The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-12-18
A PRINCELY GIFT.
Dedication of the Drexel Institute
in Philadelphia.
DISTINGUISHED GATHERING

Description of the Buiitling Dedf-
Gated to "the Extension and Inn
provemcnt of Industrial Education
as Means Of Opening Better and
Wider Avenues of Employment"
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 1s-The Drexel
Institute Of Art Science and Industry
was formally dedicated yesterday after
noon. 1t was dedicated to "the extern
sion and improvement of industrial edu-
cation rs means of opening better and
wider avenues of employment to young
men and women" Wayne MacVeigh,
on behalf of Mr.. Drexel. formally pre-
sented the deeds for the 100000 build
ing and the securities for the 81 10000
endowment to James MacAllister, presl-
dent of the institute.
The gathering at the dedication exer-
cisos included the most eminent of ma
tional statesmen, and the most distin-
guished ornaments in the fields of art
and letters Among the more prominent
participants the following rlay be men-
toned:
j. Pierrepont Morgan, General B. Fl.
Bristow, Chauncey N. Depew, Mr..
Twombly, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Hew-
lit, General @. L. Christensen, Vice
President Morton, Postmaster General
Wanamaker, James ]. Goodwin, Chief
Justice DAILY, Thomas A. Edison, Nicho-
las w. Butler, President Seth Low. of
Columbia college; John Sloan, John
Bigelow, General T. l.. Jones, W. X.
Jeesop. Samuel D. Babcock and Richard
A. McCurdy, of New York, Andrew
Carnegie, Pittsburg, etc.
These are but fraction of the dis
tinguished company that participated in
the exercises. Philadelphia was repre-
septed by thousands of it's citizens.
Nearly all the members Of councils and
of the legislature were present, and the
more prominent citizens in every walk
Of life were largely represented.
Description OF the Building,
The building is in the style of the
elnsaic Renaissance. 1t is constructed
of light buff bricks with terra Gotta or
nAmentation of darker color; the base
is rock faced granite. The principal en-
trance is on Chestnut street by a richly
decorated portal twenty-six feet wide
and thirty live feet high, which admits
to poEtico enriched with colored mar
bles and paneled oak ceiling, and this in
tuYn opens into a spacious entrance hall,
the ceiling of which is supported by pill
lars of red Georgian marble. Beyond
the entrance hall is the great central
court, sixty-five feet square, the entire
.v-heiaht of tho building, and covered
with decorated ceiling. the center Of
which is filed with stained glass.
At the farther end of the court is the
double marble stairway, ascending to
the upper stories ana descending to the
auditorium and to the workshops in the
basement. Arcades support and inclose
the broad galleries which run around
ibe court on the second aud third floors.
From these galleries open the class
4ooms, laboratories and studios, all of
which are lighted from the exterior of
She building. There is thus free cir
Gulasion Of light and air throughout the
entire building. The portico, entrance
hall and central court arc wainscoted in
marble; the arcades are faced with en-
ameled bricks, and the dividing cornices
are of terra Gotta the woodwork through
out the building is Of polished oak.
On the first boor, opening from the
Bntranee hall, are the offices. the library
and reading room, Rnd the museum.
1he library and reading room is fine
apartment, ono hundred and twenty
feet long by sixty feet wide. The mu-
seum is about seventy feet wide. The
lecture hall and auditorium are entered
erom the central court. The lecture
ball, which has chairs for 250 students,
Is equipped with every appliance neces-
eary for scientific experiments. The au-
aitorium, which has separate entrance
from Thirty-second street, is n spacious
and finely appointed hall, capable of
seating 1900 persons. 1t is furnished
with upholstered arm chairs. At the
west entrance are lavatories for ladies
and gentlemen. The decorations of the
stage, which 10 at the east end of the au-
ditorium, are in the Italian renaissance
style and harmonious with the front of
the grand organ, which occupies the
center.
On the second, third and fourth floors
and in the basement are classrooms,
studies and workshops, numbering thir-
two in all.
Perhaps one of the most interesting
features of the dedication ceremony was
the address OF Chauncey NJ. Depew, of
Now York, which was punctuated
throughout by hearty applause, and at
its close the marks of appreciation were
loud and long. This nasterly effort
was preceded by q selection on the
grand organ by DR.. Stainer and prayer
BY Bishop Henry 9. Potter, of New
York.
Hanlthu ETn