New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-29
COURTHOUSE FINERY
PARED BY ADAMSON
Grand Dining Room and
Five-Mile Railroad
Booked to Go.

In a report or the new court house
made to the committee on stock budget
of the Board 81 Estimate by Tilden
Adamson, director Of the Bureau OF
Contract Supervision, he makes seven
teen recommendation for changes in
the plans, and points out 100 striking
features" which he thinks might be
eliminated. He suggests that the
plans. specifications and forms Of con-
tract, as submitted by the court house
board, be disapproyed and returned to
the architect for revision.
Mr.. Adamson recommends that the
size of the court house be reduced to
one-half its proposed cubic contents, to
be ACCOMPLISHED BY shrinkage that
would maintain as closely as possible
the relative proportions in the archi-
tect's design. This would eliminate
two stories, reducing the number from
eight to six, and practically eliminate
the ninth, or attic floor.
Mr.. Adamson thinks that all the mez-
canine floors, except one, could be
eliminated, thereby reducing the num-
her Of floors above the basement from
thirteen to seven Among other feat
ures which the report says should be
done away with are:
Courts Railroad Doomed.
olive miles OF railroad for which
there is no apparent use; ten miles OF
ventilating duets Of very costly con-
struction and the substitution of about
5000 feet Of simple verticle ducts Tor
ventilation; the huIler plant, and the
utilization of excess capacity IN the
municipal building for heat to be con-
viewed through a short tunnel connect
ing the two buildings; the electric
plant of 5000 horsepower. and the use
of purchased current for the limited
demand there will be for light and the
operation Of necessary machinery; at
least thirty of the .orty-seven elevators
called for in the plans: more than half
the wiring system for lights, tele-
phones. annunc!atOrs and motors.
The elimination of expensive i'm
ported marble, Botticino and white
Italian marble specified, which It viii
be practically impossible to get on ac-
count Of the war. while native stone
could serve as well; the elimination of
the washing system proposed, as we'll
- 4 80 III ~
and ice making plant, and a complete
redrafting of the contract to remove
provisions that appear to be very dan
gerous to the best interests OF the
city"
With the report Mr.. Adamson sub
mits drawings which he says illustrate
the simple fact that in building OF
exactly the same exterior design as
the architect has submitted, but with
only two-thirds of the cubic contents.
we could obtain larger number Of
courtrooms of larger size. larger
number OF Jury rooms Of larger size,
a larger number of counsel and wit
ness rooms of larger size, larger
number Of justices Offices Of larger
size, a larger and better located audi
forum and a much more convenient
arrangement of courtrooms, elevators,
corridors and other accommodations"
Mr. Adamson calls many provisions
in the contract faulty" Referring to
the club facilities 20 be provided, the
report says they form a considerable
part of the estimated cost OF the court
house. Regarding the costly accom-
modations and furnishings of the "prl-
vate lawyers club" Mr.. Adamson says:
81 am not aware Of any obligations
on the part of the city to provide pri-
vate club facilities for lawyers