The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-07-28

confess that doubts occurred TO US whether
any fixture upon the dome can be SO arranged
as 10 sustain its specific gravity. Admitting,
however, that the dome is sufficiently strong
for this purpose; is there no doubt whether SO
heavy piece of wood (having once swerved,
from any cause, from It's peIpendicularity) can
be prevented from falling. by any braces that
can be applied, under existing circumstances.
II will be borne 10 mind that the timber is
ninety two feet long, and that lantern, weigh
ing perhaps half ton, is 10 be fixed on the
upper end. The mast itself is, we would sup
pose. twelve or fourteen inches in diameter,
presenting in It's whole length eighty-or ninety
feet Of surface TO the wind ; and we imagine
that the huge lantern viii present surface Of
very considerable extent. Now we will sup
pose that an old fashioned northwestern" Gas
il is caled) should come along, as frequently
occurs, particularly in the month of March.
and what would be the consequence We
may be told that the side braces passing from
The lantern or top Of the mast TO the dome,
will resist the pressure. We Doubt, In the
first place, the angle at which the brace would
draw would be mol more than forty degrees
the entire diameter of the rotuuda being only
one hundred feet, or ihereabout. The leverage,
including the lantern, will be about ninety feet
acting on fulcrum at the lower end, inside o
the sash Of the dome. To resist the power Of
this vast lever, we shall have braces connected
at the lower end with the roof of the dome
or, if you please, with the masonry lower
down. The reader will bear in mind that the
braces cannot act at right angles TO the lever
the action being oblique, say at an angle Of
40 degrees instead Of 80 degrees. Now let us
advert TO the strength Of the dome, which must
Of necessity be comparatively small, inasmuch
as the great desideratum in its construction was
to make it as light as possible. Under such
circumstances, is it TO be presumed that the
roofing of the dome will be sufficiently strong
10 resist the upward traction of the braces
We think not Suppose, then, that recourse
be had to the masonry below: What power
is there to keep this masonry in place, Other
than its own specific gravity? None, that we
know Of. Is the weight, then. Of the masonry
to which the braces will be attached, a suffi
Gent couner-agent, unless connections b
formed with the lower part Of the building
We think not.
1t must not be imagined that we are 10 the
slightest degree opposed TO Mr.. Cru,chet'.
scheme. On the contrary, he has our very bes
wishes for success; and no one will rejoc,
more than we at seeing him succeed. "Giv'
us bur light" is our motto-physically, intel
lectually, and morally; but the fears here sug
gestcd occurred to us, and, as in duty bound
we have expressed them. Should the thing
succeed, il will be magnificent affair; bu
should our misgivings prove well founded, the
way that there stick, lantern and all, will com,
down, some day, will be a caution to travel
lcrs. As man said to US the other day
81 It's bound to make hole somewhere" an
g. stand from UNDER" will be the word Their
is one good thing about IL: Ii the roof Of tn
dome should be destroyed, there.will be goo
job for some honest fellows, and long on
! !. ~.