San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-09-20
BORN AGAIN.
THE NEW MENGER HOTEL BEING
NOW REBUILT.
An Hostelry of Which Any Tourist Will
Be Glad to Say 1T Shell
tered Me-"

ger hotel is now being transformed H.
TO by Mr.. II. D. Kampmann, the pro-
prietor, with a very capable corps of
architects, foremen and one hundred
skilled mechanics in nearly alldepart-
ments of the building trades.
When the hotel is finished, Nov. list,
ready for the winter season, it will be
found to be almost palatlal in its APP
pointments from cellar to roof, and
can hardly be recognized as its for
mer staid, conservative self.
In company with Mr.. Kampmann
yesterday a Light man had the pleas
ure of going through the vast build
ing and noting all the Improvements,
those finished and Othesr in progress.
The plaza front of the hotel is being
remodeled, the heavy plain stone col
umns having been cut by skilled car
verS and transformed into half Moor
ish designs of great beauty. The
small cellar gratings in front of each
door have been removed and wider
ones substituted and fine stone
thresholds have replaced the worn out
ones. Two windows will be put IN
the front. with an ornamental main
entrance. with Venetian iron hinges.
Handsome balconies at every floor
on the front will also lead into large
French windows. The vestibule will
be finished entirely in old oak with
lincrusta ceiling and frieZe in a most
charming manner. On the Blum
street front of the hotel all the win
dows will be enlarged, fitted with
venetian Gnside) blinds and large
French plate glass panes. The Ia
dies door, on this side will be highly
ornamental, stone archway of gem
erous dimensions, beautifully carved.
The writing rooms will replace the
present baggage room and elevator
place and these will be put on the
Crockett street front, where all noise
of handling baggage will be removed
far out of hearing of the guests in
their rooms.
On this, the first floor, will also be
located, in the rear of the present
beautiful garden in the courtyard,
looking on the BOnham street side, a
beautiful tennis and croquet
court. settees and shrubbery
for the ladies, children and
other guests. All the old buildings
now on this ground being torn away
for the purpose.
Adjoining on the south of the ten
mis- court, will be placed a refrigera-
ting plant with cold storage, and a
pantry, which will cost thousands of
dollars and be the finest, most COM
plete of anything Of its kind in the
south. The cold storage department
will consist of five apartments, to Gov
er a space of 80 by 40 feet, in each
of which cold dry air, 1900 cubic
feet, will be held for the preservation
of all provisions and fruits used in
the hotel. The refrigeratipfg plant
viii OCCUPY a>fs9sace 40 ~ IS feet,
and the ice plant win have capacity
of making two tons per day, with
double sets of machinery and engines
operated by electric power. The
pantry, on Blum street will have a
front of 20 feet, IA feet depth and will
consist of four rooms for pastry, sal
ads, ices, ETC., with the cooks pantry
and refrigerator separate, two rooms
where drawers and other compart-
ments for the various cold meats,
outlets. steaks, etc, can be Kept III
the dryest of cold air, and In the
| handiests most accessible manner.
One room alone, will be de-
voted to the reception of hsh
and oysters. This extensive re-
frigerator and pantry will be under
the exclusive charge of the steward
of the hotel. 1t will be completed
within sixty days of this date.
The guests when they enter either
by the front on the plaza or from
Blum street will proceed up grand
staircase, with the richest of carved
newels and balustrades to the floors
above.
Here every wall inside is now be-
ing scraped down clear to the stone
and entirely new finish of hard plaster
will be put on. Entire rooms have
been torn away, to make them en-
suite and where there were formerly
four small rooms, when completed
there will be but two in the suite, large
and comfortable, light and airy in
summer cosy and warm in winter
with steam heat and hot
and cold water lavatOries
and bath rooms and clothes
closets in each suite. The baths will
= be elegant porcelain lined, and trim
med in full nickle plate throughout
:, Solid walnut furniture in each room
Velvet carpets and rich curtains viii
complete the oriental splendor of the
= rooms and everything the most ev
e acting guest can expect in a thor
= oughly modern tourist hotel will b,
= supplied. 1t will be hotel of which
g San Antonio and the entire state o
e Texas may be proud, as none bette
will be found anywere in the mazes o
:, tourist travel.