ST. PATERICK’S COLLEGE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 7490, 30 May 1885, Page 3

ST. PATERICK’S COLLEGE.

One of the most prominent buildings in the city is St Patrick’s College, with its tower 85ft in height, and three frontages of 110 ft Cambridge-terrace and Tory-street, and 105 ft to Buckle-street, by a depth of 85ft. It is a three-story brick building in the Gothic style of architecture. Mr Thomas Turnbull, the architect, and Messrs Murdoch and Rose, the builders, have planned and executed the work in a manner which reflects great credit upon them. As a description of the building has already been publishedin the Times, it will not be necessary to go into details, but a few more particulars will doubtless prove interesting. There were 750,000 bricks used in the construction of the building, 700 casks of Portland cement, 80,000 ft to 90,000 ft of timber, and 8 tons of corrugated iron. All the work is now nearly finked, and yesterday, as Father Devoy was courteously showing our reporter over the building, the painters were giving the last touches to the desks, and Mr Sislop was fixing an eight-day French gong clock in the passage, justoppositethehalldoor. Thefurnishing is not yet complete, a lot of furniture being expected by the R.M.S. Tongariro. The instruments for the science class-room will probably arrive about the same time. There ia an excellent nucleus for a library, the late Father O’Reilly, so well known to a generation of Wellington people, and so much respected by all creeds and classes, having left some thousands of volumes for the College. The class rooms, four in number, are on the second story, and each is capable of accommodating two to three dozen pupils. The study, which is a very fine room, will be on the ground floor, with a rostrum at one end for the Pro* feet, and will at present have twenty desks ranged in rows, but a great many more can be placed there whenever the necessity arises. There are two large dormitories, on the second and third stories, corresponding in size with the study, and each capable of holding 40 to 60 beds. Bath-rooms and lavatories are attached to each, with hot and cold water, which ia supr plied all over the building from a 7£t Leamington range (Flavell and Co.’s) in the kitchen. There are 24 basins in one lavatory and 12 in the other, with towel racks and all other conveniences. At the end of each dormitory a small bedroom has been partitioned off for tlje Prefect, and on the outside of the partitions, close to the lavatories, there are sets of shelves, with sliding doors, for the boys' brushes and combs. There are eight bedrooms for the Professors on the thi>d story, where all of them will sleep except the President, whose bedroom is on the second story. They are all plainly but nicely furnished, anything in the shape of luxuries being avoided. There are 1 two parlors f<jr the boys and one for the Professors, Each has been nicely furnished, and will have a piano. The dining-room for the pupils is to have three rows of tables, and will comfortably seat 90 to 100 at one time. Tho Professors will have a comfortable dining-room for their own use. The kitchen is a large one, and there are two pantries and a scullery. Six servants, a gardener, and a boy for rough work, have been engaged, and rooms have been set apart for them upstairs, with a staircase close at hand conmiunicating With the kitchen. The ventilation and sanitary arrangements have been well looked after. Two large pipes are run up on the outside of the building, and any foul air arising from the drains or closets is discharged right bn the'top, or about 80ft to 90ft above the level of the ground floor. The principal drawback to the College is the want of sufficient playground, though, as the Basia Reserve is close at hand, it will not be'so much felt,' arid it 'is probable Arrangements will be made fop leasing or purchasing ft suitable piece of land. A large shed is being run up alongside the fence, where the boys will be able to play in the wet weather. The teaching staff ia rather small, but Bishop Redwood, who is at present in Europe, will probably bring out some more Professors with him when he returns to Wellington. The Marlat Fathers are to have charge of the College. The President will be the Rev Dr Waters, from the Catholic University, Ireland. The classical studies are to be conducted by the Rev Father Carolan, and mathematics and sciences will be taught by the Rev Father Goggan. The Procurator of the College (Rev Father Devoy) will have charge of all its temporal affairs, and his genial manners are likely to tide it over any little troubles which .jpay arise. A kitchen-garden is to be laid off on a plot of low-lying land near Cambridge-terrace, and tree-planting and other improvements are to be carried out. A chapel, 09 x 75 feet, is in course of erection at the Buckle-street entrance to the building; but for the present it will tend to spoil the appearance of the main building, rather than add to the general effect. It ia being built of timber, with a corrugated iron roof; but the structure will only bo a temporary one, and a concrete or brick building will probably take its place in a few years. The' panoramic view from the tower ia very beautiful. The Hutt and Petone are embraced in it, and our magnificent harbour is seen to great advantage. In‘time to come the City Council may arrange with the College authorities to have a .watchman -stationed on 1 , the tower, as every portion of the icity can be easily, seen from it- There are ejectricbeljs a)l oyer the building, Trcjm the "tbwefoqqm tp the kitchen, and each landing 'is provided with a h'qse. Tfierp is a goptj forpe of water, wfiich is conveyed alj oyer the building In twodnch pipes. The plumbing, bell-fitting, &c., has been done by Mr T. Ballinger, Willis-street. An eight-day clock ia to be fixed in the study by Mr Ludwig, who will also place an ordinary clock in the kitchen. The furnishfugs ayp nqf supplied by qny ope firm. Tfiere has been a general distribution of orders throughout the city, and in this connect t|on it is pleasing to note that creed has fiad very little consideration. Th o College wljl open with about twenty hoarders and twenty? five day pupils. It will become the centre for the Roman Catholicyoathof the whole Colony, aqd in a few years there will probably be as many hundreds of pupils in attendance as there will be scores on the opening day. Tho dedication and formal opening of the .College was to. fia.ye taken place to-morrow, but •in consequence of Bishop. Redwood’s absence in Europe, that ceremony, has been postponed for a few months. It will be open for pupils on Monday next. ,