The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-06

Murphysboro, described in headlines as
Illinois gifted poetess" who wakes
enthusiastic and says: The West Ba-
den Springs evidently have the great
est reputation of any medicinal springs
on the face of the globe. They are
especially adapted to stomach and liver
ailments, at the same time being
permanent cure for numerous other
complaints" On the subject of the big
hosiery she rhapsodies thus:
THE hotel is fully entitled to more
than ordinary notice. inasmueh as it
is a marvel of architectural splendor
and is without doubt the most unique
hotel In the world. AS regards modern
conVen1enceS, it is complete in every
detail and is absolutely f1reproof 1t is
conducted upon both the American and
european plans, and it is needless to
say that the service in every way is
all that could be desired Grandeur.
elegance and patriotism are manifest
throughout ali the spacious apartments.
The halls and stairways are grand and
imposing, and the spacious parlors
(thirty in number) are sumptuously
furnished in rich tapestry and Oriental
hangings."
Purists may laugh at the claim made
in the advertisements and re-eachoed
by the gifted poetess that this is the
most unique" hotel, but all who have
seen it agree that it is a marvel. On
the site of the great structure stood
for many years a rambling frame build
ing which had grown from small orig
1nal dimensions by the addition of vari-
Gus long LIS" until it finally contained
400 rooms. The hotel burned to the
ground on June IA, 1901, and Mr.. Sin
clair Immediately set to work to con-
struct the hotel described in the local
paper as "the eighth wonder Of the
Ing Woo fY0r &I,1
fire he was able to move into his own
quarters, and on Sept. Is last the doors
were thrown open for patrons. While
the building is not yet fully completed
according to the plans, it is practically
SO, and the business in the first sum-.
mer season is exceeding all expecta-
lions.
Marvel of Building.
The claims made in connection with
the building are decidedly interesting.
and give them as I got them, with
out attempting to verify them:
There are $4,000 square feet of thing
in the dome.
The building contains 5000 closets.
of which 1920 are clothes and linen
closets.
The glass in the dome if laid end
to end would make walk sixteen
inches wide and two and three-quarter
miles long
There is more glass in the building
than in any building in the world, not
even excepting the famous Crystal pal
ace in London
The dimensions of the dining room
and the ball room are each eighty-four
by ninetyfour feet. The ceiling of the
dining room Is more than twenty feet
from the floor.
The hotel contains 708 rooms, each
OF which is provided with a bath, lava
tory, clothes closet, steam heat, electric
lights, hot and cold water and tele-
phone.
The floor space In the hotel, includ-
ing the atrium, Is fifteen acres. The
2S7,720 square feet, while that of the
atrium Is 62,S32 square feet. The air
space In the atrium is 2,730,O0O cubic
feet.
The hub of the dome is ten feet long
and sixteen feet in diameter and weighs
eight and one-half tons. Each of the
twenty-four steel ribs which stretch
from the hub to the walls weighs four
and one-half tons. The total amount
OF steel In the dome is 120B tons. The
ribs rest on rollers on top of the sup
porting columns, thus providing for the
expansion and contraction of the metal.
The outside of the hotel building
measures 1,010 feet. The atrium has a
circumference of 500 feet and a diam
eter of 200 feet. The only other build
ing in the world having a large dome
constructed of steel Is the capitol at
Washington. 1t Is only 1913 feet in d.
ameter, however. and therefore much
smaller than the dome OF West Ba-
den. The great dome at st. Peters