Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-05-11
More about the Crystal Palace.

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spcuous new feature in the neighborhood of
the Palace. 1t stands on Forty third st the
entrance being from Forty second st, through
building rs feet long. On either side of the
passage will be small shops forming con
tinuous bazaar. The upper story will be an
Ice Cream Saloon, elegantly fitted up for ladies'.
The tower is an octagon, IS feet in diameter
at the base.with an extreme height of $50 feet.
1t is of timber, well braced with iron, and is
anchored at each Of the eight angles with
about 40 tuns OF stone and timber The first
story will be a refreshment Saloon; the second
probably Ladies' ordinary Ice Cream Saloon
or something of that sort. These stories are
inclosed and are together about Twenty five
feet in height. Above this to the height of 100
feet the tower is of open work, and at tina,
point is an inclosed landing to be fitted up in
good style. Here will be the first look out,
100 feet from the ground. Then come four
open stories, above which is the second landing
200 feet from terra frma. Passing three open
stories, We reach the third and highest land
ing 275 feet from the base and by reason of the
he ight oferound.l75 feet higher than the view
from Trinity Church steeple. To aid the view
there will be number Of telescopes at each
landing, with maps and directions for the con-
venience of strangers. Access to the first and
seco nd landings will be by steam elevator,
running up a wellway in the center about Is
feet in dia. meter. From the second to the third
landing will I've winding stairway. The tow
err will be finished % feet from the upper look
out to the point of termination, spire. with
flag staff, As feet above the top Of the tower,
thus making the extreme lttude from base to
top of pole just $50 feet. Tho flag staff will be
capped with ball five feet IN diameter
From the staff. mammoth "star spangled
banner" will faunt in the breeze. The cost
will be about s25,oOO: the proprietors have
ten years lease Of the ground. Almost every
body has named this Barnum's Tower. under
the belief that the great Snowman was at the
bottom of it, Blu: such is not the fact; Mr.. B.
has no special interest in affairs OF public en-
tertainment in this City expect the American
Museum.
The view from this tower will be most mag.
nfcent. Cities, villages, hamlets, islands.
rivers, bays. the Sound, the Ocean, mountains,
wild woodlands and cultivated fields make up
panorama that will stand without rival
New York Tribune.
CONSTRUCTION OF RAPPING TABLEs.-Mr Pack
a cabinet maker in Pearl street, New York, has
furnished the following account of the manner
in which tables for esprit rappers" are con-
structed:
STATEMENT OF Mn. PAcK.-Having been cal
led upon b. Professor Mattison, in relation to
certain tables made by me for parties in this
city, am free to state that have made two
medium tables during the past year; both of
which had machinery concealed In them for
producing traps" at the will of the OPERATOR
The beds, IA inch thick, were cut out in the
centre, so as to admit the machinery, and then
carefully covered, SO as to leave hollow, and
make the sounds louder. am not sufficiently
acquainted with the machine and the manner
of working it, to describe them in detail; nv
business was to make the tables for the reccp-
ton Of the "sprits," and that have done this
in two instances, and am ready to do it two or
twenty more if can get paid for it., am will
ling to assert. And if people will give dol.
lar apiece to hear little hammer,strike inside
tea-table, and go crazy about it, it is not my
fault.
New York, March IS, 1883.
TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR PRIzE-Henry S.
Fitch, of San Francisco, offers ten thousand
dollars as prize for the best treatise on the
Pacific Railway scheme. and cola .eral topics.
The treatise is to embrace three topics: lst-
"The Great Atlantic and Pacific Railway"
2d-"The Future Trade of the Pacific and
East Indies;" 3d-"The Wealth OF California"
A committee is to meet in Washington. Nov.
Is, 1853, to decide on the merits of the com.
plete work on the three topics named. or $4,000
for the best on the first topic. and s25OO for the
best on either Of the other topics. Communi.
cations relative TO the matter may be address
sed to r, X. Brown editor San Francisco Even.
ing Journal, aud manuscripts may be forwar-
ded to s. P. Andrews, New York city, prior to
Nov. LIST.