Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-03-24
A Novel Emterprise.

Pcdrcu III inc ualIy papers during the
past few months relative to the build
ing of a large boat by Messrs SpALD-
ING & ROGERS, for traversing the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers, and their tri-
butaries. We have taken pains to
enquire into the particulars, and in
company with DR.. G. r. SpALDlNc,
took a round on Saturday, from con-
tractor to contractor, examining the
plans of the FLOATING Palace" The
Palace will be over two hundred feet
in length, and sixty feet in width
The ring for equestrian exercises is
on a level with the deck and in the
centre,-the dress circle extending
all around, being provided with eight
hundred and seventy-four arm chairs,
ofthe same color and pattern of those
which ornament SMITH & NxoNs
beautiful Concert Hall, from the ex-
tensive mandatory of Messrs. JoHN-
SON & MITCHELL.
Tbs bsses of the first tier, are sup
piled with cushioned or fixed seats,
capable Of sitting from seven to
eight hundred persons with ease
The front of the boxes is BEAUTIFULLY
ornamented with ovel mirrors, set in
panel work, with beautiful and rich
ornamental gilt composition mould
ings,-with brilliant gas burners in
such, supplied with gas manufactured
on board from an apparatus manu-
featured by Messrs. SrARrros & Co.,
OF Philadelphia. The pipes and bur-
ners, together with the gasometer,
were made in this city.
The entire roof is suspended, free
of any obstruction, on the principal
of improved railroad bridges. Two
of the largest organs in the country,
from the mandatory of EBBEN& Co.
will furnish melody for the interior,
while the outside will be supplied
with chime of bells, twcnty in num-
bcr, weighing five thousand pounds,
from the foundry of CoFrrN g. Co.,
fitted up to discourse most melodous
music, with a double set of KEYS, for
strong or mellow music, which can
be heard distance of five miles on
the water. Imagine a chime of bells
tinkling an evening digre at sunset
on the placid Ohio, and you have a
faithful idea of this ordinary chime.
The great advantage is the comfort,
superiority of appointment, para
phenalia' extensive grandeur, and the
convenient locale. No theatre in the
West is so comfortable, as this stu
pendous palace will be when compile
ted. Lighted with brilliant gas, and
a quadruple Drummond and Mag
netic light, with music inside from a
couple of the largest organs in the
Union, ana an Immense minute chime
of bells outside,-what can equal it?
The entire cost of the palace alone is
estimated at thirty thousand dollars
and all the work Of our mechanics.
She will be completed by the middle
of April towed to Pittsburgh, where
the doors will be thrown open for ad-
mission for the first time on the first
of May.
The beautiful steamer Jenny Lind
will tow her from port to port, and
furnish accommodations for the
troupe of men and horses,-one hun
dred and seventy eight in NUMBER
while the heralding in advance will
be done by the miniature North River
steamer Humming Bird, built at Al
bany N. Y. to out-ruu anything of
her size in the navigable world. She
is thirty six feet in length, with dou-
BILE engines,-is constructed to stem
the Ohio and Mississippi current at
the rate Of twelve miles per hour, and
to have Accommodations for four passen-
gers the advertiser and assistants.
Take it all in all, the project is one
Of the most extensive on record in the
annals of amusement-the entire ex-
pense out Of the circus feet, being
over fo'ty thousand dol2ars-two thirds
of which is left with Cincinnati me-
chanics. The Jenny lind excitement
will be nowhere in comparison to
SPALDING & RoGER's ClRcUa FLEEr.-
Mark what we say!--Cincinnatti
Nonpariel.