Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-03
BY GARRETT p. sERvISs

High Bridge, whose demolition is
drawing near. was one of the boasted
architectural and engineering glories
of New York in tile middle of the last,
century and, like the now almost for
cotton distributing reservoir" that
stood we'll within the time-range of
the present generation on the ground
now, occupied by the Public Library
and Bryant Park, it served as
choice scene for real as well as i'm
aginary romance (see Hoffman's fine
tale of The Man in the Reservoir").
Its approaching fate draws attention
to the great law of death in life. or of
life in death. which governs cities as
1t governs all other organisms. The
buildings of a city are like the cells
of an animated body-they are con-
tinually decaying and being replaced
as long as the organisms of which
they are constituent parts grows and
fiourishes, and when 1t ceases to grow,
and loses its vitality, both decay and
perish together, the whole dissolving
because the parts are no longer re-
newed.
We are apt to take a too senti-
mental view of the destruction of an
cient landmarks. blaming the resent
lessness of modern progress. but for
getting that modern" means simply
actual, and that to allow the relics
of the past to obstruct the needs of
the present is as fatal as to have the
life-blood clogged with dead cells.
We are WRONG in also imagining
that the spirit of progress is more
destructive te-day than il ever was
in the past. Cities have always grown
upon the ruins of older cities. as for
est grow upon the mold of former
forests. There are many Romes un-
derneath the Rome of to-day. just as
there were many Troys under the
walls and pavements of the Troy of
the Iliad. Both London and Paris
have trampled their dead selves deep
underfoot. Ordinary motives of SEN
timental interest will not save any
structure from demolition when 1t
gets in the way of the requirements
and conveniences of later generations.
Only the strongest and most endur-
ing historical associations. or artistic
excellence and beauty of the rarest
kind, can ward off destruction and in
duce voluntary preservation. 1t is easy
to see why the Parthenon and certain
other Greek temples have been guard
ed, especially in modern centuries. 1t
is because they are eXemplers and
types of an architectural art that the
world has been admiring. studying and
initiating for many generations. II is
their originality that has saved them
If they had been simple limitations OF
the products of an earlier art no such
protecting charm would have hovered
over them.
The colossal architectural piles OF
Egypt have remained. partly because
some of them were too massive to be
readily torn down. partly because a
kind of awe hovered over them in the
presence of the strange and giant
sculptured forms that seemed to
guard them, and partly because the
current of progress turned away from
Egypt and left them, like the water
marked walls of an ambandoned can
yon whose river has found new
course. to the slow. smoothing hand
But the recent fate of the exquisite
temples of Philae. mercilessly drown
ed by the damned waters which mod
ern agriculture eXacts from the Nile.
shows how fragile is the mantle of
respect and admiration covering the
art treasures of the Pharaohs..
If an Arabian magician could trans
Nile and let it settle down. a vast
human cloud over the site of ancient
Memphis. il would eat up the mighty
pyramids. as once it began to eat the
towering basalt pillars of the Paii-
tomb. was saved from the hungry
NAV. 1t could only be through almost
superhuman ability on the part OF
some Egyptian preservation society.
The ruins of Tadnoir in the desert
devouring winds; but drop Tadmor
down in the midst of 100000 human
ants, and 1t would quickly go the way
! of poor. romantic old High Bridge: and
no memory of the heroic Queen Zeno-
bia. now defending the walls of her
wonderful city side by side with her
soldiers and now led bejewelled cap
tive in the pageant of a Roman tri-
umph. could save it for day.
The glorious Gothic cathedralS are
safe Except from Huns). both because
they are protected. like the Parthenon
by the originality of their art and be-
cause they are still, after so many
hundred years, more beautiful than
anything that modern builders can
conceive or construct, as we'll as bet
ter suited to their purpose.
But now let us ask ourselves. and
answer frankly. the question: How
many architectural structures have
we that would be protected because OF
their intrinsic interest and beauty by
a civilized people OF a few thousand
| years hence?" You, reader. may have
| a different notion; but for my part
| cannot think of one.
The best would fall in it's claim, be-
cause they are all limitations and
adaptations. as far as they are beau
tiful. and where they are original they
are not beautiful. Nevertheless, hur-
rah for modern progress! A garden
| cannot always bloom. but in the In
| tervals of lowering it can always be
made richer in preparation for the
next coming of the roses.