The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-08-28
The Metropolitan Hotel.

1t was originally announced, we believe, that
the new Metropolitan Hotel would be open for
the reception Of guests on the Il Gt June -he
time was then postponed to the 1t of july but
it being found impossible to thoroughly finish
the interior decorations within that period, n
further postponcmeut was necessary. At leugth
the work has approached nearly to completiuon,
and the lesscs, Messrs. Simeon Leland d Co
have definitely advertised that they will receive
company the lst Of September just in time for
the troops Of fashlonsbles returning from the
springs and watering place. to take look at the
latest New York wonder. before dispensing to
their homes in other sections Of the Union. The
Metropolitan is located on the coroner Of Broad.
way and Prince street, and its three fronts, on
those thoroughiares and Crosby street, are ns-
gregately five hundred and twenty six feet in
length. 1t is six stories in hight, entirely faced
with brown stone, in richly ornamental style Of
| architecture, and has been erected by the heir
Of the late Stephen Van Rensselaer, ut cos, cf
more than half million Of dollars
We bad the pleasure, yesterday afternoon, o!
| examining the interior Of this vast structure
from attic to cellar and were surprised to find
| the anticpa,ions excited by the magnifcencc Of
the exterior more than realized The main en-
trance is lofty, spacious and highly decorated,
and the grand staircase is probably unsurpassed
On the ground floor are reception rooms for ladies
and gentlemen, public anil private offices, the
billiard room, hair dressers saloon pcrters ROOM
and other apartments The har.room is in III.
basement. At the head of the staircase, the
ceiling Is supported by rows oi Cornthian col.
umns, with highly ornamcnted capitals On the
| first floor are four extensive public parOrs and
a spacious reading room, besides a great number
ofprivate parlors. The ceiling. of the hall. and
! public parlors have been eXquisitrly painted in
frsSco BY Harvest and Young while the parlors
are chiefly decorated with plaster ornament in
Jdsso or alto rclicro The mantels are all maible,
even to the servants chambers in the attic.
Those in the publicapartments, and, in the best
OF the private rooms, are Of statuary, Sienna,
broeatellc pink and other costly marbles, elegant.
| " chiseed after classic designs, and exQuistely
polished The buildings contains one hundred
suits of apartments, including parors dressing
rooms, and bedroom, besides an immense number
OF single rooms, some idea OF the eStcnt Of the
accommodations may be formed from the fact
that there are all the requisite convenicnces for
over eight hundred guests. The bed rooms are
all supplied with hot and cold water, baths. gas
lights, water, closets, bells, speaking tubs &c,
aud there are dummies on every landing by
which baggage, refreshments, or anything desired
can be conveyed promptly aud noisclcssly from
the ground TO the topmost story. The upholstery
.hroughouts Of the richest aud most elegant
description, The carpets, of which there are
more than $4,000 yards, were imported, and
most Of them expressly made for this house
They are of exceedingly varied and tasteful pat.
tarns
The numerous man.el and pier mirrors cost
about $4,000, and the arges, Of them measure.
Q ii by feet being larger than any hitherto
imported. The cabinet furniture has mostly
been made OF new patterns, and the finest ma
terals, At an aggregate expense Of a6ou, $4,000
In the principal rooms, the chairs and sofas afC
OF rose wood. Even the doors and window sill;
have been polished and vnrni.ed NJ smooth a. u
coach panel the windows ufe all archcd at thC
top; there are double doors between n,crcom
munlcatug apartments and in every department
OF Workmanship the utmost mechanical ingenuity
seems TO have been employed, regardless of ,x
pcnse. There are three large dining rooms twt
Of them fitted up as the ladies aud gentlemen,
ordinarios in stylc OF great spendor, with ceiling
! and walls painted in frcScO, and pcrs, anil mantle,
covered with large mirrors.
The four large doors VI the ladies' ordiary m,
surmoun,ed with shields, bearing the arms of tn,
four principal cities in the Cnlon-New York
) Philadelphia, Baltimore, nnl Boston. owe,
the windows are smaller shields painted with III,
heraldc bearings of various foreign nations. The
cuisine Laundry, storcrooms, wine cellars, aus
} other subterranean cempar,mtnt OF the build
ings, are no less admirable than the upper stories
for vastnoss Of extent, and adaptation to thc
several uses. There is a steam engine IN I'll,
basement which supplies power for managing, 70
moving the dummies, for forcing water 10 an,
par, ef the house III case OF failure Of ,hs Ciotcu