down into the
mark over which Henry Ward Beecher's
statue towers. II Is said that many OF the
rictures which have been hanging on the
walls for the last few damp months are
beginning TO show dscoloration' ana some
OF them are developing bulges and blisters
symptoms Of sort Of pictorial rheuli'a-
tiym The best painting in the collection
IS that of George Washington.
Nr low has better fortune than eX-
rorougb President j. Edward Swanstrom
While the Art Commission has found a
Mace for the Low painting, It has not yet
been able to indorsc any of the designs Tor
the proposed Swarstrom memorial. A few
davs ago the committee in charge Of pre-
narirc the memorial learned that the com
mission had rejected the design Tor the
bronze medallion that the members wished
10 erect in the Borough Hall. This maze
the fourth proposal which had been re-
iected. and the committee has now deter
mined TO call upon the commission and
ask what sort of a memorial II will accept.
The three designs previously turned down
were for a marble seat for the Borough
Hail: a tablet, or a marble seat with
medallion. for Prospect Park or the Plaza
A few days ago the old Low mansion, at
Pierrepont street and Columbia Heights
was sold to Walter Gibb OF Frederick
I,oeser & Co. Seth Low lived in the build
ing while Mayor Of Brooklyn and while
entering upon the activities that eventually
took him TO Manhattan to live. The house
has long been known TO the fashionable
set Of the Heights section, in the midst OF
which It stands. Not only was it the home
Of the Lows, but at one time II was the
home Of Miss Mary Knowlton, who score
OF years ago was conspicuous in society.
She married Count Sierstorpff, German
nobleman.
Emmanuel Congregational Church. in De-
catur street, voted the other evening to
amalgamate with the Bethesda Congrega-
tional Church, about seven hundred feet
away, at Ralph avenue and Chauncey
street. The Bethesda Church was organ
ized in 1897 and the Emmanuel Church in
70 1898. l. w HasseIl, who proposed that the
congregations unite, declared that the pres
ehce Of two churches of the same denom-
ination in the same immediate neighbor-
hood exhibited bad economy. The Imman-
uel Church has 300 members and Sunday
school Of $50. It's property is valued at
$4,000. The Bethesda Church has $50 menl-
bers and a Sunday school Of $50. Its prop
erty is valued at $4,000 Committees are
now working on plan Of union.
TRYING in vain TO shelter his portly form
behind a slim telephone pole, which af-
forded him little or no protection from
even the chilling blasts which swept across
Gowanus Canal Thursday night, one Of the
local police force was shrieking, Look out
for the manholep' to every one within a
radius Of a half mile At frequent inter-
walls he changed his battle cry TO Run for
your nvesw and suiting the action to his
word he galloped as lightly as a mastodon
away from what seemed 20 him TO be the
point Of danger.
The scene was at the fire which entirely
destroyed the plant of the Barret Manu-
featuring Company, makers Of tar blocks,
cement blocks and tar roofing, in Court
street, between Halleck and Sigourney
streets. So intense was the heat that the
water In the sewers became overheated and
great blasts Of steam were belching from
the manholes.
No one paid any attention to the dis
tracted patrolman. who appeared nearly
exhausted through his alarm and his wild
gaIloping about the vacant lots every time
a new cloud Of steam arose from the man
hole nearest him. Indeed. he afforded much
amusement to all the bystanders as he
chased himself away from the danger point
at regular intervals.
But the manholes did not blow up ana
the crowd forsook the fire to watch the
antics Of the patrolman.
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