Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-04
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT BUILDING.
Reconstruction q the Model Hall and
Roofs Of the south Wing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK BY THE ARcHI-
TECTS.

Messrs Ciuss & schulze, the supervising archi-
tect and engineers, IN their final report TO the
Secretary OF the Interior of the operations per.
tanning to the model hall and roofs OF the south
wing Of the Interior department building, give
the following description Of the work COM
pleted:
"The main stairway of the building leads
nom the atrium on the principal story TO the
upper stories through the center of the south
wing. 1t is Enclosed by semi-circular walls, the
windows Of which have been arranged so as to
shed q mellow light through ornamental cathe-
dral glass in lead sash. Wall pilasters between
the windows support a strong cornice with a
wide frieze decorated In colors and surmounted
by deep cove from which q tent-shaped CELL
Ing with projecting rafters springs. This CELL
Ing aouts on an interior wall and forms a gable
which affords sufficient height for giving due
accentuation to the upper entrance doors To-
Gated In IT, while keeping within the scope OF
and damaged iron railing along the ends OF the
white marble steps is being replaced by an ap-
p ,IsIsn designed bronze railing. broad
mosaic terrazzo, as used by the ancient Romans.
the art of which has lately been revived in the
Vanced nations. Crossing the threshold of the
entrance door to the huge quadrangle which
shelters the model museum OF the patents
OF the United states, We find ourselves
within an entry hall of 40 by so feet i'm
size, and 33 feet high, which has been in
ny euc imposing uedtuent rs
MARBLE HALL,
and to this its design, material workmanship
and decoration have been subordinated Upon
high pedestals of black and antique green mar
BILE rise sixteen wall-pHasters with fiuted shafts
In polished Sienna. bases and capitals in fiat
are surmounted by carved consoles, ornamented
friezes, and enriched cornices of fire-proof CO.
ment, which. under the exposure to fire, exceeds
by far any natural building stone. These sup
port nodded ceiling, panelled in a variety of
forms around an octagonal SIX Wight OF twenty
feet in diameter, glazed with borders, sides and
center-piece OF colored cathedral and embossed
plate glass. All details. enrichments orna-
ments and rosettes I'm the ceiling are plastic and
renewed by carefully blended subdued tints and
cha,te gliding To the east and west this hall
discioses, through large open archways between
into the galleries forming model-hals. Besides
the skylight this hail receives subdued light
s,,p1 2rnamented windows on the north aud
DECORATIVE WORK.
High wall spaces above the windows and be.
low the cOrnices are allotted to six largest sized
allegorical represen tations, sculptured in bass
relief, and relating to objects appropriate to the
place, namely, invention and industry, mining
and agriculture, on the the south side, and cleo
triclty and magnetism, water and fire, on the
ntirth side.
In the decoration Of the eastern and western
side walls tour large busts are introduced of
men who have we'll deserved of, or occupy
country, to wit, Thomas Jefferson. who has has
been Justly called the father OF the American
patent system; Eli Whitney, the inventor OF
the cotton-gln; Robert Fulton and BENJAMIN
Franklin. A paneled wainscoting i'm black.
antique red and green polished marbles
grid, the hall and incloses decorated tile-fioor
OF original designs.
OFFICES AND CORRIDORS
1.-THE offices TO the east and west of the entry
hall contain in the aggregate about 10000
square feet floor space. They are plainly
finished, have solid mahogany sash and DOORS
md Ion. Hrnrs l.aIA
facing the courtyard are now occupied by the
Patent office library. and those along the +
The corridors between the two 1 rows of r U
are open to the roof and lighted all along by
double skylights, with an intermediate ventil-
ated air chamber. The floors and side walls of
these corridors, up to the first gallery, are
treated similar to the corresponding part of the
entry hall. The fiuted columns along the corri-
doris in front of the galleries are finished with
polished keenes cement scagliola, similar TO
the pi.asters of the entry hall. The galleries
are inclosed along the corridors and within the
openings into the entry hall by Ornamented,
polished and chased solid bronze Ratings.
been mostly furnished with wrought-iron fire
and dust proof model cases of original construc-
tion with the balance of All appropriation
available for the purpose, and have been Tor
some months filled with models. Approached
from the second gallery there is an additional
the nan ol 20 Sy o. iest In SIZE above
fully occupied by the records and work OF the
census of 1880.
THE FIRE-PROOF ROOF.
"The roofs OF the entry hall, hall over portico,
and main staircase, consist of trussed wrought
| iron. The roots over the model halls are sup
ported by fire-proofed sectional wrought-iron
columns. All exposed structural iron work OF
floors and roofs is thoroughly protected and
bridged over by hollow tiles and blocks both
OF porous terra-cotta the best non-conducting
hre-prOOf material at present available. The
outer skylights are glazed with hammered plate
glass, and provided with system OF condense
cutters The inner skylights are glazed with
heavy Obscured fiuted glass. The main portico
has received a heavily paneled cast iron ceiling
in keeping with the exterior architecture of the
building. The interior stairs and boxed WIN
dow frames are also of cast iron
"The whole work has been done in part under
contract, the government dealing directly with
firms engaged in the different branches of the
building trades, or with wholesale manufactu-
rers, without the Intervention OF a general con-
hour system. In the selection of either system
the eXigencies of the service were solely con-
suited. The expenditures sum up $171, 1874. "a.
ESTIMATE.
ITO complete the reconstruction of the build
ing the east wing remains to be provided for
and the expense will be the same as stated last
year, $l6O,OOO. The reconstruction in this
case, according to the plans, will produce Office
rooms in the aggregate 8 20 feet long and % feet
the Secretary of the Interior and commissioner
OF PATENTS this even without curtailing the &C
cOmmodations for model exhibits"
Erection OF Public Buildings.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF ARCHITECT BELL.
The supervising architect, in his annual re.
port to the Secretary of the Treasury, says there
are now in course Of construction, eighty new
buildings, ranging in cost from s25 900 to 3d.