Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-01-17
CHAPEI. Hull. January O. 1879

CHAPEL. HILL, January y, 1873.
My DEAR JOURNAL According t,
promise, proceed to give some &C
College Buildings. grounds, &c As
we entered the gate next to the Hotel
we found the steps broken and s,nken
I'll" broad. beautiful walk leading III
to the old East Building, that used tt
be kept with So much care, had grown
mp with Sras, and weeds. except where
a harrow, country looking path winds
It's tortuous WAY along it, aud except,
also, where it had - washed" The
/ steps up the terrace to the entrance OF
, the north end of the East Building,
where the Hall and Library of the
Philanthropic Society used to he. have
rotted and sunk down, in part, and, in
part. have been cut away, as if with an
axe. The old Hall was unlocked and
its windows open. The old Library
Room was closed. The rooms. gene
rally, in the building were open the
windows were raised the glass bro
ken, and, in many instances, the sash
broken or entirely gone. The doors
were swinging, some with their panels
STAYED in and others without. As a
general rule the floors of the rooms
and passages were covered with fallen
plastering, and, it is presumed, will
continue to be, so as long as the walls
and ceiling are exposedtO the moisture
of successive winter rains. The north
east corner of the roof of the building
was knocked off by the falling of a
tree dnrlng storm some time ago. 1t
is difficult to imagine building, in an
inhabited, civilized country, in worse
or more disgraceful condition.
We next went to the new East
Building, Which, for once, was
fastened, so that no entrance con!d be
had, except through window. We
were Informed that the new Philan-
thropic Hall and Library were I'M
locked. We had ocular demonstration
that four windows, Oh the south side
OF the Philanthropic Library, opening
INTO rs many alcOves, We're wide open.
The only reason, doubtless, why the
fifth window was not open, was that a
stove-pipe, running through it, made
1t immOvable. On the north side all
five Of the windows were more or less
open. There can be no question that
the books, Thus exposed to the weather.
must be very materially injured. BE
it remembered, too, that this examina
ton was made just at the close of
long spell Of cainy weather. When
the fact is recalled that this Library, at
one time, held some seven thousand
volumes, and would hold them now.
but for stealage and vandalism, and
conduct equally reprehensible, one
may be excused for few bitter
thoughts. In this building. too, the
glass was much broken.
We next went to Smith Hall, or 1.-THE /
Ball Room, to use the name by which |
it was best known. This building con- |
tains the college Library" proper.
SO called, to distinguish it from the
Libraries of the two literary societies. |
It was closed. We understand. how !
ever, that this library was well cared |
f IN by Professor Brewer W hen here
On tue north side of this Hall we
counted eighteen panes OF glass, 12x24
inches in size apparently, broken, and
'o,,rteen panes on the south side.
This glass was broken by stones
brown against the windows, as plainly
from the shape of the holes
herein. Upon the ground, near
window on the south side, with IA pane
# glass entirely gone. through which
asy passage i'll and out could he had,
all the remains of glass jar and
everal little snakes or reptiles of some
Ort, some fish, and other curious ,
Kings, that had evidently been pie !