Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-16

1
may IL please Thee to protect II from
every destructive element. and long may
these walls stand to guard our Municipal
| interests and 20 give stability 20 public or
| der We recognize In the arrangement of
| its halls and chambers, from foundation
| 10 capstone. its adaptation TO the official
use and comfort OF those who are 10
! occupy Il. thus securing the attainment
| OF all the importsnt ends for which II
was designed We thank Thee for the
| transition from the dismal and squalid
| quarters hitherto occupied TO the light,
/ and air, and amplitude Of this spacious
| structure-at once massive and strong.
convenient and beautiful.
| Thou hast surrounded II with a cloud
of witnesses. From its summit We look
/ down l,pon the Capitol. within whose
walls once gathered the patriots and
sages who laid the foundations OF our
| constitutional liberty and independence.
! Wo behold the monument Of the man
| whose name il yet the brightest and best
| in American annals, while around him
stand the heroic forms which make
| their silent and salutary but stirring
auneal TO all patriotic souls. Near by we
! Geo The statue Of the Christian soldier
,cbo stood as a stone wall on the bloody
/ front Of battle. and who surrendered
only 10 death a soul consecTated TO duty
and 10 God.
! From the same summit we overlook the
/ CITY which has passed through such merry
/ trials and unparalleled disasters. and yet
| oil horne with n fortitude which no re-
/ verses could daunt. and with determine
| ton which no calamities could discourage.
And now. our Father. we hail the dawn
| OF a new day. At this suspicious hour we
| come TO rejoice. not only over the com
nletion OF a noble building. but TO inau-
gurate n new era in the history OF our
| city.
we face the future. not with prcsump-
ton. but with reverent trust In God.
with memories and hopes like these, we
| now dedicate this hall 10 official INDUSTRY.
| integrity and honor; we dedicate II 10
enterprise progress. and prosperity, under
Thy favor. guidance. and protection, y Goa,
most high, most holy, most mercilui'
Father. Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
THE BUILDING TURNED OVER
Al the conclusion Of DR.. Hoge's prayer,
Mr.. r.. NJ. Taylor. as chairman Of the
! Committee on Grounds and Buildings
| arose and stated that he was authorized
| TO announce 10 the city Council in Joint
session that the n@w city Hall was com
pIoted ana ready for occupancy. He cen
Cratuldtti lht Ncuhti upOh SuNH " mus
niGccnt building.
Mr.. Rolfe l.. Glover. President Of the
Common, Council offered the following
resolution SIGNALLING the completion and
acceptance Of the structure:
BE il resolved by the Board OF Alder
men and the Common Council in' joint
session assembled, That the new city Hall
Is hereby accepted ana dedicated TO NUM-
cipal purposes, and
BE IL resolved further, That said build
Ing shall be opened for the transaction OF
public business beginning with Friday,
February 1G, 1894.
Mr. Stratton said that rs some Of the
members present might I'm after years like
TO have it known that he were present
upon this occasion the vote be re-
corded one There was no objection TO
this. and the vote stood a. ayes, noes.
The Chair declared the resolution
adopted.
Colonel Cutshaw's Address.
Colonel ". T. Cutshaw, City Engineer,
here gave a brief history of the building.
lie said in opening:
mi President and Gentlemen.-Throu
the enterprise Of our papers. very eX-
cellent historical sketch. embracing the
history Of both the old and the new City
Hall. has been given to you. The report
from the Grounds and Buildings Commit
tee giving quarterly statements OF the
financial expenditures on the building up
20 date you also have. This Information f.
fun enough in itself and it only remains
necessary for me to supplement it by such
information as was not given in those
papers"
The speaker then went into a brief eX-
PLANTATION of the extension of the lot by
which the city acquired the whole square
on which the present structure stands.
The plans. he said. were changed there
after to include the whole lot though not
covering all Of the grounds. "The plans
first called for" he continued. "a build
ing on the lot 1iOSlS0 feet. This WAS sub
sequcntly altered to include the enlarged
lot l40x2S0 feet square. and upon this lot
the structure now stands, the building
covering an area of l56X2D3 feet.
ACCOUNTS FOR DIFFERENCES.
The original foundation plan shows
drains. sewer-pipes. and Ventilauns-plpes'
but no steam. gas, or water-pipcs. The
revised foundation plan provides for
greatly enlarged footings and this and
other new plans show the different ar
rangemcnts of drains. enlarged Vcnulating
duets. and the location of steam, gas,
and water-pipcs. The VentlatinS system,
as shown on the new plans, Is not only
radically changed and enlarged. but has
the flues so arranged as not to weaken
the walls steam-pump In the base
ment and supply tank Of 5000 gallons
capacity i'm the attic have been put In
to furnish water for the building. Inc
beam plans and roof and skylieht plans
were so arranged and changed as TO ma
tcriallv reduce the weight of iron re-
quircd. and this with better distribution
in the various parts.
Where partitions were shown OF cor
ruratod wrought iron and wood studding,
nre-proof tcrra-cotta was substituted.
The cOrnices around the inside of the
well holes in the grand corridor were
made of galvanized iron instead of plas-
ter as originally intended.
Electric clocks. marble basins. ana
cooler slabs in the rooms and electric
wires for lighting. clocks, and telephones,
none of which We're provided Tor on the
oricnal plans. were put in the building
The main-deck roof cornlces, and finals
were made Of sheet copper instead or
painted tin and galvanized iron' as origi-
nally specified.
SOME IMPROVING CHANGES.
Instead Of using the large amount
Of broken range work III the
main BODY of the walls. as shown
lar OF larger sizes, gradually dimin-
iehing towards the roof. has been en-
ployed. Plain-drcssed columns were sub
stituted for polished columns In all cases.
The stone work In all the spandrels mas
been made Of broken-range, quarry-face
ashlar. instead OF the elaborate cut-work
shown In the original plan. and where
ever thought advisable the amount OF cut
work has been reduced and the quarry
face work increased. This has greatly
improved the effect OF the fronts and re-
duced the cost
The plainness Of the three fronts on
Broad Capitol. and Eleventh streets. IN
comparison with the Tenth-sr'cct front,
was so marked that It was deemed ad-
visable to make them correspond with the
Tenth-strcet front. which was intended
on the original plan to be the principal
entrance.
The parapet walls on each side OF the
entrance steps were given curved form.
spread out on each side of the doorways,
and terminated at all four entrances in
ornamentcd granite blocks, with large
lamp-posts on each, the change making
the effect much more imposing on all
sides.
The material used In the building Is as
follows: 1.9lO.03S cubic feet OF granite
enough 10 build "A wall l-2 by 6 feet 1900