The Washington herald., 1909-08-08

bridge over the tracts with entrances
10 the streets on its main axes and on
all four sides In this respect this build
Ing is unique among the railway stations
OF the world, afrording the mayi-.
amount Of entrance and exit facilities.
The Seventh avenue facade is composed
principally Of a Roman Doric colonnade
| double at the carriage entrances at the
street ends and at the main front en-
trance for pedestrians in the center. each
OF the columns being 4 feet inches in
diameter and % feet high Above the
central colonnade Is an entablature. sur
mounted by a clock with a dial Z feet IN
J diameter. The center OF this clock IS on
the aXial line OF Thirty second street and
81 feet above the sidewalk
This Seventh avenue facade was con-
ceived especially 10 express in largest
possible fashion a monumental gateway.
II may be compared IN greatly magnI-
| fed manner to the Brandenburg Gate in
Berlin. through which passes so much OF
the traffic OF that city.
building Seventy-SiN Feet High.
/ The main body OF the building approx
mates In height the Bourse Of Paris.
! reaching 76 feet above the street level.
With entrances through each OF the two
| corners Of the station on Seventh avenue
there are carriage drives. each about So
feet wide or the width Of n standard
New York city street, fronted by double
columns and pediments. The frontage on
Thirty-first and Thirty-third streets are
/ similar The walls OF the exterior Of the
carriage drives are Of plaster treatment
for a distance Of some 27g feet
Midway along the sides OF the building.
marking the entrances on Thirty-frst
and Thirty-third streets. are series or
columns Of the same dimensions as those
on the Seventh and Eighth avenue IA
cade, for a distance Of III feet Above
these colonnades are sculptured Eroups
supporting large ornamental clocks For
ll6 feet beyond there are interrupted col
onnades, after which the walls are OF
plaster treatment to Eighth avenue. with
the exception OF 45-fooJ colOnnades mark
Ing entrances TO the concourse.
Waiting Room Chief Feature.
one Of the distinctive features OF this
building Is the waiting room. which ex-
tends from Thirty-first to Thirty-third
streets. its walls parallel 10 Seventh and
Eighth avenues, for distance Of 314 feet
4 inches The height OF this room is $50
walls Of the waiting room above the
main body Of the building contain on
each side three semi-circular windows OF
a radius Of 80 feet inches and 66 feet
s inches wide at the base. There Is also
a window Of Ike size at each end Of
the waiting room.
The dignifed design OF the interior Of
the general waiting room, while fully
adapted TO modern ideas. was suggested
by the great halls and basiIicas of Rome.
such as the baths Of Caracala. Titus.
and Diocletian and the basilica Of Con
stantine. which are perhaps the greatest
examples in history OF large roofed-in
areas treated in a monumental manner
While the facades OF the station were
intended to suggest the imposing char
acter Of these ancient Roman TEMPLES
and baths, the impression intended 10
be made upon the layman approaching
the station, IN full view OF the exterior
Of the general waiting room with its
huge. semi-circular windows. IS that OF
one Of the leading railway stations of
the world.