Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-10-16
The Fifth Avenue Hotel.
From the N. 7. Home Journal, Oct. ls.

From the N. Y. Home Journal, Oct. 49,
Those who remomber Madison Square as far
back ss 1853, and 1t seems an age now, will re-
collect the Madison Inn" quaint, old-fash-
toned wooden building Of the time Of George
Washington, kept by Corporal Thompson. 1t
Was in the country" then, and few old-fash-
ioned stage coaches ratified daily by. Since 1859
= beautiful marble palace, in the Italian style of
architecture, has occupied this spot. and to-day
the Fifth Avenue Hotel stands in the centre Of
one OF the finest cities in the world, fronting
beautiful park, which il filed with shaded walks
has fountains, flowers ETC., and Is surrounded
by noble buildings. Like great white marble
giant, this stately building lft4 its head ever the
surrounding structures. and is one of the land
marks Of the city, like the Cathedral, the Tenn.
pie, or Mr.. Stewarts private palace.
1t ia believed that no hotel yet erected sur
passes the Fifth Avenue Hotel in beauty and
size. The structure is now prominently
known throughout Christendom that foreigners
scarcely think their visit TO the States complete
until they have lived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
To name the notable people who have been
guests of this house il to write the names of the
men Of the times for the last sixteen years, from
the Prince OF Wales and George Peabody, to
President Grant. Great social events have oc-
CURED there-we have seen receptions held
by Presidents and public men OF the country,
and have heard the shouts of the throng when
Time brings its changes, and even the Fifth
Avenue Hotel was susceptible of improvement.
To this end the proprietors have recently had the
main marble staircase rebuilt, the immense
traffic over it having worn the foot-rests
beautiful new balcony, fitted,up with mahogany
and black walnut, opening ont upon the stair
case many Of the halls and parlors have been
re-decorated and newly fre-coed and much new
furniture has been added to the house.
But the most marked improvement is the
substitution of new -four rope Tufts eleva-
tor, al cost OF fifteen Thousand dollsr-, ia place
of the spiral screw elevator, which was the tirst
passenger elevator ever put into practical ope
ration. The screw was too slow for the number
Of guests who make this hotel their home and
although it has been running night aud day for
sixteen years, it has had to give way TO an ele-
vsior which makes the trip from the basement
to the roof iu forty-hye seconds.
The interior OF the new elevator is magniti-
Gently fitted up lined with mirrors, and lighted
with gas. 1t IL provided with electric bells that
a visitor can use for any desired purpose and 1t
first of its kind ever built. A second engine can
be used, il required. What is known as Mas-
sey's retarder Is attached to this elevator, sim
ply ae a precautionary measure for safety. II
which Is almost an impossibity, the elevator, by
this new appliance, could oI1y descend at the
usual rate OF speed.
In the laundry department of the hotel. for
the use OF the servants, iire-proof iron stair
case has been erected, enclosed III brick walls.
Another late addition is all iron elevator for trans
porting the linen. Altogether, the improve
ments have cost somewhere near sixty thousand
dollars, and the Fifth Avenue Hotel il now a
model Of convenience and luxury.
To give an idea Of the class Of guest= WHO pa
tronize this hotel, we quote these distinguished
names from among the arrivals of one day, last
Thursday Sir George Ferguson Bowen, Gov
ernor Of Victoria, Australia Major II. ID. Pitt,
private secretary to Governor Bowen Count
Hoyos, the newly appointed Austrian Minister at
Washington; Prince Frederick of Wittgenstein,
Of Germany, and Baron de Bosmetel, all OF whom
were passengers by the Russia. These were
among names registered at the Fifth Avenue
last Monday, the eleventh instant :-Commodore
Alexander Murray, Of the United States Navy;
General o. M Poe and Colonel George Gibson,
of the United States Army; Congressman W. H..
Barnum, of Connecticut; p. Figyelmesy, United
States Consul at Demerara Judge George +.
Shepley, of Maine; and Judge Israel S. Spencer,
of syracuse,