Lined with deals as a preventive against dampness.
The iron rafters were wrought at Lodelinsart, near Charleroi, Belgium;
they weigh 400 tons, and cost laid down 1-1/2 cent per lb.
The basement and the ceiling of the first flat are vaulted over. The
refectory takes up a whole wing of the first story. The masonry of the
upper corridors rests on eighteen cast iron columns, weighing 3,000
lbs. each. The ceiling of the refectory is exceedingly strong and
handsome; every story, in fact, is vaulted from top to bottom.
A corridor eight feet wide and two hundred and sixty-five feet long,
intersects the centre of each story. All the vestibules, corridors and
passages are paved with ceramic square blocks brought from Belgium.
The most notable part of the structure is the main staircase, entirely
of iron and stone; it contains 120 steps 8 feet long, 16 feet broad, 5
inches high, each step hewn out of a single block. The iron material
weighs about 37,000 lbs. There is also another flight of steps made of
iron. A hydraulic elevator in the centre of the building will provide
an easy access to every story.
The roofed galleries, eight feet wide, attached to each story on the
front, present promenades and views unrivaled in the city looking
towards Levi and the Island of Orleans.
