Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-07
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A MlLLloNAlRe,s wHIM.
ne Is About TO Build q Palace Home
Perfectly FIreprooE

Perfectly FirePrOoL
Ralph Brisbane Nonesuch, who is re-
puted to have made a fortune Of s25,-
oOO. 900 in South African diamond mines,
has purchased 500 acre tract in the
Temescal district. near San Francisco,
where he will erect q novel residence
palace, in fact-upon which 81 SOC, 900
win be expended aside from the finish
ing. This is to be structure built al
most entirely Of steel and glass.
The building is to be about 230 long
by about 100 feet wide. At one end ii
will be surmounted by tower lis feet
high; at the other end by similar tow
er, but Of less size and height.
A striking feature will be the sides be-
low the cornice, which slope to the
ground with curve at an angle of about
As degrees. In the sloping sides are to be
set huge oval windows 10 feet long and
made to conform to the lines of the sides
of the wall. The roof will be huge
gable extending the entire length Of the
building and terminating in another
gable at right angles, in which are
placed immense stained glass windows,
one of which will be so feet long and 30
feet wide.
Not a foot of lumber or wood in any
shape is to be used in the building. The
materials will be iron, steel, aluminium,
brass, bronze, platinum, silver, concrete,
cement and stone. And the only stone
used will be sculptured marble in the
stairways and the main frieze, and onyx
4 Ioon-oAsvxa l. sv,& 49,
the stairs and few other places. Then
the foundations will be Of steel and con-
crete. The floors will be of concrete,
brass and aluminium, the walls Of steel,
and the roof of steel, brass and copper.
The inside walls will be some of oxidized
sheet iron, some brass, covered with
preparation that protects the burnish Of
the metal, some copper, some nickel and
so on to correspond with the decorations
Of the room.
The ceilings will be arched and re-
lieved here and there with great brass
medallions The partition walls will be
composed of metal grilles extending
from floor to ceiling, arranged in vari-
GUS designs, forming a vast network
through which the visitor can see from
the grand stairway at one end to the
great ballroom at the opposite end. Rich
tapestries will ordinarily cover the metal
grilles and divide the interior into IA
apartments, eight of which will be cham
bers and consist each of a suite Of four
rooms-a sleeping room, dressing room,
bathroom and study.
All the heating, lighting, ventilation
and cooking will be done by electricity.
The servants quarters, the kitchen, the
machinery and the laundry will all be in
the basement. The waterwheel and dy-
namos will be located at the foot of the
hill q considerable distance from the
building. The sole entrance to the base
ment from without will be at the foot of
the hill through tunnel, 80 that no one
from within or about the house will see
the approach or entrance of servant, gro
Ger, butcher or delivery wagon Of any
kind.
The structure itself will be surround.
ed by broad walk, and outside Of the
walk will be an artificial lake surround
ing the building and forming a moat to
be crossed by movable drawbridge,
thus placing the house practically upon
an island. This lake will be fed by wa
ter from artesian wells already in opera
tion and pumped up by powerful pumps.
The waters of the lake will also serve to
run the dynamos that furnish light, heat
and power for use in the building
American Contractor.