TOWN IMPROVEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3247, 3 July 1872, Page 2

TOWN IMPROVEMENTS.

The building situate at tho corner of Princes, Stafford, and Manse streets, and once forming part of the Provincial Hotel, is no longer to stand a monument of desolation in the heart of the town. After having been closed for nearly a couple of years, and after many unavailing attempts have been made to have it licensed as a hotel, ifc is now to be opened as a grocery.

Mr James Gebbie, junior, who has leased the old Botanic Gardens reserve from the Corporation, under an arrange-' ment by which, while he is to improve it, the public are free to walk in it, has already commenced active operations to make the ground profitable to himself, and attractive to the citizens. The removal of the brush and scrub in done under the supervision of the Town Belt Hanger, and only dead wood and such scrub a3 will bo neither useful nor ornamental will be removed. The spaces between the native trees and shrubs now growing will be planted with acclimatised trees and shrubs of viirious sorts. Mr Gebbie is under agreement to put in 100-varieties, but intends to put in a much larger number. These trees are to be left in the ground at tho expiration of tho lease. The only part of it that he intends to xt&o as a nur- j

scry is a border of ifttmt v twenfcjr foot in width, along St. David and Leith. sheets. Willows tiro to bo planfc&d along tho edge of tho stream so as to protect the bank Tlioro will bo walks all round the ground, with a border of flowers on each side, and there are to bo flowerbeds in vanous parts. In the corner near tho quarry, rock plants will b& trained over the stones. A path will also be made to tho hill top so as to allowthose taking recreation to obtain a view of the gardens immediately below, and of the city, with less effort than at the present time. Mr Gebbio only pays a nominal tent to the Corporation for thft firat year, but Ls afterwards to pay £20* per annum, and besides intends to gravel all the paths by noxt spring »t his own cost. Ho is confident, however, of the sppport of the public, ius his aim is tomake n place of recreation which is central attractive also, and he hopes to at least nir.'ie up his rent from the sale of bouquets. The old Cemetery, the dilapidated condition of which has called forth frequent expressions of regret, will soon present a very much improved appearance. The long grass, strangling weeds, and other evidences of neglect, arc to Iks replaced by choice flowers, plants, and shrubs, and tastefully laid out and neatly kept walks. Tho fencing around the graves, where necessary, will bo repaired, and the headstones re-painted and ra-lettercd. These, improvements, which are to be effected without expense either to the Provincial Government or City Corporation, will be carried out by Sir Hume, the Superintendent of tho Lunatic Asylum, tho charge of tho Cemetery having beers handed over to that gentleman by tho Government. Should these improvements resemble, in any degree, tho artistically arranged grounds that partly surround the Asylum, Mr Hume will have » cause to feel proud of his new under- < taking. Messrs Black and Thomson's timber * yard has resumed tho appearance which ■ it had before the late fire there. The 5 satv-milling machinery, which is on a large ■ scale, having been somewhat injured by I the fire, was taken to pieces, and received 3 a thorough overhaul, and work is now I carried on as actively as ever. t A malt-house and kiln, about to be r erected by Mr .Tool, of the Tied Lion c Brewery, are among the many require- - ments caused by tho development of local t industries in our midst. The building is - to be two storeys high, of Milestone ' masonry, and roofed with sl.ite. ft is to ' extend from Groat King street to a depth i of about 115 feet. The ground floor is to i contain a malting floor 00ft by :50ft, with 3 Htcep and other conveniences, and a space r 21ft square for tho kiln furnace. The ) floor of the malting house is to bo of Port--1 land cement concrete, and tho walls arc - to be cemented all round to a height of 12 inches above the floor. The steep is to be - of brick, cemented both inside and outr side. The windows of tho malting-houBC 0 are to bo fitted with wire-netting, ro as - admit tho air, and will also bo protected 15 by shutters. On tho upper iloor is to bo t tlio store, !>oft x 30ft, and, over tho fur--1 nace, the kiln, which is to be 2] ft x 21ft. / The kiln floor is to be of small iron rods, ,' closely bound together with wire, and r resting on three-quartor inch rods, nine r inches apart, tho latter being supported - on iron girdora about iift Oin apart. Tho - architect for tho building is Mr Ross, and - the contractor Mr H. C. M'Comaack, and - it in anticipated that it will bw finished in - three or four months. Mr Joel has also 1 made several additions to and improve- - ments in his brewery. The establishment . is calculated to turn out 15,000 bushels of a mult pur year. tuf, I'KiK.Nm.Y sociktiks' uxia.. 'I The Friendly Societies' Mall Co. have, * with a view to economy, departed from their 13 first accepted plans for the building f>f the 1 hall. Two other designs worn subsequently a sent in, and one of those—that of Mr li .1. * Sanders, architect, who had prepared the 1 design first agreed upon—was accepted. R The'contract for the works, according to M*- ,' .Sanders's hitter design, has boon taken up I by Mr -James f»oro, and the building i« to be completed within four monthti. According to tho plan now being cut ictl fl out, the front part of the building on the ' ground floor will be taken up with two 0 shops, the pit entrance, and the stalls aud 6 gallery entrances; and behind these, the vestibule; and, on the upper floor, the lodge-room and committee-room, ami the ladies' retiring room—which last pertains to the gallery of tho Hall. Then: are to be two shops, each with a frontage of I Oft. Gin., depth of IWft,, and lift, in height. They will bo entered by doors from tho street, and also from the vestibule passages. .Separate entrances —one for the pit, and another for tho stalls and gallery—are to lend from the street into the vettibule. This is to be situate at tho rear of the shops, and to bcUOft. by Ittffc., and llffe. in height, and will bo divided into one aide for the pit, and the other for gallery, and stalls, if it is thought desirable to do so. The vestibule can also be used for the sale of refreshments. The plan, however, provides for doors from the vestibule entrances into the shops, and refreshments will no doubt be obtainable in these shops. No intoxicating liquor i« to be Hold on the Hall premises. A staircase, five feet wide at tho bottom, and afterwards widening to ten feet, will lead from near the stalls door in the vestibule to tho upper floor. The gallery of thy hall, the ladies' retiring room, tho committee-room, and the lodge-room, arc to bo approached by it. The lodge* room is to be 3'2ft by 42ft, and lGft high. The committee-room adjoining will have its own entrance from the landing, and is to be 22ft long and 15ft 6rn wide, and of the same height as the lodge-room. We now come to tho Hall proper or Theatre. From end to end—from the pit door to tho back of the stage —ifc is to measure 92ffc. Gin., and will be 54ft. Gin. wide m the clear. The hall from floor to ceiling , is to be 32ft., and the roof will be spanned with a king-post truss and principals. The hall v.ili be lighted, from the roof, so that public meetings or entertainments can be held in ifc (luring the day. The pit is to be 42ft. deep, and the width of the hall. The stalls are to be ltffc. 6in. deep, extending the width of the liall also. From the back of the orchestra to the stage will be 4ft. The gallery 'will extend around the house in tho form of a horseshoe curve, and tho tiers of Beats in it arc to be disposed to suit that crve. Tfoorc will be on each side a private box in the- corner near the Kt;<ge. The jrit will have a good slope in the floor, and the slope in the gallery will be considerable. The only tiling that Appears to bo likely to obstruct the \vow of the stage will be some iron columns supporting the gallery and that run from floor to roof. With seats in tho stalls and pit having tho space of 2ft. 3hi. from the back of ono seat to the back of tho next, and a liittiug room of I Sin. to each indivl* dual, ftu-l with seats in the gallery 2ft. Cm. from back to back, and a like sit! ing room per individual, the calculated capacity of the hall is—pit, S7G; stalls, 218; gallery, 400; total, I I'&L hi the stalls and pit, and especially in the gallery, ample provision is to be ma«le for passages between the seats, and "by additional seats, for which there is amplo room, the hall will be made to neat Ji2>& comfortably. Thtt stago will be 30ft. in depth, and is te> be the width of the hall, 54ft. Gin. Tho proscenium is to be 24ffc. wide, over 4ft. above the level of the stalls floor, and 17ft. in height. The space directly over the prosconium will be left for the display of scenery, and to give room for the working ©f stag** machinery; but: on tho space on each sow.

there will bo actors', aefcresaesj', carpenters', »vl properly rooms, communicating by stfint with the st*,ge. Under the etoge is to be a room 7ft- high, for use in connection with ifc.

From the proj^rtions of the building ifc is presumed that it will have good *t»iuitw properties!, and tlie provision to be made for ventilation ia eowridercd sufficient.

With regard to accommodation, there is to 1h; a 1.-vhf.V retiring room off the gallery, 22ffc. by !Oft. The dimensions of the vestibule -JJOft. by :j2ft.--areHpacimi(t. Theiiuors by which th»j atj'lifi»:o are to liav« entrance -and exit will "iit-ii outward*. There is also a yard by whi-:h performers can enter behind the: "W:ik-3 ; and access can be had by pos<sa»KJi from tho stage to all parts of the Ijohw. Mr ll:uiiirt^;in having arrang'.-d with t'tio Cornprmy to j£*vc Ui«m ft jx/riion of the grr>u;id :.t tl'it back of his [iremiW, tbuy v,iii lhiifl b<- alil'j to innke the ball wi>!',r than v;.m ?.l unit pryp«««d, and afifo U> haw a 3'ard. The- Company intend putting t;w f,ii- Mr Ilannagau a building on ' the grotu.'t adJMiiing thtir own, and with a if on tape »f M'Jt, having a depth of 42ft, and including shop, work rooms, and dwelling rooms. A roaJJy ?™«1 .".ml roomy building in tho •City, in addition to the 'i'heatre, for public meetings,.and <Mp<.-«iaHy for amateur perfor* niat»r;«;B, in a much kdt want. Wehopetke ball will supply thw, and wish the Company ovary succim*.