Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-07-04

ter construction, should be erected over the
mansion. house: and they also prepared draw
ing or plan Of new roof, such as they ,hougn'
most excellent Tor security, duration, and orna,
ment In forming this plan, they eonsui'ea
tile most celebrated authors In ppeien. aha
modern architecture, and brought fn'o ihri,
design the most approved parts, se'ee'eo
from the models before them; and nnai-
ly endeavored TO proportion the whole 10
the size of the building, and the strength of the
walls.
This proposal Of new roof, it may well be
imagined, became the principal subject Of con-
yersalion in the family, and the opinions Of II
were various, according to the Judgment, liz
terests, or ignorance Of the disou ants.
On certain day The servants OF the iami'
~ had assembled in the great hall to discuss
the important question. Amongst these was
JAMES, the arc Infect, who had been one OF me
surveyors of The old roof, and had principal
hand in forming the plan oil the new one a
great number Of tenants had also gathered out
If doors. and crowded the windows and ave-
nues to the hall, which were left open tor them,
tina, they might hear the arguments Tor ana
agains, the new roof
Now, there was an old woman, known by the
! name of Margery the mid,oIe, who had hot
| comfortable apartment In the mansion house
This wom,u was Of an intriguing spirit, OF
restless and inye,era,c temper, fond OF tattie,
and a great mischief maker. In this situation,
and with these talents, she una, oidaOiy acquIr-
ed an influence in the family; by the exercise oil
which, according to her natural propensity,
! she had long Kept the house IL confusion, ana
sown discord and discomfort amongst The SER
wants
MAReERY was, for many reasons, an irrecon-
cilabie enemy 10 the new roof, and the arehi'
,ec,s who had contrved it. Amongst these,
two reasons were very obvioss. FIRST: me
mantle piece, on which her cups and piaters
we're placed was made OF portion oil the
great cornice; and she boiled her pot with the
shingles that blew off from the defective ROOT:
and, secondly, it SO happened that, IN the con
struction Of The new roof her apartment wouio
be considerably lessrned.
No sooner, therefore, did she hear oil the
plan proposed by the architects, but she put on
! her old red cloak, and was day and nigh
trudgine amongst The servants and crying out
against The new roof and The trainers thereof
Amongst these she had selected Wifiam, Jack
and Robert, three Of the ser, ants, and insiigai-
ed them 10 oppose the plan recommend.
ed. She caused Them to be sen, to the
great hall on the day Of debate, and furnished
them with innumerable alarms ant. fears, cum
ming arguments, and spcclous obJeo lions.
Now, the princip argumen, and objections
with which imagery had instructed William,
Jack, and Rober., were these.
| LIST That the architects had not exhibited
bill of scanlings for the new roof, al they
ough, TO have done, and therefore, the carpen-
tiers, under the pretence Of pro, id,ng timber
for il might Law waste whole forests, 10 the
rnin of the farm----
2iIy That noprovlsion was made lis the plan
for trap doort for the servants 10 pass thro'
with water, if the Kinney should take Ere and
that in case Of such an accident ii might here
after be deemed penal TO break hole IN the
roof, for access, to save the whole building
| from d. ,:ructipn.
3dIy That this roof was to be guarded by
batrementst which in stormy seasons, would
prove dangerous to The family, as the bricks
might b. blown down and fall on their he ads.
Ably II was observed, thai tn. Old roof was
ornamented with iwrlve pedestas," ranged a,
lona thu ridge, wich had been objects OF uni-
| versa admiration. Whereas, according o the
new plan, the pedrstals were only 10 be plac-
| ed along the ewes Of the roof over the wall As
TO the cupola, some Of the directors saidi was
100 heavy, and would prove dangerous bur.
den to the building; whilst others insisted that
II was ton light. and would certainly be- blown
away bv the wind
5hly 1t was urged that the thirteen rafers
would be SO strongly Draced together, tha, the
individual and separate strength Of each rafier
would be lost in the compound and united
strength of the whole;t and so this roof nigh;
be considered as one soil mass Of timber, and
not as composed of distinct rafters like the
old roof.
Silly That according to the proposed plan,
the several parts Of the roof were so framed as
TO mutually strengthen and support each other;
and therefore,, there was grea, reason TO fear,
that the whole might stand Independent Of The
walls; and, that in time the walls nigh. mould
er away, aud the roof remain suspended in the
air, threatening destruction TO all who should
come under it
To these objections. JAMES, The architect, in
substance replied
LIST AS to the want Of bill, Of scantling, he
observed, that If the timber for the roof was
TO be purchased from stranger, it would have
been quite proper to have such q bill, lest the
stranger should charge in account more than