National Republican., 1873-09-26
THE MASONIC TEMPLE.
tcontinutd from First Pao,,,

luC mADUNlO lEMf LII.
CONTINUED from First Puge)
long. nfty.one feet wide, and nfty feet high,
the visitor enters through massive doors. aftlstl
cally constructed OF walnut, with cedar slnkings
and raised panels, made o. notified walnut Inn
i-hed, aud these panels present tho appearance
OF marble. The furniture OF the hall Ia Of walnut
and cedar, covered with blue plush, and the seats
four hundred persons. Magnificent bronze chan
delers light Il at night, while q skyight gives
being awaited Of 10 distribute the rays from this
cious room. This hall Is constructed and deco
being In keeping. There Is the deep and polished
capital and the large cornlce. In this, as IN all
the apartments, the decorations are intended as
the order selected, In detail and aggregate.
This Cotinihlan Hall Ia also repiete with Ma
sonlS nicer emolems: m Central on the north and south
tools Of the Free Masons, with figures emblem.
attic OF architecture. on the cornice there are
figures holding the working tools are pointing.
The east and west facades contain ornaments
representing the vessels Of corn, wine and oil.
The platform In the centre Of the east end OF the
hall, the station OF the Grand Master, has over II
| the square and coinpasses, the universal Masonic
emblem D. together ,S with ne rising sun 10 .ne
wardens station, having over II the sun At high
| noon. The Senior Grand wardenS station, In
insgnincensc % Of tSis apartment I is Increased by
us great size and height, the elaborate ornamen-
tatton and the appropriateness Of the furnish
rooms, all Of them flushed In corresponding |
style THIS lodge room Is the representative OF
Freemasonry In every part, and i!s vast size,
completeness and grandeur give IL the nrst place
among the lodge rooms OF the world. i
THE GRAND CHATTER HALL.
The apartment for the meeting place Of the
Grand Chapter Is similar In magsi1ccnce TO the
Irand Lodge hall and a nt companion 20 u.
| room, differing from the other only In the
length: It Is Ninety foet long, nifty feet wide
are the Italian There are "
around is walls two stage. OF columns: The
nrst are Corintb,an, with choice ornamental de-
umns, with foilated capitals, from which springs
the yaultel ceiling which may be divided Into
| three portions. The centre is circular sky.
| light, twenty feet In diameter, whilst east and
| west OF It are two compartments finished with
clllptical panels. Throughout the walls and
ceilings the peculiar cmblems Of Royal Arch
Masonry arc displayed, and the skylight sheds
the light equally throughout the room by day,
whilst at might The light Is furnished by series
Srense sn5 ss n s lpe
chair OF the High Priest, King and Scribe, pecu-
liar 10 ROYAL Arch Masonry, surmounting the
Richest character I being IN ms made Of walnut inlsid
with mahogany and California red wood. Red
is the prevailing color here, as blue IL In the
Grand and other Lodge halls. A striking feature
Of this apartment is the wells OF the Temple,
which perform an important part In the mystic
rics Of Royal Arch Masonry.
THE EGyrrtAs HALL
Is sixty-nve feet long, nfty feet wide and thirty
Egyptian architecture In America. II II an ex-
traurlinary room, decorated In the massive AMI
peculiar style Of the Egyptian period, which e so
tine columns stand on either hand In massive
grandeur, surmounted by the peculiar capitals OF
. ne ancient temples on the Nile, Luxor, kanak.
PhilG and others, photographs OF which famous
structures were procured especially for the ex-
; empacalion Of this work. Each Of these
and ,Ss h. AZ sxSo OF
greatest wonders left BY the ancient Egyptian
builders. There are the hooded viper, cobra de
Of the iToiemies. These columns, which stand
clear Of the walls, divide each side into sections,
4 and these are enriched with the panel ornaments
: ders Of reeds and rushes, a nuted frieze, the
, globe, cobra and wings, and tho sarInounting
Q lion and cobra. Lotus flowers twine around the
!, and there are reed decorations on the cornice,
while pyramldal nllings complete the panels.
: The cobra stares and Kisses at you with multi.
Piled heads, and fangs extended, on all sides OF
J the hall. The furniture Of this unique apartment
! is also purely Egyptian. The Masters throne
. gilded ebony, his PEDESTAL standing At the right
! hand, nanked by Two mysterious sphynxcs, who
l solcmnly gaze upon the beholier. and his ohair
being nanked by eagles. The pcdestals Of the
i senior and Junior War,icns are also uniquely
decorated, and the sofas provided have seating
capacity for about two hundred persons. The
i with black and gold rcp tho carpet being blue,
intermixed with other colors. There are win
dows at the eastern end Of this hall, but they
Will he OF little use, and the lOgcs meet at night,
y , when light will be furnished by chandeliers
elaboratey ornamental 10 keeping with the char.
s acter Of the room This strange apsrtment v g
D. always be an object OF curiosity.
y THE IONIC HALL.
south Of Egyptian hall, and In the southeast
. ern corner OF the Temple, Ia another suborui.
. nate lodge room, Ionic hall This, like Norman
> hall on the northern side, is somewhat largei
than thu hall above described, each being about
ten feet longer. Ionic hall Is seventy-nye fee
decoration Is the purest Grecian louie, eiegan
and graceful, but not elaborate. II does not I'M
O. press the visitor so profoundly at first as thu
!, architecture Is not without many admirers, wht
70 are pleased with the light and airy style and un
10 pretcntious beauty. There are twenty -four col
n umns around the room. with capitals decorated
Ia with the well-known spiral volutes. The base,
e. OF these columns are also attractive, while tht
ID whole are surfnounted by cornicc, with iht
ID Ionic dentl band and handsome honeysucklt
l., ornaments at the corners. Being located at tht
L. southeast angle, this hall has windows on tive
ip ventilation and ample light during the day.. A
10 night the beautiful chandeliers give llgh
n which adds greatly to the attractions OF tht
), natural woods"walnut, with butternat ant AZ
Is cedar inlaid, and covered with rep Of blue ant
Df gold. The Masters station, with his pedestal a
st are In thorough unison with the character OF The
I. room.
y THE NORMAN HALL.
s. In the northeast corner OF the building. and O.
V the same size rs the Ionic hall, is another sub
u ordinate lodge room, Norman hall. The orna
incntatlon OF this apartment Is similar to that o
the porch, the cable, zig. gag, nail head, billet
r0sette and other Norman ornaments prevailing
This hall Ia thorough example OF Norman deco
ratiye art, and. with Its furniture, Is made to b,
IS as perfect M as possible representation q tha
- - ern sides, while six chandeliers, pendant frou
e the ceiling. furnish ample light at night. Tn,
y cred with yellow leather, while the stations 0
II the three Officers are imposing and much al
l. mircd. The furniture Is made Of walnut and Or
Q and IN the carpet the prevailing color Is blue.
THE ORIENTAL HALL
r. This hall Is throughout brilliant exemplI1ca
1. ton OF Moorish architecture, this style being
!; followed in the minutest detail OF wall ceiling
and furniture. The traceries have the greatest
and the embroideries and painted drnperles O
l. the East are thus transferred to the Temple
Elegance, llghtness and splendor, slenderly pro
10 chromatlc decorations combine to give the va
rcty OF form and brilliancy Of color that make Of
d me Oriental school. There are no animals Of
l. Ing being, thus observing the Mohammedar
4 rule. The Alhambra Of Spain and the mosques
i. and temples OF Arabia and Turkey have theil
e pecularties reproduced here and the hall Is ont
OF the finest IN the Temple. Its furniture Is ID
IA strict accordance with the Moorish style, bril-
llantly coored, and has oil the Saracenic pecu
llaritles OF the decorations OF the room Itself.
Tho seats are Of blue leather.
"a TIE GRAND LODGE LIBRARY.
The library room Is located In the southeastern
"a corner OF the nrst no0r It's architecture being
% Italian Renaissance. 1t Is sixty-1ve feet long
forty-nye feet wide and thirty feet high, and Il
J, amply lighted by windows on ihe south and east
= A row Of columns divides 1t, they being placed
b In pairs. 1t Is fitted up with solid walnut book
cases, In the centre OF the room, whilst there
are also newspaper stands, reading tables, and
other artirna n library furniture Hare ara