516
 

The   Record  and  Guide,
 

April 23, ISS"?
 

marked off from the rest by the occurrence of the main cornice,
a shelf projecting two feet or more above the sixth story, thus
dividing the front into two equal parts, the equality of which is
emphasized by their being composed of different materials. Such
a disposition is in itself almost if not quite fatal to the production
of an organic architectural unity. Counting the story above the
main cornice in -vith the upper division, as perhaps it is the
designer's intention that we should, this division becomes
superior in importance to the lower, but in that case we have two
buildings repeating each other in composition as having each a
very high base and a very low superstructure. This does not make
an architectural composition either.

The granite substructure, which we have called three stories, is
really two and a half; one principal story with an entresol,
divided by a heavy cornice from the story above, which may be
regarded either as part of the superstructure or as an intermediate
story between the firsfc and second divisions. This uncertainty is
confusing. If the granite had been stopped above the entresol, or
if the third story had been unmistakably included in the lower
division by an emphatic demarcation above it and the omission of
tbe heavy cornice below it, and the main cornice had been elevated
to its proper place at the top of the wall, we should have had a
division corresponding to architectural propriety and to the several
uses of the building. The composition would have conformed to
the precept as old as Aristotle, that a work of art must have a
beginning, a middle and an end, which cannot be said of it at
present.

The front ia of rather more liberal width than is thought neces¬
sary for many elevator buildings, being about fifty feet. It is
divided into three parts throughout, the central being the widest.
Nevertheless, in a front which is nearly twice as high as ifc is wide
it is desirable to emphasize the horizontal lines as much as may be,
and to slight the vertical lines, by interrupting them if necessary.
This has apparently been present to the mind of the designer of the
Emigrant Bank. At least he has interrupted some of his vertical
lines by queer devices. At each side of the building three pilaster-
like piers, each with its own capital, are superposed—the first, of
polished granite ashlar, running through the principal story and
the enrresol; the second, of polished granite monoliths, traversing
the intermediate story, and the third, of stone, running through
three stories and terminating under the main cornice in capitals
with curvpd abaci, those below being straight. It is the intermedi¬
ate lines that are interrupted. On each side of the central doorway
is a polished granite pilaster, having a carved capital with curved
abacus. Thep© pilasters run through one sfcory only, and carry
pairs of corbels, projecting to carry a balcony at the centre of the
entrPRol. These corbels are furnished with capitals according to a
meaninglpps fa^shion flrst introduced here, we believe, in a house in
upper Fifth avenue, and since repeated in the marble building of
two banks in Wall street, befcween Broad and William. Nothing
could be better adapted to deprive a corbel of the expression of a
projecting supporfc, which it has when let alone or decorated
according to its function. This balcony, however, effectually
interrupts the vertical lines. Above, the same object is attained in
an even queerer way, the pilasters running through the fifth and
sixth stories only, while the central part of the fourth is occupied
by an arched opening, from a drawing of which anybody would
unhesitatingly take it to be a fire-place, if the keystone at the
centre of the segmental arch were not shored up by a central
mullion in defiance of structural propriety and common sense.
The spandrils of the fire-place are decorated with a wriggling vine,
and upon its mantel shelf, so to speak, rest the pilasters that sustain
the main cornice.

The artist is so enamored of the device of supporting an areh by
mullions that he has employed it in the windows of the entresol.
In the central opening of this story, of which the arches are seg¬
mental, there are two mullions builfc into the arch, while at each
Bide, the opening being narrower, there is but one, and this at the
centre. The disposition is rather worse than merely meaningless,
sin^e it is evident that in case of any irregularity of settlement the
tendency of these upright struts will be to dislocate the arch.

The carving is much the best thing in the front, the leafage of
the twelve large capitals it contains being crisp and well out.
Beyond that there is little to admire. Effect is sought for by the
extravagant size of a comparatively few features. In this respect,
as well as in several of the features themselves, it testifies to an
inordinate admiration of the marble banking building in Wall
street, already mentioned. If the architecfc of that h« not the
author of this, as we believe he is not, he should be pleased with
the imitation which is proverbially said to be the sincerest flattery.
The extravagant size of the parts and the elaboration of detail
give the front a somewhat sumptuous and grandiose appearance
and compels the passer by to look at ifc, though only to find that it
does not very well repay a minute inspection.
. An instructive comment upon some of the preceding remarks is
furnished by the Reade street front, which is properly the rear of
the building., This is not even by the same architect, Messrs. Little
 

and O'Connor, we believe, being the designers of the Beade street
front, while the Chanxbers street front is the work of Mr. Hume.
The motive is in a manner the same, there being in this case also a
high basemenfc, an intermediate story, a principal stage of three
stories and a plain attic. The materials are different, being in the
rear above the granite basement red brick and brown stone. The
entrance is here flush with the sidewalk, and the basement story
consists of a massive granite wall pierced, three arches plainly
treated, and carrying the principal story of four tall and chan¬
nelled granite pilasters supporting a complete entablature. Then
comes the intermediate story of low piers belted with brick and
sandstone and carrying an entablature of brown stone. Brick
piers run through the next three stories, treated pilasterwise with
carved capitals of a free Corinthian and again a heavy entablature
of brown stone. Above the ceatre of the attic is a very question^
able pediment. The materials are simpler than those of the
southern front and there is much less ornament, but the effect is
far better. The main divisions are far more clearly brought out,
and the confusion and partial weakness occasioned in the Cham»
hers street front by the manner in which the vertical lines are
interrupted, and by the meaninglessness of some of the detail are
avoided by a broader, simpler and more coherent treatment. This
front has a stateliness and dignity that are lacking to the other in
spite of its costliness and elaboration.
 

A Telephone company has pufc up gigantic poles in 73d street,
west of the Central Park, each of which must cost fully $300.
Some of these poles are far above the roofs of the houses, and their
erection is an outrage upon the owners of the rapidly improving
property of that region. This does nofc look as if these pole-
erectors ever intended to place the wires in a subway. The fact is,
the city should take this subway business in hand, build them and
charge a rent that would pay handsomely. The municipality then
could  put  a   peremptory stop  to  the  erecting  of   any  more

unsightly poles.

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What a world of trouble the English government is giving
itself about Ireland. The Coercion bill now under consideration is
the eighty-fourth passed during the present century, yet Ireland is
as far from being paciGed as ever. In the measure of Home Rule
proposed by Mr. Gladstone, the English Parliament was to be
relieved of the presence of the Irishmen. Bufc this proposition
was rejected, although legislation is at a standstill because of the
constant consideration of measures affecting Ireland. The English
people do not show their hard common sense io dealing with the
Irish problem. As a matter of fact, there is a race hatred in the
case, such as we A-mericans have felt towards the Negroes and
Chinese. The Englishman has been unjust to the Irishman, politi¬
cally, industrially and socially, and he hates the people he has
injured. This is the long and short of the whole matter. There
can be no other explanation of the ferocious sentiments expressed
by the Liberal-Unionists, who, in supporting coercion, belie all their
past political pledges,

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An editorial writer in the Tribune labors under the curious
hallucination that it is a ba«i thing for the country to have an
abundance of good money. It seems we now have about $1,315,-
000,000 money of all kinds—gold, silver and paper; whereas on
July Ist last. w« had $1,235,000,000. The Tnbune estimates that
about $80,000,000 has been added to the circulation m three-quar¬
ters of the current fiscal year. Estimating our population at
60,000,000 the amount of money per capita is $18.93 paper and $7.98
coin, a total of $31.91. The steady additions to our curreecy will,
the writer thinkp, stimulate speculation and finally land us in a
panic. Bufc why is not France in a state of chronic panic? Its
gold and silver money alone figures up aboufc $53 per capita, of
which $14 is silver. Of course we use checks and bank credits far
more than do the French people, whose entire retail business is
transacted for money down. There cannot be such a thing as too
much good money. The nation is the better off the more gold and
silver it uses, and it is not hurt by any issue of paper, m hich can
be safely converted at par into the precious metals. We can have
no currency breakdown when the bulk of our circulating paper
represents an actual gold or silver dollar in the Treasury.
 

It has been suggested that builders who file plans should pay a
fee for each one examined in the Building Department. This
would put a stop to the too common practice of putting on record
plans for buildings which are never constructed. A portion of the
fees might be repaid if the structure is commenced on time. But
building statistics are vitiated by the too common practice of filing
plans which are never intended to be carried out. Then the
Building Dopartment, like other bureaus of the city departments,
oughfc to be self-supporting. Why should the city pay for the
examination of plans put in by contrac.ing builders? New York
pays the salaries of thirty-three persons who should be chargeable
to private interests.