Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-11
CITY HALL INTERIOR.
A aamelg THROUGH THE 5ulLDlNQ
AND STUDY or ARRANGEMENTS.
Some OF the Principal Rooms and Their
DTmsnsions-Erects OF Distanss
and Pretty Corners.

Despite the imposing exterior OF Rich
mond's new City Hall, no ono can form an
adequate conception of It's size until he
has made an inspection Of the interior.
When il shall have been finished guide
book will be necessary TO direct the visitor
to it's various apartments.
Last week q reporter OF tho DISPATCH
spent an hour going through the ball IN
company with Mr. Baskerville. OF the City
Engineers Department, and tho trip
proved well worth the taking.
OF course everything is still in an un-
finished state, and many portions OF tho
building get present sections OF confused
interlacing of scafolding, piles of deor's,
&C., but this is always the case when
structure is nearing the hnishing touches.
Work is far enough advanced 20 give
very clear idea Of the beauty OF the in
terror and justify the assertion that,
although the hall has caused good deal
of kicking" and been the object OF q
good deal of criticism, the people OF Rich
mond will be very proud OF u. Whatever
else may be said Of 1t the new City Han Is
built to stand, and IN many respects. both
as regards interior and exterior. is al
architectural success.
TUE BASEMENT FLOOR.
The largest apartment on tho basement
floor is the Pohce-COurt room. which 10
situated on tho Broad street side of the
building. 1t is 52xti feet. Next IN slze
comes the Coronar's laboratory-23x26
feet-located on the Eleventh. street side.
On this floor will also DO the rooms OF the
Sealer of Weights and Measures, Chief OF
the Fire Department hre-alarm battery,
Superintendent Of Public Charities. iani-
tor, and Board Of Health. The engine
room is also IN the basement.
On the first floor the most attractive
apartments are those for the Mayor. They
are three in rumber-an audience-room,
public Office, end private Office. and
are located on she Eleventh-street front.
On the same level will be the Offices OF
the Chief Of Police, Superintendent OF Gas
Works, superintendent OF Wster-W Works,
Auditor, Treasurer. Collector. and Commls-
sioner of the Revenue. One Of the most
interesting rooms on TINS floor at present
is that used a. q workshop by Messrs.
Davis 4 Delhaye, who have the co ontract
for making the ornamental plaster pieces
for the interior of the building. These
pieces consist of capitals for the columns
and pilasters. rosettes. bases, cornices,
&c. and the modelling, casting, and finish
ing are carried on by some half dozen per-
sons. Tho suggestion is very much that
OF a school of sculpture.
erA1RWAfS AND lIoHT.
All the interior stairways ascend 10 tho
east, and on each of the floors generous
corridor runs around well S7x36 feet.
This well ia divided into two sections,
LIGHT and stairway well. From the foot
OF the staircase looking west there is ois
of distance which is especially impressive.
On the fourth floor the corridor becomes
balcony and affords fine effect in open
roof. All about the building are corners
which are most pleasing Gs Architectural
studies. On the second floor are the halls
of the judges. On the CapiLoi-street 'front.'
il the City Circult-Court room. 4lxo2
feet on the Tenth-street side tue Chan
cery-Court room, 5llsX3S feet. and on
tho Eleventh street front the Hustlngs-
Court room. 5lx32 feet. The Chancery-
/ Court record rooms take up nearly oil or
the Broad-street 'front.' and the rest OF the
/ floor is devoted to clerks offices, Judges
rooms, &c.
THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
The Council chamber Is on tho third
! foor. Tenth-street side, and It's dimen-
| slous are 55x3g feet. On this hoor are the
CITY Engineers accommodations, IN
/ Guiding draughtsman'S room 5oAii ieet'
/ the City-AttOrDey's Office, witness rooms
iury rooms, and Office Of the City Clerk.
On the four n floor IL the library room,
! DiNAk lttF, Ilf TOhl4H VI AlAF tfAIf
ent of FIRE Alarm sand Police Telegraph,
offices of Superintendent of Schools and
Clerk of School Board. and fourteen unas-
slpned rooms. In tho clock tower, corne,
! Proad and Tenth streets. are also several
unassigned rooms. The total number ol
rooms is about l25. not including lava
tories. closets, sc. All tho rooms on The
main floors are finished IN rough-cas'
with oak wainecoting and white cornlcea
and mouldings, and tho floors are TO be oi
I quartered oak. The basement Is hnlshed
| in white. The passages on the main hoors
will bo tiled: the floors of the basement
corridors will be IN granol.th.
THE BoULER-RooMs.
The boiler.rooms arc located on the
| Fleyenth-street side under the sidewalk,
and occupy room 59x36 feet, with coal
vault attached 26x}0 feet. There VIII be
| four tS- horse bOilers-one run at high pres
sure for power for elevator pumps, yenti
lating fans, &C.. and three at low pressure
for the heating system. There VIII be three
small hydraulic elevators worked rom
tank IN the attic. The arrangements for
ARTIFICIAL light will be for both gas and
electricity, aud all wires pass through
tubing.
However, az pleasing "a some OK tht
effects of distance in the building are, and
! although tho ornamentation is IN the mar
very attractive. the interior arrangement.
are not without defects. They are too cut
up. Some Of the rooms are very DARK and
others are cramped. In most OF the very
large rOoms-such as the court-rooms-
there are columns which obstruct The
view and contract what would otherwise
appear yery generous dimensions.
The character OF the furniture has no.
vet been determined upon, but this matter
| will probably DO fully considered at th'
meeting OF the Grounds snd Building Com
mittee next Tuesday night. Colonel Ou.
shaw states that, II WORK progresses as a
present, the hall will 10 ready Tor occu
pancy by this time next year.
The building covers l70xli0 feet, ana TN
total height from the ground to the top o
the main lower is 1876 feet. The distance
from the ground 10 tho top balconies 1
no feet. and that from the ground TO IN
cornice SO feet. Tho architecture Is mixe'
and presents few plain surfaces. and
present the general elect Is. criticised a
Geinc too straight up and down." This
however, will be relieved when the, 81
proaches are finished. as tho base Will b
broadened.
All visitors 20 the city express great a.
miration for the building, and experts ar
unanimous in declaring that the materia
that has been put INTO it is hrst-eiass J.
/ L.