Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-07-04
A GIGANTIC CITY HALL.
PHlLADELPHlANS SAY 1T Is BIGGER
THAN THE U. s. CAPITOL.

Is Occupied go Complete Telegraphic
system Private Water supply
"White Elephant Maybe.
The people of Philadelphia, says
correspondent, Singer disdainfully when
they hear the Capitol at Washington
spoken of with admiration. They say:
Where is it beside our city hall?" Then
they point to til, huge white marble
structure on Broad street, and call at
tention to its magniticence.
In point of size the building is GER
tainly impressive 1t covers considera-
BILE more ground than the Capitol-about
four and one-half acres, without count
ing the great courtyard in the middle
and very nearly twice as high. AT all
events it will be 54S feet in height when
the immense central tower is finished. or
only seven feet less than the Washington
Monument. The top of Americas head
on the Capitol is only 287 feet from the
ground. This extraordinary editice is
in the form of a hollow square 480 feet
on each side and covering an entire
block. 1t has already cost $14 900, 900,
and is likely to use up $40, 600, 900 more.
There is over 1000 rooms in it, and "a
men have already lost their lives by fall
ing from the walls. The ma jority Of
these accidents have been caused by
sheer carelessness, the last victim turn
ing somersaults for eight stories to the
pavement because he wanted to stand
on the window ledge for the purpose OF
seeing a parade that was passing by.
The city hall of Philadelphia is not
only the biggest building in the United
States of any sort, but the largest and
finest municipal structure in existence
1t contains and includes the entire ma
chinery for the government and protec-
ton of that town of more than million
inhabitants. Every municipal officer has
his headquarters there, and under the
same roof are housed the authorities Of
the police and fire departments, as well
as all the law courts of the county. One
half of the sixth floor accommodates the
entire criminal business of the county,
and here all cases of that sort will be
tried, from the drunk who gets 10 days
to the murderer who is sentenced to be
hanged by the neck until he is dead.
One half of the second floor likewise will
provide for the entire civil law business
of the county. The police courts of the
city are located on the sixth floor, as well
as the central police station, which latter
is spacious and palatial affair with
walls composed of costly and beautiful
tiles and special elevator for fetching
up prisoners from the courtyard. On the
fourth floor the supreme court of the
State of Pennsylvania will meet when in
session. The apartment it occupies is on
a scale of gorgeo lSnesS beside which the
Supreme Court chamber at the Capitol in
Washington is shabby and unadorned.
The Judges in their black robes sit be-
hind bench of massive onyx and gilt
carvings. and the very window curtains
cost nearly 81 900 pair.
On the east front of the sixth floor is
the finest Geographic plant i'll the world,
including all the very newest inventions
in this line of ele trical discovery, by
which communication is had with all
parts of the city and covering hundreds
of square miles, SO that if there is a fire
anywhere, or need of police, or lost
child, notice is at once flashed over the
wires to the city hall. Probably the most
superb room in the United States is the
one provided for the director of public
safety, wherein that official receives every
morning all the police ieutenants, repre-
senting every precinct in the city, who
make their daily report to him. The cell
ing is more than 20 feet high and most
axquisitely frescoed with female figures,
representing Wisdom, Justice, Peace, and
Virtue. 1t may fairly be said that the
director of public safety is in Philadel-
phia more important and powerful per-
sonage than the mayor, controlling, as he
does, the police, fire, health and many
other departments like veritable Koko.
In order that the city hall shall never
have its water supply cut off or lessened
by any accident of fire or otherwise,
special main has been built, connecting
1t with reservoir three miles away,
which is at so great an elevation that
gravity causes it to flow on the topmost
floors, 200 feet above the ground. The
building is entirely composed of stone
md iron; the tower is of iron and the
dome at its top will be covered with a
film of aluminium one-eighth of an inch
in thickness This metal, which does not
:arnish, will shine like silver under the
suns rays that fall upon the Quakercity.
A great quantity of the metal will be re-
quired for this purpose, but luckily its
cost has been reduced recently to $1.25
pound When Philadelphians are not
Dragging of their giant structure they are
kicking at the price, and from day to day
continually rage and tear their hair over
the millions that are being poured into
what the local newspapers call the
white Elephant