The daily gazette., 1875-05-13
A Million Dollar Temple.
WHAT A GREAT JOURNALIST DID.

DR.. Halls new Presbyterian church,
( on Fifth avenue, New York, is one OF
| the grandest structures in the country. |
1t was dedicated last Sunday in the |
presence of an immense congregation. |
The following is brief description OF
| it:
The new edifice strikes the eye very
pleasantly. Although massive and ex-
pensive, everything is plata and neat.
1t is at Fifth avenue and Fifty-fifth |
street, fronting 200 feet on the latter |
and 100 feet on the former. The front
on Fifth avenue has two towers, the |
main tower rising 800 feet above the
sidewalk, IA feet higher than Trinity |
spire. The other tower is 100 feet high. |
The main entrance, with four double
dosrways, is between the towers, and
is approached by stone porch Az feet
broad, with stone steps. There are
q $50 FIVE side entrances. There are two
other towers, that at the northwest
corner, 100 feet high, being an air shaft
to supply the church with fresh air,
the air being taken at the top 20 have
it pure and free from dust. The prin-
pal entrance opens into vestibule 40
by 16 feet. The auditorium is 1CO feet
deep on the main floor, 136 feet deep on
the gallery, S5 feet wide, and 60 feet
high, with seats for 1000 persons. The
pews are arranged in concentric curves,
every seat commanding full view of
the pulpit, The ground floor and gal
leries are inclined, as in a theatre.
There is very finely carved canopy
over the pulpit, and above this is
gallery for the choir and the large Or
gan.
The ceiling is Of wood, with hand
somely decorated panels and moulded
ribs. There are "a large and "a small
windows. Each window has two sets
of sashes, glazed with stained glass.
Gas lets have been put between the
sashes, SO that at the evening services
the stained glass may be seen both in
} side and out. The space between the
> two sashes is large ventilating fue,
drawing the dir from the church
through the perforated panels of the
wainscoting, the current being increas-
ed by the heat of gas burners within
; the space. Every gas burner in the
! church is hidden by ornamental glass
! work and supplied by ventilating fues,
giving mellow light very pleasing to
, the eye.
The air tower at the northwest cor
! ner supplies pure air, which is drawn
:. by a fan in the cellar at the base of the
tower, and is worked by ten-horse
power steam engine. Ten feet above
the floor of the tower, inside, a perfor-
}. ated water pipe extends around the
e walls, making q shower to cool the air
! in the summer and free it from dust,
y if necessary. The entire cellar floor
can also be sprinkled, to cool the air
The fan is of iron, seven feet in diam.
eter and can make 220 revolutions q
minute, forcing 1000 cubic feet OF
pure air into the church every minute
The entire cellar is an air and heating
chamber, into which the fan delivers
- the air, the ceiling being covered with
II a net work of steam heating pipes
d, Before the air enters the auditorium !
ID passes over the steam pipes and Il
t. warmed. The warm air enters thu
e. body of the church through movable
~ slate under the bencnes in every pew
in and every person in the pew can hav'
of warm or cold air at his feet, as b.
e. chooses, When cold air is forced int
ss the auditorium 1t enters fifty feet abov
ne the heads of the congregation, so tina
he there can be no draft. The steam TO
ea fn heating is generated in two fifty-hors
power boilers.
sal The bellows of the organ are worke
ew fer by a hydraulic apparatus, the waite
ay being supplied from tank in the prir
cipal tower, 1876 feet above the sidt
: walk, powerful steam pump forcin
the water from a cistern In the cells
Es- into the tank, which holds 6,000 ga
me Ions. Near the tank are the fire hos,
As through which the entire building ca
be deluged in few minutes. TIL
cellar walls are double, with spac
.. between to exclude dampness, and q
the drain and water pipes are thorough
ly ventilated.
In the rear of the main auitorium
a hall ten feet wide, with two wild
stairways leading to the galleries. Me-
5. to the hall, in the rear, is the chapel (
HE lecture room, rs by As feet and 25 fe,
IN high, with large gallery on one en-
anu ladies' parlors on the other, having a
xix commodation for 700 persons, The
de- de- is also trustees room and minister
eof, room. Over the lecture room is Il
ted Sunday School room, with three gall
uon nas ries. There are also several large ella
ali rooms and a library. Over the ella
Es- rooms is fat for the assistant sexte
,to, sn and his family. All the pews, CALLER
art fronts, organ case, and all the interi
vil- joiner's work are of the best ash WOO
'siin in polished.
The building committee are. Jam
of Frazer, r. L. Stuart, Hon. John .
, naI AT Stewart, Harvey Fisk, Robert Bonn
len, and Moses G. Baldwin. A large pa
". Of the $1,000,000 outlay has alreat
been raised, Robert Bonner alone ha
Es. ing subscribed 800, 900.
lme
fore r,., w.,n- -, o. M
en- tnI F" ASfA o1 coAL.- Ahe .ece