The Arizona sentinel., 1875-06-19
CENTENNIAL.
From the Report Of the Board of Finance.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

progress has been made in the
work of preparation of suitable
buildings for the exhibition and
the preparatory adaptation of the
grounds.
A contract has been made with
Richard J. Dobbins for the cree.
ton and construction of a perma-
nent Memoir Building" to be
used in 1875 as an Art Gallery,
and for its final completion on the
1st day of January, 1876. This
building, 365 feet in length, with
a width of 80 feet, requires more
time for its completion than the
other structures, because of its
permanent massive character, the
materials composing it being gra-
mite, iron, brick and glass.
The first work in the excavation
of the cellar was done on the 4th
day of July, 1874. and the build.
ing at this time has assumed such
proportions in its progress that all
doubts of the ability of the con-
tractor to perform the require
ments of his agreement within
the time allotted to him have
been dispelled. The design is in
the renaissance style of architect.
ure, and as its form rises day by
day, enveloped in solid blocks of
granite, hewn from the quarries
of Virginia, New Hampshire and
Maine, it fully meets the expec.
tations of your board and those as
sociated with them in its super.
intendence, as graceful and ap.
prOpriate memorial building of the
great event, the memory of which
it is intended to perpetuate.
The undertaking required more
work to be done in a shorter space
of time than was ever accomplish
ed on any building which can be
reasonably compared with if. Time
however, in this instance, is of
the essence of the contract, and
Mr.. Dobbins' progress thus far in
its erection, with the accumula-
ton of wrought material for the
portion yet to be done and facili-
ties for transportation and build
ing, give your board, who are ia
miliar with the details, the con-
fidence expressed.
The contract price of the build
ing is 81, 1879, 273, and the appro-
priatiOn by the State of Pennsyl-
vania and city of Philadelphia of
81, 100000 will be sufficient to Gov.
err all the expenses for heating,
terracing, light ting, extra work,
and unforeseen contingencies which
may be developed in the progress
of structure.
MAIN BUILDING.
The Main or Industrial Build.
ing, ], $3.50 feet in length and 464
in width, to be constructed with
frame of iron, was also awarded
to Richard J. Dobbins in July,
1874.
The foundations for this build
ing, consisting ofsix hundred and
seventy-two stone piers. were
built during the last autumn, and
are ready to support the super
structure.
The contract time for the COM
pletjon of the building is January
l, 1876, and since the award the
materials have been prepared in
the mills, shops, and glass works,
and quantities are now on the
ground ready for use. Some
idea of the large amount of mate
rial which enters into the require
ments of a structure covering
twenty acres may be formed from
the statement that to complete 1t
1928 tons of iron must be rolled
and fitted, 237,s46 square feet of
glass made and set. l,O75. 900
square feet of tin roof sheeting
equal to 248 acres welded and
spread.
This material has been prepar-
ed and made ready for use as fast
as itcan be handled on the ground.
The work for erection commences
with the present week. The
agreement provides that the west
wing of the building shall be
erected by the first of September,
the east wing by the first day of
October, and the central pavilion
and towers by November 1, 1875,
and the whole building by Janu-
airy 1, 1876.
1t is possible and probable that
the entire framework will be
erected before the first day Of
September, and as the roofing.
glazing, painting, flooring, and
finishing of the part first erected
commences with the erection of
the first spans, we have much
confidence that the contractor
will be able to anticipate the time
fixed for the delivery of the COM
pleted building.