Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-25
WILL BE LAID TO-DAY
THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CHAM
GER or COMMERCE BUILDING.
The Grand Lodge of Nelson's to Have
Charge OF the Ceremonies-Descrip-
ton OF tho structure.

Commerce building, corner Of Ninth and
Main streets, will be laid at o'clock this
afternoon by the Grand Lodge of Masons
of Virginia with imposing ceremonies.
Grand Senior Warden Fitzgerald will
offciate, and as the chamber committee
in charge of the affair have requested our
merchants and manufacturers TO close
their establishments at p. Nj. 1t Is ex-
pected that there will be large crowd in
attendance.
The Grand Lodge Knights Templar and
Master Masons will assemble at the Ma
SONIC Temple on Broad street at r. NJ.
and at 1870 the line Of march will DO taken
mp down Broad 10 Ninth and thence down
Ninth to the scene of the ceremonies.
oEDEB or PROCESSION.
The order of procession will be as fol-
lows;
Worshipful Joseph v. Bidgood' Grand Marshal
Hon. Brother J. T. RIiyson. Brother A. W. Gar
Der, Brother Lewis d. Crenshaw, Brother
a. y. Guigon, Brother Ben.
r. August
Blues' Band
Knights Templar Escort-Both Communicates.
Tier.
Two Stewards With White Rods.
Master Masons.
Secretaries
1reasurers.
junior DeacOns.
Senior DeacOns.
Junior Wardens
Senior War1ens
Past Masters.
Masters.
worshipful lewis Mason, Golden Vessel Con-
tanning Corn.
Master MasOns, with Square, Level, aud Plumb
Worshipful W. 7. Mosby, with Silver Vessei Con-
.NufTt
worsnipful John T. Hughes, with Silver Vessel
Containing Wine.
Master Masons, with Five Orders OF Afchi-
lecture.
Worshipful James Lyons. with Large Lighl.
Worshipful william Hall Grow. with Holy Bible'
Square, and COmpasses.
Stewards on His Right and Left:
Worshipftl jackson Guy, with Large Light.
Worshipful Beverly 7. Crump, with Large Light.
Most Worshipful Grand Master and OHlcers IN
Carriages
TO ATTEND IN BODY.
The officers. Board Of Directors. Build
ing and Finance Committees, and memsers
of the chamber generally will meet at 1870
p. NJ. in the rooms Of the chamber. over
the Merchants National Bank, and pro
coed in q body from that point to the site
of the building.
Staging will be provided in the founda-
tion for the board aud committees OF the
chamber, the Grand Lodge, aud for the
singers. who. under Professor lde, Will
render the Masonic odes The names OF
these latter have already been published.
After the stone shall have been laid in
due form and the work examined and &C
cepted by the committee Colonel John is.
Purcell, late president of the chamber,
will deliver the address. and the Grand
Lodge will return 10 the temple and enter
tain the Board Of Directors of the cham
Der.
THE BUILDING.
The building will occupy one Of the most
conspicuous business sites in the city and
will front ~ feet on Main street and ex-
tend back on Ninth street 1902 feet. On
the front 1t will be six stories above ground
and at the rear seven stories. The base
ment front will be used as safe-deposlt
rooms, with vault, &c, complete, and at
the rear of this floor will be boiler,
storage, and fuel-roOms. The ground
floor will be devoted TO banking and in
surance purposes. and will have the
necessary private Office rooms, vaults,
lavatorIes. DC. There will be general
entrance to the building both on Main and
Ninth streets, and two hydraulic elevators
running from the basement 70 the top
story. In addition 10 these elevators there
will be a grand stairway Of tire-proot con
struction ascending from the basement 10
the top story. The second, third, ana
fourth floors will be devoted 20 Office pur-
poses, and the building is so planned that
oil of the rooms have outside windows,
there being a wide open court leading out
on Ninth street admitting air as well rs
the light. THIS court will extend from the
bottom 10 the top of the structure. All OF
these Office stories will be provided with
lavatorles containing the most modern Tx
lures, and the floors and walls will be TILED.
THE CHAMBER AUDITORIUM.
The chamber auditorium will occupy the
front of the building on the fifth IiOOr and
extend in height through the fifth AMI
sixth floors. This will be very beautiful
room with tiled and oak walls and oak
panelled ceiling. At the rear of this room
and immediately next to the elevators Will
be located the offices OF the secretary and
his clerks, &c. 1t Is designed TO arrange
for a small restaurant or drill-room on the
sixth floor at the rear of the building,
which will overlook the city and surround
ing country and be a great source OF CON-
fort 10 those occupying the structure.
The materials of which the building will
be constructed are James-river granite and
a gray brick above, which will harmonic
with the stone.
There will be tower at the corner, with
an outlook over the city and large clock.
The style of the building archItecturally
is Romanesque in treatment, and when It
is completed II will be great ornament to
the city. Captain NJ. J. Dimmock is the
architect. The contract was awarded
about two months ago to Mr.. w. o. Bur
ton as general contractor. and he has
stipulated to complete the edfce within
sixteen months from the LIST OF July last.
The work upon the building has progressed
most satisfactorily and thus far without a