Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-07-21
CENTENNIAL HOTEL
Capable of Accommodating Three
Thousand Persons Only.


The Philadelphia Times, speaking
of the new Centennial hotel to be
erected there for use next summer,
says:
There will he one thousand rooms.
of an average size of ten by twenty
feet. The three stories will vary i'm
height from seventeen to eight feet I'm
the clear. Each guest will find an am
pie supply of gas and water in his BED
room, which will be carpeted or mat
ted with the walls either papered or
painted, ana otherwise furnished in a
neat style to meet all the reuuire-
ments Of the age. These bed rooms
Will be capable of accommodating
comfortably three thousand persons,
while, 10y using the numerous parlors
and extensive corridors, five thousand
guests can be comfortably accommo-
dated. At the end of every corridor
are placed ample bath rooms, water
closets slop rooms, etc. The kitchen
will be tireproof, built of brick and
sealed with asbestos tiles. The build
ing will be heated 10y steam during the
cooler months In the matter of fire
prevention and facilities tor escape the
builders have given a most praise
worthy and creditable attention. Be.
ing city in itself, it will have'a per-
feet local fire department. SO well
will it be placed under control that
water can be put at any time on any
part of the building by steam pumps
in three minutes from the time of
alarm.
Five permanent escapes will be
VAla Il aYI 4 L., a 81
outside, while each room will be fur
nished with rope escape, with leath-
er tastenings, etc, in complete order
for the guests instant use. Each floor
will be supplied with hose on wheels,
axes, etc, and the fire alarm will in
stantly bring ten men, in quiet and
order, to any spot ready for service. At
the end of every wing in the top of
the house there Is to be placed a large
iron water tank, supplying the pipes,
while steam pumps of six horse power
will force water through the length
and breadth of the building. On each
corridor there is also to be located a
large bell, the sound of which is equal
to All ordinary fire bell, which, when
used in case of any extreme necessity,
would awaken even a veritable Rip
u.
same care has been taken with respect
to ventilation. For this purpose there
are to be sixteen huge shafts, of from
five to ten feet wide, running from the
basement through to the roofs, exclu-
sive of numerous smaller ventilators,
and the entire building will be con-
stantly filled with pure air.
There will be communication from
each floor to the office, so as to cover
any wants that the former may not be
able to supply. The hotel.will be con.
Quoted on the European plan, and it is
expected that the charge will be 81 per
day for lodging, which the guest will
prepay. The restaurant will be able
to accommodate O,000 persons a day
with meals, and the charges will be
rather lower than those charged at
hrst-class establishments, it being the
desire of the conductors of this enter
prise to cooperate with the Centennial
managers as well as the people of Phil
adelphia in extending liberal hospital
tiles to its visitors. The building will
cost between 100000 and 100000,
probably approaching the latter sum.
One-half of it will be finished for use
by the middle of December, and the
entire structure will be completed by
the 18th of February.
A. b. Widener, City Treasurer: Gen.
Bingham; John Cochran, of Select
Council; VIM. l.. Elkins, S. Josephs,
John Crump and others, thirteen in
all, are stockholders. The company
is awaiting its Incorporation, and the
stock will be valued probably at 81 900
a share. The depot of the Pennsylva-
mia Railroad will be Immediately in
the rear of the hotel, so that the guest
can alight upon its veranda from the
train, go to the ample wash rooms and |
make his ablutions, pay his two dollars |
and secure his nights lodging, ascer
one of the nine flights of stairs, T. u,
reach No. 800, if necessary, by a direct |
path which will need no waiter to |
guide him, after which he will be |
really to enjoy the sights of the Cen-
tennial