The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-03-02
FOR the Mddlebury Regi'tsr.
"reminiscences of Week in Boston and its
Envir ons.-No. 3.

Watcr-works - Public Buildings - Fancuil
lIall-McrcIants' Exchange-StAtc House
The New Custom lIouse-Boston Muse
um-lIotels. &c.
Among the other more prominent OBJ
jects Of interest in Boston, are the wa
terworks and public buildings. Tho
water-works are among the things Of
recent improvement. BY = series Of
pipes and reservoirs. water is conveyed
to all parts Of the city proper, aud to
East and South Boston. 1t is brought
from Long Pond, or Lake Cochtuatc, al
distance of nearly 20 miles. 1t will
supply 100000 gallons daily, and
cost about S5OOO,00O
Faneuil Hall. justly styled the era
die of American Liberty" is as old as
l740 1t is 50 by 100 feet, and three
stories high. 1t was the gift of Peter
Fancuil to the town, in i742 AS i'll
has always been place of historical in
tcrcst to the lovers of liberty, | took
special pains to visit it. and learn its|
history 1t has been enlarged and beau
tilted on several occasions, aud until the|
new market was built the lower part Of
it was used for meat stalls 1t is now
improved for stores The Hall is 81
feet square, Is feet high and has deep
galleries on three sides About $500
persons can stand within its walls Id
is adorned with superb paintings of pat
riots, warriors and statesmen The up1
per part is occupied as = place for az
mories
We next visited tie State House.
fronting the common The site is m
elevation I 0 fce' above tie level Of the
sea Its dome. fifty-two feet in dame
ter is $50 feet above the level Of the
harbor 1t is 55 years since its com
pletion 1t was three years in building
and cost 1888 1913 From the top OF
the dome on this building, is obtained
one of the most enchanting views The
city, with its crooked streets, its extern
dcd avenues its SPLENDID buildings the
harbor and its Shipping the common
and It's romantic " ks the granite bills
and luxuriant wales. eheckercd with
thousands of farm houses, cottages and
halls of Harvard the sacred fields Of
Bunker Hill, with its costly aud aspir
ing monument the city spires and tur
rcts all conspire to render this the
most lovely scene the city of Boston car
present
One of the most magnificent structure:
which give great and enduring credit tc
the Bostonians, is the Merchants Ex
change. To give some idea of its mag
nitude we will state that its front is &c
feet, its height 20 feet, and its deptf
$50 feet, covering $4,000 feet of land
The front is entirely of Quincy granite
with four pilasters, being As feet IL
height and weighing SIS tons The roo
is constructed of iron, and all the prin
cipal stair-cascs are Of stone and iron
and of course fre-proof The rear o
the building is occupied as public
house, another part as the Boston post
Office, and other parts as banks and off
ces of business. The great centre-hal
is for the Merchants Exchange. Thi
room is IS by so feet, having Is column
90 feet in length, with Corinthian CAPT
tails. The most finished work in tn
structure is the enamelled sky-light o
b. colored glass in the central portion o
the dome of the great hall 1t seems +
be composed Of every brilliant that tn
, richest fancy could conceive or unlimi
!. ted wealth obtain.
The new Custom House is worthy Q
{ mention. 1t is situated between Lon
!. and Central wharves 1t is in the forr
!. of cross. The extreme length is ! a
n feet, extreme breadth 95 feet. Tn
!. longest arms Of the cross are rs fec
o wide, and tho shortest 81. 1t is fouI
8 ded on piles driven in the most effectiv
!. manner, upon which Is laid continuou
IS platform of granite, ls inches in thicl
& ness, laid in cement mortar The cell'
!. under the whole building, about IL fe'
4 deep, is made perfectly dry, is we'll ligh
1. ed by sky-lights in tho side walk, and
l used for the storage Of goods II
= h.soo,onf starry ahaut z feet in h0iQl