The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-31


LIGHT HOUSE, to be erected on blackstone q
Island the Potomac river, la conformity with a
plan which can be at this office, and The an
nexed specifications with the addition OF a second
story OF nine feet in the clear, with fireplace,
chimney, and fue, as described in specifications,
and 10 &c finished in all respects as first story ex
cepting that OF substituting window for door.
Specifications for a Lighthouse and Keepers
D,celliag ccnjoiat, TO be erected at Black
istone's Island, on the Potomac ricer.
The building is to be thirty eight by twenty feet
on the outside The exterior walls ofthe house are
to be constructed OF hard brick, and the interior
walls and walls of the tower Of hard brick, all
laid in the best hydraulic cement mortar. Under
the whole house ia cellar six feet deep in the
clear, under the flooring joist OF entrance story
floor.
The cellar exterior walls and the exterior walls
of the building are to be fourteen inches tbck, Ga
brick and half.) The cellar floor Is TO be paved
with best quality hard paving brick. Doorway to
enter cellar from the outside OF the building, with
steps to go down, stone curb around IT, and bulk
head over 1t to protect it against storms, &c.
There will be two windows, of six lights each, by
10 glass, in the cellar. The walls of the house
TO be carried up 6 feet above the top of entrance
story floor, when the flooring tnbers of the attic
flooring will be laid on, then carried up three feet
to the plates where it will receive the rafters.
Chimneys at each end, one Of which to have a hire
place, The other hearth and tiue, with proper
tunnel pipe for q cooking stove in the entrance
story; one fireplace IN one attic chamber, and a
funnel pipe for stove in the otber.
The entrance story ID divided into two rooms,
with entrance vestibule, stairway, Sc, of eight
feet between them The stairs lead from the en-
trance ves.ibnfe 10 the attic and lantern; and un
der them are the stairs leading from the kitchen TO
the cellar The space bach Of the stairway is di
vided into two closets, one opening to each room,
aud to be finished with shelves and other necessary
conveniences The attic is divided into two cbanf-
bcrs, with the tower and stairway between them.
In tnf he Atari, ia ri
and in rear two recesses, one opening into each
chamber.
All the ioiss 10 be of southern pine of good quail
ity. The lower flooring joists are to be by s
inches, Is inches apart, and doubled as trimmers,
and trimming joist the sides OF the hearhs
and other openings, the joists Of the upper floor
same sizey placed 10 inches from centre TO centre.
The ridge of the roof to receive stie upper end of
the rafters is to be truss Off by inches timber,
of sufficient depth and strength TO support the roof
The roof ia to be rectangular, and have one third
pitch; the rafters arc to be BY 9 inches, feet
apart, resting on the plates and ridge, covered
with good seasoned inch boards, milled, jo1nted,
and matched, and well nailed on. IL is 10 be COY
cred with the best quality of Ladies' states. laid
onethird OF inch less than one third their length
to the weather, nailed on and occurred to the board
ing by the best copper composition nails Tor the
purpose In the centre of the building is TO be
circular tower, feet in diameter on the inside,
built a proper foundation, % inches wide and
feet deep below cellar floor, and up to feet above
stone coping of one foot rise and and ten inches
projection, of proper width. Its walls are TO
be Connected with the outer walls by brick par
tition wall 9 inches thick. In the walls Will be
proper openings for doorways, &C., and for one
window in front above the roof Of lights, by IL
inches. The openings will have to be secured by
arches turned over them, and extra security given
to the walls by the insertion of nail plate in the
joints Of the masonry proper intervals and places
The upper end of the tower, forming deck for the
lantern to rest upon, is to be a,ched over leaving
proper size opening for scuttle TO enter the lam
tern. The arch is to be domical arch ot twenty
inches rise, it's thrust to be fully counteracted by
iron bar hoop inches square, let into the brick
work at a proper height. The arch is to be 3
inches thick at the crown, and the decks to have
pitch of inches from the centre down to the front
edged of the coping or cornice Of the tower. Tine
deck is TO be covered with 20 ounce copper sheath
ing laid on proper surface, prepared by covering
the brick work with boarding inch thick, nailed
to tmbers let into the brick work of the tower and
secured TO if; this boarding to be covered with
shcaihing paper, thoroughly saturated with and
laid down in tar. On this the copper sheathing is
to be secured in a thorough manner with copper or
composition nails and also to the front edge OF the
stone coping in the most efficient manner. The
scutle door to be covered with copper sheathipg,
and made tight and secure.
The tower and chimneys will be collared with
lead, and properly secured with lead or zinc FASH
ings. There will be three windows in each room
OF the entrance story, and one in each OF the cham
bers, IL lights each, of by II cylinder glass. The
outside door in front will be feet inches by Z
feet inches, rs inch flick -four pnneis and two
freze lights; the outside door OF porch feet .
inches by feet inch thick, four panels. In tho
entrance story are inside doors, feet inches by
feet inch thick four panels. In the attic story
are doors, feet by feet inches, inch thick,
four panels; and to closet, feet inches wide,
and as high roof will admit. On the front door
will be lock, and on all the doors good hinges,
latches, bolts, and fastenings.
The stairway and cross walls above the cellar are
f,,h MIA he liz nil fhe pf 10
building above the cellar, together with the porch,
is to be furred, lathed and plasered, and finished
in decent manner All the plastering to be done
with three coats, last coat hard finished. All the
floors nre to be laid double, the upper enc of the
best southern pine. Stairs of best southern pine
to be constructed from the entrance to the
lantern, and from the kitchen to the cellar, in n
proper manner. Steps j inch thick. There are
be stone steps to the front door, also to the out
side door OF porch
Attached to the back of the house is frame
porch, IL by 10 feet, with a lean to roof, boarded
and slated The floor is inches below floor of en-
trance story, and the room feet high There is to
be one window, IL lights, by ~ glass. 1t is to
have proper sink, shelves, &c. There are to be
cutters 10 all the caves, with trunks to lead the
ter into the csterns. All the woodwork of the
house, except the floors, to be painted, three coats
best quality of paint; stairs oiled with inseed oil.
On the top of the tower is to be wrought iron
lantern, sufficient in height and diameter to con-
tain six lights in each octagon 6 by "a inches, and
copper panes ventilstors are to be constructed to
admit the air when required, and to keep out the
water. There 10 be lantern ports / inch
square TO down through the deck and arch,
and be tightly secured by bolts to the inside of
the tower. To these are secured, in proper man
ner, the iron sash with rebates of three fourhs of
an inch in depth. door, two by feet, is TO be
made on one side of the octagon, and which is TO
be glazed and partly covered with copper, if re-
quircd, and made to shut tight into rebates having
two strong turn buttons and handle. The top OF
the lantern is dome formed by 10 rafters of iron,
concentrating into an iron hoop IL inches diane
ter, inches wide, and half inch thick at the
top, and at the bottom secured TO top rail OF LAM
tern, which iscovercd with 32ounce copper, coming
down and rivetug to the top rail of lantern the
sashes, which is inches wide, and forms favora
bic termination to it. On the top of this dome id a
traversing vcntiator and vane, covered with cop
per; venilator is inches diameter, 30 inches high;
vane 80 inches long, II inches wide. Around the
lantern to be eight iron railing posts, square,
standing of % inches from the outside OF the post
of the lantern. The lower end 10 be fastened Sc
curey 10 the deck, and at the top secured to the
post Of the lantern. Two ratings, three-fourth
inch round iron, are TO go quite round these posts
Across the bare of the dome is TO be iron bar one
inch square, riveted to the upper bar of sash. The
IN, 10 rod with hest French pa mad.