Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-05-21

Air Drawn from the Sky and ArtI'
ficfaIiy Heated In Winter and
Cooled I'm Summer What a Grea,
Journalist Did.
DR.. Halls new Presbyterian Church
ON Fifth avenue, New York, is briefly
described as follows:
The new edifice strikes the eye very
pleasantly. Although massive and ex-
penslve, everything is plain and neat.
1t IS at Fifth avenue and Fifty-nfth
street, fronting 200 feet on the latter
and 100 on the former The front, on
Fifth avenue, has two towers, the main
tower rising 800 feet above the side
walk, IA feet higher than Trinity spire.
The other tower is 160 feet high. The
main entrance, with four double door
ways, is between the towers, and is
approached by stone porch 40 feet
broad, with stone steps. There are
also 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, to
have it pure and free from dust. The
principal entrance opens into vesti-
bule by Is feet. The auditorium
is 100 feet deep on the main floor, 1876
feet deep on the gallery, 45 feet wide,
and 60 feet high, with seats for 1900
persons. The pews are arranged in
| concentric curves, every seat com
manding full view of the pulpit The
ground floor and galleries are inclined
as in a the atre. There is a finely
carved canopy over the pulpit, and
ahnun tkiC allorx, ha hi
and the large organ.
The ceiling is of wood, with hand
sOmely decorated panels and moulded
ribs. There are twenty-fourl large and
twenty-four small windows. Each
window has two sets of sashes, glazed
with stained glass. Gas jets have been
put between the sashes, SO that at the
evening services the stained glass may
be seen both inside and out. The space
between the two sashes is large ven
tllatlng t1ue, drawing the air from the
church through the perforated panels
of the walnscotlng, the current being
increased by the heat Of gas burners
within the space. Every gas burner in
the church Is hidden by ornamental
glass work, and supplied with ven /
lat1ng t1ues, giving mellow light very
pleasing to the eye.
The air tower at the northwest corn
er supplies pure air, which is drawn
by fan IN the cellar at the base of
the tower, and is worked by a ten
horse power steam engine. Ten feet
above the floor of the tower, inside, a
perforated water pipe extends around
the walls, making shower to cool the
air IN the summer and free IT from
dust, If necessary. The entire cellar
floor can also be sprinkled, to cool the
air. The fan IS of iron, seven feet in
diameter, and can make 220 reyolu-
tlons minute, forcing 3d. 900 cubic
feet or 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 a network of steam-heat-
ing pipes. Before the air enters the
auditorium it passes over the steam
pipes, and is warmed. The warm air
enters the body of the church through
movable Stats under the benches OF
every pew, and every person in the
pew can have warm or cold air at his
feet, as he chooses. When the cold
air is forced into the auditorium it en-
ters fifty feet above the heads of the
conI{re cation, SO that there can be no
draft. The steam for heating is gen
Grated in two fifty y-horse power boilers.
The bellows of the organ are worked
by hydraulic apparatus, the water
being supplied from a tank in the
principal tower, 125 feet above the
sidewalk, powerful steam pump
forcing the water from cistern III the
cellar into the tank, which holds 5000
gallons. Near the tank are the fire
hose, through which the entire build
ing can be deluged in few minutes.
The cellar walls are double, with a
space between to exclude dampuess,
and all the drain and water pipes are
thoroughly ventilated.
In the rear of the main auditorium
is a hall ten feet wide, with two wide
stairways leading to the galleries.
SeA" TO the hall, in the rear, is the
and % feet high, with a large rs~lIorx
on one end and ladies' parlors on the
other, having accommodations for 700
persons. There is also a trustees
room and a minister's room. Over
the lecture room is the Sunday school
room, with three galleries. There are
also several large class rooms and
library. Over the class rooms is flat
for the assistant sexton and his fam
lily. All the pews, gallery, fronts, or
gan case, and all the interior joiner's
work are of the best ash wood, pol
ished.
The building committee are James
Fraser, R. L. Stuart, the Hon. John
A. Stewart, Harvey Fisk, Robert Bon
ner, and Moses G. Baldwin. A large
part of the $1,OOO,O0O outlay has al
ready been raised, Robert Bonner
alone having subscribed 100000.
Judge Kelley On the south Again.
The editor of the IIaMistoWn Pa