Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-05

VIII 10 the course OF the coming beaAou haNe
Court House that will stand behind none In the
State for elegance and convenience The building
being rapidly approaching completion under the la
Dor Of Messrs. Smith 4 Pannel, builders, some de-
scrptlon Of It will be Of interest to the tax payers
Of the County.
The building was commenced in September,
1857, and according TO contract was to be ready
for occupancy in three years, at o cost Of SloOOOO
The contractors will do better than they agreed, as
to time Gs It is expected to be In readiness for the
May term Of Court. The building Is Of sandstone
Is so by 100 feet in size and about 90 feet in height
having three stories and a half above the base
ment. The basement walls are 3 feet 10 inches In
thickness aud the walls above these feet Inches.
The basement story is 10 feet high. Ia the front
are the Surveyors and Coroners rooms, each 30
feet square, Back Of these are furnace AID coal
rooms. The blilding Is heated by Colds Heating
Apparatus, the two furnaces supplying by means
Of pipes twenty FIVE radiators upon each side Of
tho building. These furnaces regulate themselves
as to draught, water, &c, aud the system is consid
cred the best of al heating arrangements. 10 the
rear Of these rooms are spacious rooms for the use
and residence Of the Janitors family, The entire
basement is paved with stone.
The main entrance opens upon q wide hall on the
first door, by iron doors weighing ? 800 lbs. Ali
the floors above the basement are paved with iron
thing laid in concrete, the fOor, ceilings &c. being
perfectly fire proof Upon either side of this hall
open the rooms for the use of the Auditor and Re-
cOrder, each 80 feet square and l6 feet clear with
ante rooms 81 by II feet, opening from each
These rooms are well lighted and furnished, as is
the whole building, with iron shutters and window
frames. The shutters, as well IS the highly Crna-
mental caps to the cast iron columns, are bronzed
In the rear, upon the same floor, are the apart
ments Of the Treasurer and Probate Judge, Of the
same size, 80 feet square. Opening from the for
mer is fire proof vault inside Of which is to be
placed iron safe, TO make assurance dOubly sure
The door to this vault weighs 500 lbs, and is fur
nished with one of Lilies combination burglar
proof locks, which q rogue might work at for q
month. with almost perfect safety to the valuables
inside
In the centre of the building is a circular gal
ery reaching from the first AOOr to the roof where
the iron stairs pass to the several stories There
are about 40 tOns of iron stairways in the build
ing. The iron ballusters will be provided with
heavy hand rails of the best oak.
Upon the second floor we find the Court rooms
for the civil departments, each As by 40 feet in
size, high and finely lighted, with paneled ceilings,
Heavy iron ratings will enclose the bar These
are in the rear of the building In front are the
rooms of the County Clerk and the Sheriff, each
80 feet square. The former has connected with
two smaller rooms, for clerks, &c. Upon the
second and third floors are Counsel and Judges
rooms. Upon the third floor is the Criminal
Court Room, splendid room, IS by As feet in size,
extending the whole width of the building, lighted
by nine large windows, upou the east, west and
north side, and six chandeliers. The ceiling Is
arched and panelsd, giving n feet clear, aud
gives a very fine effect both to the eye and voice.
This room is considered the finest il the State Tor
Court Room, and it is certainly very fine one
The Judges Bench and the Clerks desk will be
upl the north side of the room, aud as being
manufactured by Messrs. Gardner & Vincent, will
be very beautiful pieces of furniture. All the fur
niture of the Court Rooms is to be of solid oak
There will be no seats outside of the bar in the
Court Rooms. Connected with this large Court
Room are Law Library Room on the east side
and a Grand Jury Room upon the west.
Upon the fourth floor are four rooms for Petit
Jurors, two Of them being 30 feet square, and the
others 26 by 81 feet Another fight Of stairs brings
one to the roof, which is formed Of corrugated
iron, the cutters, pipes, &c., being OF copper
From this roof very fine view is had of the city
and its surroundings. A heavy stone PaTapet sur
rounds the roof
1t is very noticeable and note worthy fact thai
all the labor and material for this immense build
ing. comes from Cleveland mechanics, with the
trifing exception of the corrugated iron for th'
roof, which was obtained at Pittsburgh, anl th'
French plate glass for the windows. Only abou
$1,000 of the whole cost will have been spent out
side Of the city. 1.-THE cast iron columns, beams
girders, stairWays, capitals, &c, are from tn
foundry Of S. NJ. Carpenter & Co. The wrough
iron work is furnished by Stone, Chisholm & Jones
The stone itself was quarried by Cleveland mechan
les entirely, and the wood works all done here
The floors Of the rooms are of l-2 inch oak, th,
doors are double and of the bost pine oak grained
the furniture of oak, and the water closets Of rel
cedar.
The general architecture Of the building is NOR
of the Romanesque order than any other STYLE al
though no style has been closely followed In
front of the building is plain and solid, and ye
handsome. The ornaments are well chosen, AM
1.-THE general appearance is one that we may TAX
pride in and that ref cts credit upon the arcbitec
In Husband. and the builders, Messrs. Smith 4
pannal