The Montana post., 1868-09-04
JOURNEY JOTTINGS.
NUsBER POUR.

A Walled city-streets Of Salt Lake.Taber-
caIs-BrIqham's Establishnent-The King
OF all the MormonS.
Salt Lake City is the only walled city
we believe within the confines OF the
Republic. The wall that halt encom'
passed it was a mud mortar concrete
defense, some ten or twelve feet high,
and two or three thick. erected as de-
tense against the Indians in the early
day, but now crumbling TO decay. Pass
ing inside this we are in the city, four
miles square. laid out with perfect regu-
larity, and the streets 132 feet wide, di-
viding the city into ten acre blocks,
which were again originally subdivided
into lots of one and one quarters acres
each, but which the demands of trade
and the increasing population has re
duced to ordinary sized lots on the busi
ness streets. The population OF the
| city is stated at 10000 in the Directory
of 1867. 1t occupies a gentle grade equl-
distant between the foot of the Wasatch
range and Great Salt Lake, and has an
altitude of 1900 feet above the level OF
the sea, a medium between Helena and
Virginia cities. A wide promenade on
each side is pc Elitted by the great width
of the streets, and almost over the en-
tire city fine shade trees. 'Ocnst, box
| elder and other varieties are planted at
regular distances along the curb, afford
| ing a most refreshing shade, and very
pleasant to the eye. At the foot of the
| trees flows clear brook of water
nearly ''slice-head" on either side,
brought in from City creek canyon
through Brigham Young's grounds, and
| thence conducted over the entire city
for irrigating purposes, giving vitality
| to the numerous gardens, strawberries
and orchards that surround the dwelling
houses.
The first object that attracts atten~
| ton is the Tabernacle, a huge, odd look
ing affair, that resembles somewhat the
canvas of a mammoth circus, or the hull
OF the Great Eastern inverted and in
| flated, or a land tortoise grown to noun
rain-like proportions and whitewashed.
1t looks some like either of these, but
not great deal like anything in the
way OF a building ever seen elsewhere,
and we believe enc could bow down and
worship it without infringing particle
on the second commandment, for IL is
in the likeness of nothing heretofore
made and displayed in the heavens
above or the earth beneath, or the
waters under them. The design was
suggested by Brigham Young; the ar
chitect was Mr.. Henry Grow, Pennsyl~
vanian. Nearly all the building is roof,
and all the roof is building. The plan
/ is very simple one. There are forty
four pieces of red sandstone, each twenty
\ feet high, set up on an oval ground
| plan, 2j0 feet loug and 80 feet wide.
Over, and resting upon these is a double
skin, as it were, the shape of half an
egg shell divided lengthwise and set
upon the Al pieces. On the inner skin
is the ceiling the outer is the roof,
Between them is an elaborate lattice
work of timbers filling the intervening
space of nine feet, and forming, we be-
lieve, ;he strongest and simplest, as well
as the largest roof IN America Enter
ing, you stand beneath this half egg
shell, without a pillar or column sup
port, or break an oval arch springing
up from all sides 132 feet wide, 232 feet
long and 6S feet from floor to centre
of the dome, underneath which are ar
ranged, on an inclined plane, seats capa-
BILE of accommodating nearly ten
thousand persons. Tue peculiar
shape of the structure conveys an idea
OF immensity beyond what it actually
possesses, and that may be accepted as
considerable when we add there were
used in its construction 1 100000 feet of
lumber and 100000 shingles. 1t was
commenced in September, 1865, and com
pleted in little over two years, over
two hundred workmen being employed
n portion of the time in it's construction.
Nearly one-third of the building is set
apart for the great organ, (the third or
fourth in size in the country the pulpit,
seats tor dignitaries OF the Church, etc
all on a slightly elevated platform
The tabernacle is, unfortunately for al.
chitecture, a failure accoustically. Many
suggestions have been made some tried
unsuccessfully, and it is now proposed
to extend a gallery around the entire
building, in hopes of remedying the de-
feet. Should il be successful, the oval
arch building idea is the best ever con
ceived for buildings in point of econo-.
my, comfort, roominess, etc, in which 20
hold conventions, mass meetings am
other large assemblages.
In the same enclosure as the Taber
pacie, containing ten acres of ground
and surrounded by high substantial
wall, are laid the foundations of the
Great Temple, designed and began for
most magnificent structure, but although
commenced some fifteen years ago il is
as yet only built to the surface level. 1t
will be 1S6 feet long, 156 feet wide 100
feet high 10 the top of the square, and
2OO feet TO the top of the towers. The
base OF the structure is massive piece |
OF solid masonry, the walls being eight |
feet thick at the ground level and widen |
ing out TO width of sixteen feet at the |
foundation, sixteen feet below the sur
lace. The design is not after any par
ticular style of architecture, being |
combination of many, and if ever com |
pleted will be one of the finest buildings
on the continent. The stone used is a |
handsome, durable speckled granite, |
brought from quarries in the Wasatch |
valley. sixteen miles distant, and the |
mason work is of superior character |
IL was at one time before built to its |