The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-02
STE RT'S NEW STORE.


commenced for the foundations OF Mr.. Stew
arts new store, on Tenth street, aud today
he opens to the public the largest retail
dry goods establishment in the world. TO one
passing through Broadway or the Fourth
avenue the exterior of the building, with its
long rows of Corinthian columns, presents q
grandeur of proportions not to be seen in any
other structure in this city, aud the Impression
left on the mind OF the spectators is rather one
of soldity, harmony, and symmetry of proper
tions than of striking beauty or magnthcence.
As the additions now nearly completed,
are but carrying out of the original design
of the architect, aud are greater in extent than
the original building, any description of the
edifce as it will appear when completed, must
embrace equally the cd part and the new. The
entire building, then, has about 200 feet front
on both Broadway and Fourth avenue, go feet
front on Tenth street, and il six stories above
the street, with basement ana suo cellar. Inc
superficial area OF each moor IS nearly two
acres and of all the floors, including the base
ments. more than twelve acres. Descending to
the sub cellar, the foundations of the building
are laid % feet deep; and the abutments are
of the most solid masonry, some of them
being 6x7 feet, and the others 54x6
feet. Of these there are at least one
hundred. The sub-cellar is to bs used
for the storing Of oarpeting and oil cloths
before they are opened to the public aud is
building by four large elevators. Here, also,
under the sidewalk on Ninth street, are four
large boilers for generating steam, by which
the entire building is to be heated and also
the engine fer raising the elevators. Wander
ing through this dark and cave-like vault,
lighted only here and there by single, dimly-
burning gas-jet, and walking around the i'm
mense abutments the visitor almost expects to
meet behind one of them the Troll who might
well preside in such dismal place, and by
whose magic power alone, it would seem, could
these massive foundations have been laid.
The basement is amply lighted from the
street, and when temporary partitions shall
have been taken down, the whole room thrown
into one, apd filed with all the varieties and
descriptions Of carpets known in the markets
of the world, it will be one of the most attrac-
tive departments of the store. This room is
but little different from the sub.cellar, except
that in place of the heavy abutments plain,
square, iron columns, each weighing from to
10 tons, rest on the stone-wOrk, and sup
port the upper part of the building, and that
the walls and ceiling are more finely flushed.
Here, also, the long lines of Doric columns
commence, and are continued through all the
stories above.
The first story, used as the general sales
room for every kind of dry and fancy goods,
except carpets cloaks, shawls, ETC., will sur
pass in grandeur and beauty any other por-
tion of the edifce. In the centre of the build
ing q broad promenade will extend from
Broadway to the Fourth avenue, which,
when the store has been filed with the rich
fabrics of the Old and New Worlds, when the
most costly silks are displayed by the side of
real Cashmere and camels hair shawls woven
by hand in India, the products of the Jacquard
loom, Jouvin's gloves, and the snowy
Irish linen, it will be the most gorgeous on
this side of the Atlantic at least, aud will
doubtless be patronized and appreciated by
the ladies'. the immense room is to be
divided into sections, each of which will
be devoted to some particular depart
ment, and all the shelves and counters
are to be so arranged that the goods will be
displayed and yet not obstruot the view of every
part OF the room. Five hundred salesmen aud
assistants are now employed, and when the
new part is opened, at least twice as many
will be needed. But by far the grandest fea-
ture of this room is to be the great rotunda
or dome which rises near the centre to the
height of more than 100 feet from the floor.
This dome is oblong or oval in shape, and is
about 60Xl00 feet in size; the topis of tesse-
lated glass, and, with the immense windows at
the sides and ends of the building, throws a
flood of light into every nook and corner of
the edifce. For one not versed in architecture,
description of this dome is impossible. tits
supported on the lower floor by l6 immense
iron columns, weighing at least 20 900 ID.
each, the capitals of which are highly orna-
mented, and support beautiful architrave and
cornice. The sides of these pillars are
elaborately embossed, having on two Of
their faces, just below the capital,
two Cupids, and below them beautiful
designs of leaves and flowers; on the
other sides, in addition to these ornaments,
each pillar contains the coat-of-arms of the
Stewart family, bearing the monogram GA. 7.
81 Surrounding these pillars and at dis.
tance from them, on sixteen similar columns
somewhat smaller in size, but as elaborately
ornamented, and thence through the whole
length of the building extend the graceful
Doric shafts, which, when painted aud pol
ished, will appear like a forest of marble
Standing beneath the dome and gazing uI
through story after story till the eye reaches
the top, one is made dizzy and bewildered by
the sight. Column rises on column foOl
above floor, until the workmen in the upper
most story appear like little boys, while the
bright light from above brings out the beauties
of the architecture. The sides OF the dome il
each story above the first are surrounded by
heavy balustrades, which add much to its
beauty. The windows of the building are all o
the most costly plate glass, those on the frs
floor fronts being each composed of singh
plates These plates, of which there are a
least 100 are about 6xl6 feet, and could no
have cost less than 5000 apiece. AT night tn
entire building is to be lighted with gas, innu
merable jets projecting from every part of tn
dome, and by gorgeous chandeliers pendan
from the ceiling in other parts of the building
Every light in the building is to be ignited q
once by the use of an electric battery of abou
80 cups. To see the building lighted will be
grand and startling sight, when, as by fasI
light shall break in upon the darkness.
The stairways leading to the upper storie