DOCUMENTS. ( A.) To the Trustees for the Erection of the New State Hall. GENTLEMEN, I herewith enclose to you a brief description of the New State Hall, together with a perspective view and diagram of the same. The building is 138 feet long by 88 feet wide, and contains, in all, four stories: The basement story is 14 feet; the principal and second stories are each 22 feet; and the attic story 14 feet, including in these heights, the thickness of the floors and the arches which support them. The principal front faces to the west, and ranges with the east line of Eagle-street, as will appear by inspection of the plans herewith submitted. After removing the surplus earth, the trenches were piled in the best manner, and small stone were closely pounded down between the heads of the piles, forming a hard level surface to receive the large flat stone which forms the base course, and which is intended to sustain the weight of the superstructure which is to rest upon it. The base of the foundation is laid in two courses, each course being two feet high; the first is nine feet, and the second seven feet broad. The walls which enclose the basement are five feet thick, and are now finished to the required height for the reception of the cut stone. The longitudinal timbers, which are usually placed on the heads of the piles, have, in this instance, been omitted; experience having proved that their introduction is productive of more harm than good. The internal walls of the basement are three feet thick, and laid with hard burned bricks, and are nearly finished. The foundations are laid with building stone of the largest size that could be procured, and well bound together; and no materials have been used which are not of a durable quality. The walls of the superstructure, above the foundations, are to be laid of the best quality of hard burned bricks. The external walls, including the cut stone, are to be two feet eight inches, and the internal walls two feet four inches in thickness. The best kind of lime and sand mortar is to be used to cement the materials, and insure durability and strength to the edifice. [Senate No. 21.] Agreeably to a resolution of the Legislature, passed at the last session, the external walls are to be faced with hewn stone from Mount-Pleasant. The same materials will be used for the antæ, columns, entablatures and pediments. Each front is to be ornamented with twelve antæ, and each end with eight; and a colonnade, consisting of six Grecian Ionic columns, occupies the centre of the west front, facing the Park, and projects 12 feet from the front wall. The columns are to be four and a half feet in diameter at the base, and 38 feet long, surmounted with an appropriate entablature and pediment: the entablature will be continued round the entire building, being supported by the antæ before mentioned. The whole will be understood by inspecting the perspective view herewith submitted. These ante are not introduced for ornament merely, but for the purpose of adding strength to the walls, by increasing their thickness, at the several points which receive the greatest pressure from the internal arches which support the floors of the different stories. The steps and platforms are to be constructed of marble, and those to the north and south doors will require railings of iron; the front steps will occupy seventy feet, and require no railings. The two flights of stairs inside will be constructed of marble or iron, whichever is deemed the most economical, and at the same time the more durable; the railings, in either case, to be of iron. The roof will be constructed of durable timber and plank, and covered with sheet copper. The dome, which is moderately elevated, will also be covered with sheet copper, that part excepted which will be necessarily occupied by the sash through which the light passes to the rotunda. The attic story is surmounted by a plain parapet, slightly ele vated at the centre of each front, which will partially conceal the roof. The basement story will contain six rooms of 22 by 33 feet; two dark rooms of the same dimensions, for store rooms; two halls of 22 by 33 feet, one of which will be occupied by the stair-cases; two halls of 10 by 45 feet; and an area, under the rotunda, of 33 feet diameter. The principal story will contain eight rooms of 22 by 33 feet; two small rooms of 13 by 22 feet; one hall of 22 by 33 feet, which will be at the principal entrance, and be occupied by the principal stair-cases; two halls of 10 by 45 feet; and the rotunda, which is 33 feet diameter. The second story contains nine rooms of 22 by 33 feet; one hall of 22 by 33 feet, occupied by the stair-cases; two halls of 10 by 45 feet; and the rotunda, which occupies the same space in each story, of 33 feet diameter. The attic story contains nine rooms of 22 by 33 feet; one hall of 22 by 33 feet, occupied by stair-cases; two halls, communicating with the several rooms, of 10 by 45 feet; and the rotunda, of 33 feet diameter. The ceiling of the basement story will be 12 feet; the principal and second stories, each 20 feet; and the attic story, 14 feet in the clear. The ceilings of the basement, principal and second storics, are to be arched with bricks; that of the attic will be a flat ceiling, lathed and plastered. The floors are to be laid with marble flag; or if brick tile shall be deemed more suitable, they will be adopted, except in the ro tunda and halls. The floors are to be supported by the arched ceilings mentioned above. The estrade, or gallery floors, in the rotunda, will be supported by stone columns, eight in number in each story, except the basement, and be enclosed with iron railings, and serve as the medium of communication from one part of the building to the other. There are three entrances to the basement, one at each of the east, north and south sides, into the halls. The basement will be entirely above ground on the east side, affording four rooms, which may be appropriated to the use of the family of the person having charge of the building, or such other purposes as the public interests may require. The west entrance to the principal story, is into the large hall which contains the stair-cases: A door at the east end of this hall, leads into the rotunda, thence into the small halls communicating with the rooms. The north and south entrances into this story, lead into the long halls which communicate directly with the side ranges of rooms, and also with the rotunda, rendering the communications to every part of the interior as easy and commodious as can be desired. It is deemed advisable, in order to strengthen the exterior walls, and guard against the outward thrust of the arches which support the floors, to throw in long iron anchors below the marble of each floor, at those points where the pressure of each arch will be greatest. The side walls and ceilings of the interior are to be plastered with three coats of the best plastering mortar. Most of the ceilings are to be arched. No cornicing will be required, except at or near the skylight in the rotunda. From the durable and incombustible nature of the materials to be used in the construction of this building, it will be rendered not inferior to any other in the country in point of safety; the only materials which would be in the least danger from fire, being the trifling amount used in constructing the doors and windows. Albany, January 17, 1835. H. RECTOR. (B.) STATEMENT of all the Expenditures which have been made for Building the New State Hall. Amount expended from April 28, to Sept. 27, 1834: For 2,503 cubic yards of stone, Building piling machine, lime-house, office, and $4,205 97 35 01 95 32 Drawing stone and clay, 1,275 61 Laborers for excavating lots and drawing stone,. 2,057 17 Amount expended from Sept. 27, to Dec. 14, 1834. Sand,.. Lumber, 632 80 386 41 280 24 2,600 09 $14 00 4,209 85 4,223 85 821 78 632 19 169 68 64 63 102 72 3,792 81 Iron work for piling machine and anchors, Masons, carpenters and laborers,.. Insurance on materials, and various other small expenditures, 123 72 $21,500 00 This sum includes materials now on hand valued at $4,990. JONATHAN LYMAN, Superintendent. (C.) ESTIMATE of the whole Expense of Erecting the New State Hall. Amount already expended for excavation, and in laying foundation, ... For materials on hand, ....... $16,510 00 4,990 00 $21,500 00 1,080 perches of stone wall to finish the 419,406 bricks required to finish the 3,572,935 bricks for walls above the basement story, including other ne 2,700 00 3,564 95 6,264 95 cessary materials & labor, at 68s. 30,369 94 Expense of setting the cut stone, exclu sive of that required in the colon nade, ... 4,243 00 1,171 50 ..... 4,000 00 1,059 00 1,600 00 Rigging gins and cordage, and fixtures 5,984 cubic feet of timber for roof and upper tier of beams, .. .... Framing roof and beam timbers,...... 120 squares of coppered roof, planking roof, 500 00 4,920 00 120 66 540 00 450 feet of gutter, 270 00 480 feet of conductor, 144 00 500 feet of parapet, 500 00 7,721 60 Finishing of doors and windows, in cluding materials, 5,604 00 Centres for turning the arches for floors, 1,600 00 20,052 feet of marble flag for floors,.. 4,010 00 6,684 brick or flag stone paving in the basement, Carried forward, 835 50 |