Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-03
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

AT ALExANDRIA.-we mentioned some months
ago the appropriation by Congress Of s5o,UO for
The erection in the city Of Alexandria Of a Gus
tom house, suitable to the extensive commerce
and post office adequate to the growing vans
OF that city. Since then the selection of a site
Its purchase, the award Of the building contract
to Walker McCullom Of this city, and the sp-
pointment Of 5. #. @. MorseIl, Esq as Govern
ment superintendent Of the work, and the COM
mencement Of the building have been mentioned
as they occurred
The work now draws nigh to completion aud
attracts much attention in the city Of which il
will soon be one of the ornaments. The build
ing, which includes the custom house, post Office
and United States court rooms, Is situated at the
southwest corner OF Prince and 81. Asaph streets
on the highest point In the city, and not far from
its centre IL sits BAG from the street some ght
feet; is Of brick, on base of Occoquan granite,
and is succeed in limitation of Nova Scotia
sandstone The building fronts sixty two feet
on Prince street and forty-six on St Asaph and
Is forty-six feet high, divided into three stories
The granite Of which its foundation is COM
posed Uses some three feet above the surface be-
fore the stuccoed brick work begins and il Is so
cut as to form neat base for the supers.ructure
Granite steps extending nearly the entire length
OF the Prince Street 'front.' and rising by two hts
TO the - Asaph street doors reach top
or this base and approach d We large doors, three
upon Prince and two upon - -Asaph street. The
nTst story which Is thirteen and a half feet high,
il entered.by five street doors and 10 the rear
OF the building, and is lighted by two large win
dows IN the rear and one between the ST Asaph
street doors 10 Is surmOunted on the outside by
neat cOrnice which, corresponding in style with
the base below, makes a finish for the lower story
and serves as a Pedimsnt from which rise Doric
plla>terS. double at the corners OF the building
and single in its centre, which support a heavy
entablature that crowns the whole The whole
form a tori ensemble of solidity and beauty that
does much credit TO the designers The upper
stories are lighted by three windows on each
side, the mouldingS surrounding which cores
pond with the bas- and entablatnre. The whole
in iron mia
win durability that will defy the ravsges of
The interior OF the lower story is nearly finished
aud affords the bes: evidence Of the style in which
the building will be fitted up. This as the other
stories is divided by longitudinal partitions into
three sections. The front section constitutes the
yestihule Of the post Office; It is fty.sevrn feet
long and thirteen feet wide extend my the entire
Prince-Street front, and opening by one door into
st Asaph st The pavement Of the vestibule is
tiled, and its walls handsomely frescoed The
ceiling is in fTesco, of a design quite uniaue-jn
the centre, an eagle spreads ills wings: tue side
panels present Specimens Of frescO painting, of
the style OF the committee rooms in the United
STATES Capitoli the eastern panel exhibits a
steamer upon the ocean; the western train of
cars win locomotive just emerging from tun-
mel. This decoration, which was not included
In the original plan of the building, the Alexan-
drians owe to Mr.. Morsell, whose design was
most fdlthfully transferred TO the stucco by Lewis
Frame, of Washington.
This vestibule Is separated from the main room
OF the post NICE oy PARTITION OF iron and glass,
from which open the nine - deliveries and in
which are found the letter boxes Seven diyi-
slons make up the PARTITION, large composite
Plissters supporting the moulding that joins the
ceiling separate the side divisions which are
made up OF three small arches, the centre one
rising above the rest. immediately in front Of
tbs middle door Prince street the uartition
projects in the section of Octagon which
forms the general delivery" Each division has
delivery window, and the general delivery is
furnished with three. Sixty-four private boxes
furnished with KEYS. nea cly six humid red num-
beTed boxes, and five hundred boxes attached TO
the general delivery. furnish postal accommoda-
uons winch VIII serve the good people Of Alex
andria until their city spreads itself far beyond
even the new limits marked out by its amended
charter None Of the boxes elevated more
than SIX feet above the floor, and hence the n--
Cesslty OF climbing to look into them is avoided
The middle section Of the building is intended
IoI me main room OF the post Office, and is fifty
seven feet long, by breadth of fifteen feet This
IL al present incomplete, but will be furnished
with every convenience that can facilitate the
arrangements for asserting and delivering the
The rear section is divided by a couple OF lat
erdi partitions into three apartments the western
lrht tnlrieen1eet DIV sixteen is intended
room Tor the postmaster, and opens into the
main room Of the post Office The centre apart
ment in the hall for the reception Of the mails and
beside opening by large door into the mail va I'd
Is also connected by smaller doors with the post
masters room and the custom house entrance
The eastern apartment opens by large door into
>; Asaph street and forms the main entrance to
the custom house Office In the second story
From II an iron stairway aScends and upon reach
Ing the second story We ind large room intend
ed Tor general business relating TO customs a pri-
vate room for the collector with a library room
attached, room for the inspectors and a hall
losn which the iron staircase continues its course
height "
The third story, which is intended for the use
OF ths United States courts, whenever any such
may De- established in Alexandria, is divided
similarly TO the second story the court room il
foiy feet by twenty ght, and the ceiling is elr-
Na'ed eighteen feet. This will be OF the cool
in h. if 49,
clerk once, with a room for the preservation of
tne records OF the court, and a private room for
the use OF the Judge. The cellar, which being on
SO high point is the dryest in the CITY, is grout-
"a IN cement and then paved One portion is
devoted TO the furnaces which heat the building
and 10 the storing Of coal, and the other is re-
served Tor the reception of public stores
The doors, door frames, inside blinds and
NANTES are all Of iron. Washstands are placed
In all the rooms where they would be of service,
stories
OF late the entire work upon the building has
been under charge of the United States Superin-
tendent, Mr.. = Il. G. MorselI, and certainly on
bis part no energy taste has been lacking
The appropriation has been carefully guarded
and Tor every dollar expended there is something
10 show which adds TO either the appearance OF
It's real value.
The painting Is In charge OF Mr. Albion Hur
die The joners' work il In the hands of Me,srs
Delehay Kemp. The cabinet work is to be
executed by c. c Bradley; and the iron work Is
Dy hdyWdf q a. Bartlett, OF Baltimore.
Congress, at its last session appropriated s3,7OO
for grading the grounds djacent 10 the building,
&c, and the character OF the superintendent is a
guarantee that 1t will bc So eI tnded to do the
most that il possible Ia do with so small a sum
Ii 10 intended to lay of the grounds in beautiful
style, To plant trees on the grounds and surround
them with handsome iron railing. new side
walk will be laid and a. as a further appro-
pTiattOn for the purchase Of the Adams property
IL obtained, the grounds will DE extended west
wardly and a mail wagon road, entering on
A~3Dl Va
be made through tue grounds
Work upon the building il proceeding az fast
as possible. and the post once will he removed
TO it, new quarters about the first OF September
An ATTEMPT AT DUKL-TheTe came down
from Warrsnton Springs in the Orange and Al
e1and'ia railroad train arriving Yesterday after
noon, dncling party, consisting, IL il said, of
MAxarx 4 I,lrt,re LA LII A L.