Morning herald., 1839-08-31

Athens The floors In every room except the large
rotunda covered with draulic cement the roof
Of the building is first vaulted and then graded with
comnon street tagging; the whole covered with
German Asphatum. Like the Custom House it is
fire proof; every room being vaulted and no wood
used in any part Of the building except the sash
doors; the frames of these it thought unnecessary
to have made Of iron, account Of their being too
cumbrous protect them the three principal stories
have iron shutters on the outside.
The foundation walls are from 81 to feet thick,
and of large blocks Of the sp of the base
ment, 25 feet hgh after this the backing up Of the
outer walls is done with brick and all the par
tition walls Of brick Cement is used throughout
the building; and the blocks of granite in the
are from feet inches, to feet inches one way,
and vary in length from to IL feet, although there
blocks 25 feet in length. In all the open
ngs throug the building, there counter arches
sprung take the whole weight Of the piers to
the centre Of the opening There two starways Of
granite each Of the streets (beside the mainstar
way on Wall street) with ever 100 stairs in each,
varying from feet to Al feet in width.
The Rotunda is most magnificent room in the
centre of the building. The height of it to the spring
Of the dome is 81 feet, and above this the dome is
30 feet high; the whole surmounted by two sky
lights, one 50 and 30 feet in diameter, the inner
one to be glazed with stained glass, and the frames
to be Of iron, weighing about ton. The floor OF
the Rotunda is Of fine marbe-its diameter is 80 feet
in the clear aad 100 feet in the recess forming
area Of 1000 square feet which il may be estimated
will hold 5000 persons The roof is supported by
eight polished Italian marble columns, with Corin-
THAN capitals executed in Italy; these IL feet in
height including the cap and base and feet inches
in diameter In order to the stability of this
part sfthe building, the walls around the Rotunda
have bearing ef IL feet in the trenches, formed OF
large blocks of stone weighing two tons each; the
most solid foundation ever put up in this coun-
try. The Rotunda, besides these Cornthian CO.
lumns has eight anita to finish the angles Of the
these also Of marble, laid in courses, with
fcliated capitals corresponding with the columns,
all Of which will be luted and very highly polished.
The circular room under the Rotunda (now used as
the Merchants Exehange) has the same area as the
one above and contains granite pillars to support
the bearing Of the columns Of the Rotunda. A gra-
mite corridor on each story will surround the court
yards and rotunda from Al TO feet wide, supported
in the wall from each story-thers is also open
ing on to it from every stairway. There are four
court wards each having Of 81 by 40 feet The
room over the one at present occupied as the News
Room on William street, Mr.. Gilpn will occupy as
his news room; it will be 65 feet By % feet. Over
| this. again. will be the room for the Chamber of
Commerce, both l5 feet high. The latter will be
ornamentcd with seagloa pillars II feet high, the
capitals Of which are copies Of those formerly
| in the Tower of Winds, at Athens. The Telegraph
will be placed over the corner Of the entrance on
Exchange Place, towards William Street, so as to
range in line with that at the Narrows, without be-
ing in line with the dome
The portico 'front.' on Wall street, will present a
| maeniGrent appearance. This, when finished, will
he elevated on stiobate Of Is feet, and is Of the
| enriched Ionic order; there is TO be row Of Is
granite columns, each feet inches diameter; the
shaft Of each column 81 feet inches hgh and the
whole height, including cap and base, Is - feet
The shafts weigh 33 tons each, and the cap and base
7 tons each The shafts will be the largest blscks
of columns ever quarred in this country. There is
q svlendid church in ST. Petersburgh, the columns Of
which are Of one block Of granite IS feet hgh next
TO these the columns Of the Exchange portico are the
largest in the world In the stilobath Of the portice
there are 8 openings, besides the entrances TO the
| basement. The centre Of the stilobath 10 broker
through. TO give an ample and uninterrupted en-
trance 70 the rotunda. The pedestals, however
pl,eed TO support the six centre columns, cores
pond, in their details, with the stilobath.
This arrangement forms also grand recess por.
. /
AZ each side The ascent from the sidewalk TO the
door OF the rotunda is 30 feet high, made easy by
three seps rate landing places. The main door is II
feet wide and 40 feet high. The columns are sur
mounted with an entablature 10 feet high, the areh
lecture. freize and cornice being ornamcnted with
mouldings; the whole is capped with course o
blocking, 9 feet high in the centre, graduating of
each way This blocking Is TO be richly ornamented
with sculpture, representing the arts and sciences
in detail On the top of the blocking, in the centre
will be placed figure Of the genus Of Liberty, re.
curnbent with the cap, rsd ccrnucopia, &c. Sc.
The building, when finished, will thus form four
handsome stories, including the base, containing 10
rooms, from IL 10 20 feet square, and III to 16 fee
high all vaulted with Philadelphia brick, covered
with composition. All the halls and passage way,
are paved with granite, the whole &C which used il
the building his been brought from Quncy. Tn,
work has progressed all round the outside as lar a,
the cornicc of the enablature, except immediately
IN front. Some q the large columns are now on
their way t. this city, and will be raised 70 theii
olct alton BY derrick. constructed expressly fol
that purpose by Mr. Rogers, TO b. - feet high, with