Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-15
NEW RAILROAD DEPOT.

Y, JANUARY 10, 1881.
NEW RAILROAD DEPOT.
The Handsome and Complete structure that
Is to be Erected In Philadelphia.
The designs for the exterior Of the new
pas <enger station Of the Pennsylvania rail-
road company, at the corner Of Merrick
and Filbert streets, indicate that it will be
one of the most imposing structures in
Philadelphia, and the plans for the interior
assure passengers that nothing will he left
undone which can add to their comfort and
convenience. The company owns the en-
tire square, which fronts 308 feet on Mer-
rick street and runs back 1913 feet to
Fifteenth street. The station will oc-
cupy the corner Of Merrick and Filbert
street, with a front of 1913 feet Oh sler
rick, SO that it will cover very nearly two
thirds of the square. It will be of four
stories, with tower over 100 feet in
height ON each corner. The style Of the
architecture is Goth ic and the material en-
tering into the construction of the outer
walls pressed brick, ornamental brick and
terra cotta-the latter furnished by the
Perth AmbOy terra Gotta company, and of
q color similar to fire brick. The first
story will be faced with Pennsylvania blue
stone. The use of terra Gotta will admit
of great deal Of simple ornamentation in
the columns and the different floors will
be marked by lines of fancy brick.
The first floor will be occupied by the
inward and outward baggage rooms, and
the ticket Offices, of which there will be
two, entirely distinct from each other
one for local and the other for through
passengers-an arrangement that will
materially shorten the delays Of local pas
scngers, who can lie attended to four or
five times as fast as through passengers,
who are generally in search of information
both as to routes AMI time. Eighty-four
feet Of the width of the building will be
given up to three passage ways, two
twenty feet wide and one twenty-four
feet. Passengers arriving in carriages will
drive directly into the building, and alight
in front of the main stairway leading to
the waiting rooms ON tho second floor.
They will procure their tickets and the
baggage will be deposited in the baggage
room at the corner of Fifteenth and Fill
bert streets, which will be arranged SO as
to be approached from three sides. Two
stairways, eleven feet wide, will lead to
the second floor, but TWO elevators will be
running constantly to accommodate those
who find even single short flight of stairs
too much. The lower story willbe sixteen
feet high. Arriving passengers will leave
the station on the opposite side, descend
ing to the street by = single broad flight
of stairs into lobby thirty feet by thirty
two, from which they will reach Merrick
street through the southern entrance.
The two stairways, divided by the ticket
Office, converge at landing half way up,
and lead to the general waiting room,
through which all passengers will pass ON
their way to the trains. This is spacious
room 81 feet in width by 80 in length, with
a lofty ceiling Of glass, the altitude of the
room being A feet. An abrupt turn to
the left OH entering the general waiting
waiting room, which, with the dining room
will occupy the entire front of tho second
floor. The ladies' room is Of the same
20 feet in width, with private room open
ing out of it on the Filbart street corner,
26x1G. 4 door from the ladies' room leads
to the dining room. which is of the same
width and only eight feet shorter than the
general waiting room. Entrance to the
dining room will be had from the
general waiting room through the rcstau-
rant at the further end, opposite the main
entrance. In tho restaurant, 23 feet wide
by 81 long. will be i lunch counter, with
small tables opposite. The news stand
and telegraph offices will be on either
side of the entrance. The height OF the
second story is 81 feet, the seneral wait
ing room being two stories in height.
The third and fourth stories will be
mainly devoted to the offices necessary for
the cOmpany's officials. and they will be
reached by gallery running around the
waiting room. The kitchen will, however.
occupy Il largo part of the space toward
Market street, and a private elevator will
connect it with the ground floor. Back Of
the restaurant will he large barber shop,
16x34 feet, and over that will he bath
rooms, where passengers will find all the
cOnvenienccs of room in any hotel, and
will thus be spared the Inconvenience of
going to hotel for no other purpose than
to take bath and make 4 change of
clothes. Over the restaurant will be
private dining rooms.
Four entrances with wide doors will
afford the means Of communication with
the train shed, the lobby between the
doors and the gates being forty feet. An
ornamental iron bridge across Fifteenth
street will mark the head of the train
house, and the rear ends of the trains will
conc to the eastern line Of the street. The
train shed itself will be somewhat like that
at West Philadelphia, with eight tracks,
but close together under one roof with
two arches. The shed extends one square
from Fifteenth to sixteenth street, and
walls arc fifteen feet in height, and the
centre of the roof fifty feet high. The ex-
terror Of the shed will be Of faced brick,
but the interior will be finished with Or
namental brick.
The plans drawn for the station were de.
signed by Wilson Bros. & Co., under the
direction of Joseph w. Wilson, engineer
Of bridges and buildings of the Pc:.nsyl-
vania railroa :, and the work of cnnstruc-
ton is proceeding under the supervision of
William II. Brown, engineer Gf main,e-
nance of way. The cost will 5e about a
quarter of a million, exclusive of the
ground. It is probable that the 1st of May
will see the work completed.