The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-10

compare its performance with that of the 9:5 A M,
train from Euston-square to Liverpool The SUI
| premacy of the Great Western line will be declared
| TO be Mt stake in the tremendous contest, which
| will he initiated on all the lines throughout the
country. A. delightful principle to introduce.
The Public Buildings In New York City.
We present our readers this morning, with short
descriptions of the several buildings occupied by
the United States government in this city, namely,
the Custom House, the Bonded Warehouse, the
Public Store, the Post Office, the Revenue Barge
Office, and the United States Circuit and District
Courts.
| CUSTOM HOUSE.
! This edifce stands on four streets, running back
from Pine to Wall street, has three fronts-one on
! the former street, another on Nassau, and the
! third on Wall street. The order of architecture
is Doric, being built after model of the Parthenon
ct Athens; and its general dimensions, as com
pared with the Greek temple, as eleven
TO twelve, the Parthenon being the largest
| of the two The size of the Custom House in plan
is 80 feet on each front and ITS feet on the flank.
and its extreme length is 1872 feet 1t has eight Co
lumns its fronts, each column beng.five fee.
| eight inches in diameter at the bottom, and their
height is 81 feet. The height of The entablature is
| 10 feet above which, on the TANKS, is set range
of antefxa, making 4 beautiful crown enrichmen
| upon the caves, while each separate ornament
forms the foot block or base of the saddle-courses
| for the marble roof.
The superstructure rests upon a stylobate, which
embraces the basement story, Ii feet high, and be-
low the basement there is a cellar feet deep, ex-
tending under the whole building, for the storage
| of merchandise, &c. The lower cellar walls
are eight feet in thickness; those of the basement
| seven feet; the walls Of the building are, the
AA..l. III aC tk~ a.
| feet. The entrance doors at each front are six
| teen feet high and eight feet wide in the opening
| The windows of the first and second stories are
five by ten feet in the openings The attic story is
lighted through the metopes, which are four feet
| square. One single sheet of plate glass half an
inch in thickness, makes both the window and the
metope. and Is set n an iron frame, which shuts
| OFFICES.
The basement story is divided into ten rooms,
allotted severally for the inspectors, measurers,
gaugers, weighers, &c, and are all furnished in
| style suitable TO the use for which they are in
tended. On the ground principal floor, there are
seven rooms, besides the passages. The great
room of the Collector is situated next the south
'front.' and is entered Immediately from the portico
in Wall street The plan of this room is cruciform,
its greatest diameter being, longudinay, eighty
sixty feet in diameter formed Of sixten columns, Of
the Corinthan Order rises centrally from the floor
| Of this room with an unbroken line OF entabla-
tsre, the whole constructed OF white marble;
| ing rotunda. The dome 10 pierced through its
summit with skylsht, sixteen feet in diane.
| ter; the iron sash for the glass is composed
in imitation of the stalks and leaves of the dial
plant, radating from central rosette, the whole
forming a very chaste and appropriate ornament
Outside of the circle are four smaller sized rooms,
in the form Of l., in size about equal To eighteen
feet each. They are situate nearly equ-distan on
the circle, one in each recess Of the cross. That
CoIiector-thst on the north is the Cashiers
ofice-the one on the east is the Office Of export
and de benture, and that on the south 10 the lqudat
ing Office. ..r.
/ In the second and third stories, and also in the
basement, the same number Of rooms Of this ire
| guar shape similarly situated upon the circle
| or rotunda; the rooms on the second story
.srss iroG the corridors, which extend along the
wsAs outside the columns, making passage of
interoomn unicaton entirely round the great room
longitudinal passage fifteen feet IN breadth,
| extends from the entrance in Pine street, until
1t meets with transverse passage at the
northeast end of the edifce each side
Of the former passage Is room thirty by
rooms of this size at the north end of the edihce,
two on each story. The eight rooms fronting on
Pure street, are appropriated as follows;-two in
cipal floor, TO the Naval Officer and Surveyor In
the second story IL the Auditors Office, and ano-
thtr branch Of the Naval office In the attic story
is the office Of the auditing clerks, and room for
records
| This magnificent building was commenced In
| 1894, under the superintendence Of John Frazee,
| arrhiffct, and was f1nlshcd IN lSIZ, al cost OF
! $500, 900, exclusive Of the furniture, which cost
/ S25,O00-the whole being an aggregate sum of
/ S9e5,COe.
BONDED WAREHOUSE.
This building ~ an appendage to the Custom
II ouse and is situate in Broadway, near the bat
| ieTy. II is handsome brick building the ground
story faced with cut stone erecled soon after the
| greet fire Of 1si5, by Mr.. Elisha Fitch and was
seon afterwards rented by the general government
IL consists of five double stores, fronting Broad
wsy apd New street; the front on the latter street
/ II five stories, and that Broadway four stories
II is appropriated TO the following offices, namely
/ Transfer and delivery, boekkeeper, storekeeper,
baggage and delivery offices. The public store Is
plain brick building, Of four stories, situate N
Broad street. II erected after the great tire Of
/ Isi5, by Peters 81 Marsh, and was subsequently
rented by the general government, and is PRINCIPAL
" appropriated TO the storage OF goods previous to
eIpraisement.
This building is located in Nassau street; was
/ formerly called the Middle Dutch Church, which
vus, on the 3lst day Of July, 1871, leased, by the
minister, elders and deacons Of the Reformed Pro-
/ t,stsut Dutch Church in the city OF New York, 20
! the United States for term Ut Elk years, at the
/ yearly rent OF 5000, with clause for renewal
~ the lease az the expiration Of said term, for
I Further term Of seven, fourteen, or twenty one
/ years, at the option Of the lesseee IL was subse-
quently altered and fitted up under the direction of
3 John LOrimer Graham, Esq the then Postmaster,
as poet Office and in the month Of January, lSi5,
the department. was remove 4 from the Park TO Mas
l ssu street.
THE REVENUE BOARDING OFFICE
This lie a frame building, erected in 1886, m the
dock at the foot Of Whitehall street Its built on
! ples, and contains two stories aud an ettc'; the
/ attic is used as lighthouse. IL is known as the
/ Revenue Boarding Office. A boarding officer and
\ three assistants are continually stationed there,
whose duty it is to board all vessels arriving from
foreign porte, to examine their papers, and report
| to the Custom House.
! THE UNITtD Stairs CIRCUIT AND DISTRICT COURTS.
These two courts, with the office attached, are
| IN the east wing Of the new CITY Hall. sOTmefly
| known as the old alms house. The property ~
! owned by the corporation. but has been rented
iOr number OF years nv the general government
In addition to the two court raome, this building
contains the United States District Attorneys
Office, the United States Marsha's office, the
Offices Of the clerks Of the Circait and District
Courts, and grand j0ry room.
We undo rstand that some five or six years age,
| the general government made an offer 10 the thin