The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-24

wren's epstAph. 81 nsorunenfun
eusrza c4-cuEsrsce-- lie has gwen q 10
ex;er4or design Of The building re- sen-
eer.nx cs TIRE classic RYE fssrcd aSins
rsary Ranznsxazs features Boid csl-
nnes ARD careful grouping have Sea
sought After rather than small ana cosI-
~ dee.l, the architect deemsng tns iaffer
ursuste1 % the stone from he a1arszss
q TIE --cvfnc> TEE greatest or-aner,a-
lion has e~ea Bestowed en- the ran en-
trance. which Is 6arkea By towers. wals
. large central 9orae c.owrs ths oeaau-
sni rossnsa Of The interior and sdas as
ssncticn 70 ths exterior OK this portion OF
the hsstl6srx. The dome Is appropriately
sarmoun,~e ~ Q STATUE Of Vancouver
sevea and . half feet tai ard ris-ng 70
hesrhs OF 10 feet FROM the ground over
the main entrance rises . noble ana m
posing pe1tment showing the rev coss-o.-
arms Of the province. tire elk N r5icn
represents yzrcorver Inland. the big born
stands FOR the MARYLAND. while the ion
an1 crown are the token worn ey al BTU
.xh eoionsea- Outside the right OF the en-
trance IL . cas-reises statue % the iass
Sir Mathew Bexsss. chief justice. ard on
the opposite side . similar one OF Sir
James Douglas. whose name g 50 thor
ourhly interviewer with tire early history
OF the country when he sat as governor
for the Hudson Bay Company, which then
exercised ioscship over Vancouver ISL
and
The stone Of which the entire exterior
Of the building 10 constructed has been
carefully selected That for the north SIDE
comes from Haddington island. ard has
been chosen partly on account Of it, ex-
tremely light color. ~ very little sun
strikes this face of the building. The
south elevation 10 Of stone from the kok-
siish quarries. and ID specially adapted 70
the class OF rock-saced work adopted IN
the construction. Many OF the pieces OF
stone ara individually worth studying. On
the entrance staircase inside the building.
each Of the steps. fifteen feet from end to
OF the landings IL an unbroken block i've
by fifteen feet The stone IL brought from
the quarries directly TO the grounds, where
the great saws working night and day
cut them into shape with . noise that
sounds az . distance Ike the rush Of =
great cascade
The character Of the work throughout
the building deserves the attention OF all
pubic building commissions. From trrret
10 foundation stone not q shoddy or SLOW
emily touch Is to be seen Everywhere.
from the greatest matters to the very
least. every means has been adopted to
render the work as thorough. durable and
perfect a. possible The entire structure
and every separate part of IL IL practically
fireproof. No wood enters into the con-
st.uction work a. all. except the floor
3oists TO some Of the rooms The internal
door and window iinteis are made OF Q
specially prepared flre-resistins concrete.
The same material Is used sor the CORR
dor hoors throughout. and also TO encase
all steel work. both beams and coiumns
All wires Of every kind. ana the building
contains Q great many. are encased "a
heavy brass tubes The roof Il covered
with slate Qnarried from yervis inlet, ana
the towers. turrets and pinnacies are
sheeted with copper. some Of which u
wrought into highly ornamental designs.
There seems TO be absolutely no possi-
batity Of any shrinkage or decay affecting
The durability OF the building. In almost
every case the brick walls are carried from
the basement to the roof. and in the few
instances where they are carried on steel
beams. the beams are protected with con-
crete. a. already mentioned. The stair.
cases are ali Of solid stone supported on
nat arches The plastering Is all laid on
to metal hth!ng. The mortar In which
the bricks are laid Il Of superior quality,
machine-nade. composed Of Saanich gray.
stone lime. gritty sand, engine ashes and
hard-hurned broken brick, all ground to-
gether In . mortar mill. II hardens with
exposure tiii u - Ike Stone.
II Is almost hopeless to attempt to give
the reader more than cursory idea OF the
general arrangement and appearance OF
the building. which must be seen to b
appreciated. The central block Is arranged
with three wings In the shape OF a cross
the large public entrance or waiting hail
being IN the rotunda At the intersection.
In each of these three wings ara to be the
homes OF two OF the provincial DEPART
rnents. one on each floor. Thus from the
large waiting hall every department il
easily accessible. But while each thus
forms part OF one central scheme. at the
same time each Is for all practical pur-
poses an Independent building complete
within itself and having to rely on no
other department for entrance. stairway.
vault or iavatory. Adjoining the public
waiting hall are two fights OF stairs. af-
forilng access from any one department 10
any OF those in the story above. without
tho necessity OF traversing any interme-
ciate department.
The ground floor, or first noor above the
basement. has It's east wing taken up by
the treasury, the main public Office OF
which Is 5rx3o feet. with the various pr;-
vate Offices grouped about II IN such Q
way that the occupants may reach any
room IN this department without coming
IN contact with the public. Close by IS
with equal care, while on the floor above
are rooms for the department OF agri-
culture. The west wing OF the ground
roor Is similarly arranged for the depart
ment OF education and the immigration
Offices. In the rear or south wing on this
floor Is the lands and works department.
The record or general business once fo-
this department Is ssx34 feet. with private
Offices tributary to Il and a large. strong
r. hA oGv NJ
all parts Of the department. Grouped
with these ara the surveyor generals
rooms aud also ofiices for . pIblio works
engineer.
On what the Canadians call the nrst
foor, but what We should call the second.
II not the third. since It il the second
above the basement. the cas-, wing IL
m.ut and the ives. wing BIZ the provincial
secretsry's department There are hand
some suites Of rooms arranged with a gen.
ersi correspondents to those on the floor
below. ana with the same carefully
planned advantages. In the rear wing On
this floor IS the assembly or legislative
hall. the most Imposing room IN the
building On The floor 20 Be occupied
BY members It IS e0xsa feet. while
on the story above. around which
the visitors gallery IS placed.
It extends 20 70xss feet 4 handsome mar
be da5o runs around the members soo-.
while or the sides are lefty marble COL
urnEs. high above which IL the richly or
rate ceiling Ccrrs'ors eight and ten feet
wide surround this room. and from these
tire various committee rooms. members
MONS, smoking room and the executive
council chamber are entered Tire iegfs-
iatsve hal ls approaches from the prsnci-
PAL entrance fronting James hay, and
through tire octascz entrance haif 20 the
ieSsy os the house When required this
entrance can be retained exclusively for