The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-23
The new DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM.
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LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE.
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Description Of the Grounds, Building Ceremonies,
&C., &c., So.

Institution for the Education of the Dsa and Dumb
@d with appropriate ceremonies yesterday at noon by
his Honor Mayor Westeryel In tho presence Of about
one thousand persons, large number of whom were
deaf mutes. The institution is in prosperous condl-
tion and the cost of the buildings and ground will be
about two hundred thousand dollars The grounds have
long been distinguished for the passing beauty OF
their location being skirted by the Hudson river and
the whole Landscape being broken with hills, gives q
highly picturesque view The grounds include thirty.
scres and the distance from tie City Hall is niue
miles. The property formerly owned by Colonel
James Monroe, and there il odous mansion house
upon IT. which has been used for the purposes the
siuton The new buildings will front the river at
height OF one hundred and thirty feet above it,
giving to the inmates splendd prospectthe country
in the resrhe river In the front, with splendid land
scape extendir from the Highlands one side to the
Narrows the other. stone pier has been erected
upon the river and road constructed leading to the
front Of the buildings The diversified character of the
ground may be understood when the fact Is known that
the Of the site has cost nearly fifteen thousand
dollars In instances solid rock removed to the
depth of twenty feet. The work of improvement was
commenced the 13d Of May last such was the diff
6culty attendant upon it, that ths first course Of granite
in separation for the not commenced
until tha 18th of this month Tbs buildings when com.
peted will include front building, with wing recsdng
frc either end and schoolhouse In the forming
hollow square, in the centre of which Is bading
neotd by enclosed passages with the four exterior build
irgs The principal building hundred and fifty feet
IN trent By hity nve feet in depth In elevation it
bra four stories including the base emen and il
mounted by dome or observatory. 1t has central
rioor ten feet wide extending from end to the other
in the Ia;emen first and second stories aud the
on either side are twenty feet in Width The central pro-
jecting art If this building is &C feet beyond
the front of the main part This projecting part ia
sAty feet wide giving an entyaace hall of twenuty
feet in width The porlco front Is twenty nine feet
vi b3
SCANNED by el2tical arsh of twenty two feet with
side. The principal floor of the front building ds
crihed by the drawings, contains e reception ROOM di-
reciors rooms parlor rooms for the president also
contains for the teachers for visiters and
other purposes The upper story is devoted to the
Being separated at hs centre by an Intervening ha
which affords passage to the lantern at the top Of the
stale dome The basement of this build contains
.r donestcs, store rooms places for fuel furnaces &c
Ire wings the southernmost of which Is devoted to the
grls the other the boys each hundred
twenty by forty six feet and contain in the FIRST story
the saloon sitting for the pupils; in the second
story, separate drmtoes, hospital rooms, wardro5es
etc. ana In the upper story an open dormitory cosnect
ing with the in The front building In the basement
OF tacb are wash and bathing rooms and in the girls
wing laundry TIE sitting sach forty two by
one hundred and six feet In the construction Of these
rooms, the coun usually required in tas cane. to
support the floors above entirely dispensed with the
roof trusses The wnga united to the main building
cases, through which tie steaard ana mat-on
may; at any time, visit the apartments of the
pupils under their respective care. The school
he use in, the rear Il ons hundred and fifty ieet
lorg by fifty five feet wide and contains class le,.urs
Library and clbinet rooms and hall Of dssisn The lat
ter viii be located IA the per story, and lighted by
sss Ky aans rns II Of ns ssatss s
rangements conns.ted with rhs kitchen below, and
private starcas leading thereto The second story
wide, aud thirty feet in he ght This partcent may bs
reached from the main building by the large staircase
second story OF the schoohouse through pas
sases for each ex: The dining u,sy De entered
from the main building in FROM ana rois the wings
by lateral corridors. The schoohouse is connected
with each wing by a separate corridor, and there
sc also separate passages connecting each story.
The basement, we'll as the portico window siils and
be indicated by courses Of the material running
around the entire building The material principally to
be used in the construction Of the exterior walls will
yellow Milwaukee brick, to which the granite will aerd
an agreeable contrast. On either aide OF the wings will
be ornamented verandahs Of cast IRON painted in nita
liz Of the material used for the port;co II is expected
that the erection Of these buildings win occupy about two
years.
The ceremonies o, yesterday wsre commenced with an
i'm pressivs prayer By Bishop Wainwright in whish he
quoted portions Of the Collects for the twelfth anf twenty
fourth Sundays after Trinity, according TO the ritual of
the Protestant Episcopal Churcd
TIE Preside Mt Of the Institution HARVEY PEr ca ne
forward and pronounced an address, rs follows:
Friends and fellow latorers in the Of humanity
In the occasion that has drawn ethsrhs a ing
Of the corner stone OF building ior the Nav YORK
brings to consideration both the rapid expansion Of
city, which has compelled removal Of the ins:itu
ton from It's old site, and the growth Of the institution
II, Elf demanding more spacious accommodations than
that site, ampls it once deemed, could AFFORD
ere Is much 20 force attention the nder
iul pogess SO often boosted Of as ephat silly chtrac
tersc of the nineteenth csntorynore amphsticaliy cf
native land. Tais p'osress Is no .n;fe tei
alcne in the colossal growth OF cities AMI states,
which, from small and feeols beginnings, are
iisir G up with msgcal celebrity to rival the proud
"A mt in he dnf Of
government in the swelling tide Of public and private
wealth or tbs grand achi. of science and mocha
meal fk Other Indications of progress thare yet
worthy OF enlightened, philantnropc, and Chris
tan people, more gratifying to those who believe in the
Oar schools and colleges our asyums for the un
fortunate and afflicted in shorS all the means for the
equal diffusion Of intelligence and happiness, share
in the onward impulse. of this gratifying fact multi
tide Of illustrations will Ieadil, to YOU The re
markable and prosperity Of our own institution Is
not one of the least ing and If review the multi
pcatou and g1owth of kindred institutions in almost all
Christian countries, shall find strong con6rnstion OF
the belief that the intellectual, moral and religious
with lis national advancement; and that there il,
in the who'll. nothing to discourage the consols
hat millennium which Is come in his good time
Less than three centuries hRye elapsed since the hrst
Pence. spanish monk and Joachim Pssck, q German
pastor to lead to he light Of knowlet sc and religion
sone few of those OF our unfortunate fellow men whom
the ryston of speech and hearing had shut out of the
pale OF social religious privileges during many
thousand Year, Less than century has passed sincs
the benevolent and sslfdenypg he BEpes founded the
Grst tutor, deyotng 70 II bth hia lie and his own
private fortune for the free instruction Of the deaf and
eunb and already there Ia Europe Ind Anerica two
hu ndred euch instuons all but ten twelve OF wh IN
have 7prupg up within the last fy years Aud though
the Oldest Institution for tie deaf and dab on h sds
of the Atlantcth Of Hartfordis but year older than
cur own, and own has numbered only just half a.
many years as are usually reckoaed to the life OF man.
tbee sixteen such Institutions in many States
Of tie Union all supported mainly oyasproprstions froa
the State treasures. More than half Of those were
opened within tho last ton years. Nine States, which
baye yet Institutions for deaf mutea witLa their
own hovaers made provision for educating in
ALL and in others large proportion OF their indi
gent deaf and dumb In school in ns'ghboriDg
STATE. There IL, rejoice TO say scarcely State in
the Union OF considerable population and resources
that not fully in part ACKNOWLEDGED tho claims
of this interesting and unfortunate portion OF its popu
a,ion to the OF ellectus and spiritual NO. In
the pumber OF pupils under instruction. the increase has
been equally encouraging. Twenty cne years ago all
the American schools Tor the deaf and damb then six
number contained barely four hundred pupils six
venhs Of whom we're from States north and east Of tho
Potomac leaving still uDprovcea FOR neatly, rqaite,
A. Gaaf ,uka in is4 Enl