The North-Carolinian., 1854-11-25
From the Raleigh STANDARD.
The Iunatlc AsyIum.

days since, to visit the North Carolina Asvlnm
for the insane i'll the course of construction nea
this City.
The length Of the entire building is 726 feet,
the width of wings 40 feet, width of central
portion of building so feet with front of 40
feet. There is handsome dome on top of the
central building commanding an extensive view
of the City and surrounding country The
wings are designed for patients, one for females
and the other for males and are three stories
in height. Each story is divided longitudinally
by corridors with cross line of separation for
CffvfkiUu Of paEients; each corridor COrtssfning
sitting room, dining room, attendants rooms,
bath room space for pumb waiter, &c. The
windows of the patients apartments are to be
supplied with cast iron sashes, the upper half of
which will be glazed, and the lower half with
out glass, with wooden glazed sash adjacent
to it, to be hosted when necessary or desired /;
thus preventing escapes through The windows,
and furnishing at the same time the necessary
ventilation. The appearance Oh the exterior of
the window will be that Of single frame work.
The central building, four stories in height, is
designed for the officers and other persons con-
nected with the institution. 1t rests npOn brick
walls 81 feet thick at first, and p feet thick
to the roof. There is magnificent arcade ill
front, resting on massive brick columns pill
lars. The first floor of central building is dv-
desl 10y immense hall into two suites Of rooms
and Offices in front, with commodious dining
room rooms for Steward and Matron-On one
side having a dumb waiter closet and on the
other side apOthecarles' apartment. The ceiling
of the hall is supported by four handsome col
umns of cast iron The second floor is arranged
in somewhat similar style, and is designed for
private chambers The third floor contains bed
rooms, and a large Chapel for religious exercises
on Sundays. The base of the rotunda suppor-
ting cupola above will be used as water tank
rooms, where constant supply OF fresh water
will be kept for distribution over the building
10y means of pipes.
The walls of the basement, which extend
throughout the entire building, are of stone and
very substantially constructed. The middle of
the basement will be the warm air chamber
with a passage each side for purposes con-
nected with the building, one Of them being ap-
propriated to the landing of dumb walters from
the rooms of the patients above, the other will
be occupied by the main soil pipe running hori-
zontaLy, and connected with the certtcot pipes
from water closets above. The air will be heat
ed by steam contained in coils of pipe placed in
sections Of the chamber, and will be conveyed to
into corridors and rooms throughout the entire
building. Each corridor will likewise contain
foul air flues for the escape of loul air to the
external atmosphere through ventilators in the
centre Of the two wings; and fresh air will be
constantly introduced into the warm air cham
Der through apertures OH the sides of its walls.
by the aid of Il large fan i'll connection with
the steam apparatus it is intended to supply the
apartments OF the main building with abundant
currents Of fresh air during the summer months,
which will add much to the comfort of ALL
The entire building is supplied with gas pipes
for lighting it etfcctually with rosin gas, to be
manufactured the grounds Of the Asylufl
This mode of lighting commends itself both by
its safety and economy, and will be great
Improvement compared with the ordinary
| method.
Eighty feet in the rear of the main building
stands the kitchen, which is so feet by 40, and
| three stories high. The food will be prepared
| here and carried to the basement of the main
building, whence it will be conveyed to the up
per apartments by dumb walters, before referred
to. This arrangement is quite important, as 1t
ensures system and regularity and obvlates the
necessity of servants passing through the mar
building with food, &c
| One hundred feet in the rear of the kltchel
stands the boiler house, intended for steam en-
yine and boilers There are rooms here fo
engineer, for fuel, &c, and the floor above vii
be used as laundry and drying room by steaI
power. Near this building is large well, fror
which 1T is expected a suffcIency of water vii
be obtained for the institution Force pumps
by steam, will be used for delivering it at point
where it may be needed. Some 10, 900 gallon
per day will be required during che summc
months
The building is to be succeed, and is intenC
ed to represent light sandstone. The cornc
around the entire building is the subject of ao
, mration by every visitor.
The site of the building is most eligible an
+ commanding. Early steps should be taken fo
+ completing it, for furnishing it, and for maxim
the necessary enclosures and improvements Q
the grounds
. We learn that the institution is designed
accommodate $50 patients. Judging" from a
t pearances, it will require twelve months mo-
S to finish and fit it for their reception.
d 1t is but simple justice to Or Fisher the
: telligcnt and accomplished Superntendil
o Physician, to state that he appears to be til
n roughly Informed to the details Of the bull
: ing and to be most devoted to his duties T.
Il Commissioners could have appointed o
V better qualified, by nature and education, th
; he is for the responsible post he ills.
e ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
o FREE TRADE.-Thc Burlington (Vt) Sen
e mel gives a sketch of an address recently de
} vered in that place by Hon. George +. Mars
/. ! returned u s. Minister to Constantlnopfe
- the conrsc of his remarks, Mr. NJ alfuded
H. the tendency of the nations OF the globe towa
eoo trade 4 conviction of the eXpedient
nd 9es;rablencss of removing restrictions npt
- commerce. prevails almost universally abrOa
~ The people of Europe, he said, would ha
,r cnstoln houses and tariffs abolished, and grad
allv approximate to the point Of universal fir
,e trade He had himself, all knew, labor
d. earnestly in support Of a different policy, b
e. he was compelled to believe that the expe
VS. ment would be tried, sooner or later t
ID day is coming when free trade will prevail t