The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-19

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! ton had as well been dispensed with, They are
only waste of genius and of time
hut the chairman Of the investigating commit-
! Tee has told US, with great gravity, that he went
to one of these foundation walls, with pckaxe and
crowbar in hand, and dug up portion OF II; that.
/ TO his great surprise, he found his worst antici
pations realized. The wall, he alleges, Is built OF
small stone and bad mortar, and 10 insufficient to
sustan the structure to be erected upon it. Now,
let me disclose a secret in regard to ths digging
operation. The honorable chairman satisfied him
self by digging IN single spot, and that spot
happened fortunately for the purpose OF the gen.
tleman-to be just where the werkmen terminate d
! their labors. Now 1t is known to all practical men
thatin building either brick or stone walls there will
necessarily be an accumulation OF pieces OF brick or
| small etonc as the work progresses. lhese must
| be worked in, and it is economy to use them In
'hng n'' or "levcng up" This happened to
be the at the spot where the honorable gentle
man used successfully his pickaxe and crow
bar. suppose some sagacious pcrbon-knowing
the zeal Of the honorable gentleman-inio.med him
OF these facts, and he availed hirnself Of the nor
nation, and made his assault upon the stone and
mortar accordingly
Mr. NlcNAR have received no such informa-
tion. No told me that the small stones
were in that particular place.
/ Mr.. STANTON Oh, well, only supposed 1t
might be 1t happens, however, to be the fact,
that this identical spot the last part of the
building worked upon, and these small stones were
Used up at that place as matter OF economy. But
these stones, torn out OF the wall, are not small
strength Of the foundation. They average from
six inches in length to two feet, and have seen
many solid and substantial wall built Of stone OF
no greater size. Many OF the best and oldest build
| ings IN the world rest upon foundations built OF
pebbles, broken rock, and small pieces OF stone or
brick
| have taken some extracts from the ''Transac-
tions of the British Architects," which will show
the extent to which this mode of building has been
carried in past ages
"ln Greece the foundations of all the very early
Notifications were formed of small stones Some OF
the walls of the strong ghold at the pass of Their
mopyla constructed of small stones and NOR
tar. Thucyd describing the way in which
the walls surrounding the Acropolis had been re-
stored after the Persian war, about AIS years be-
fore Christ, says the foundations consisted OF
stones of all szes and forms, thrown in indis-
crimlnately. These still remain, and are so hard
as TO be almost impenetrable."
1.-The Romano constructed their walls OF two
faces of masonry filled in with cement, consisting
of pounded bricks, or tiles rough stones or tInts,
aud lime well Incorporated. There are examples
at Mcssina where in fact the walls surrounding
the town, erected $40 years before our era, are
wholly OF this description At Rome II was eyeryf
where used the temple of Augustus, the baths o,
Agrppi of Titus, and Of Diocletian, the Coliseum
the Aqueducts, st. Peters, and many Others sery-
ing instances. The well-known wall OF China,
built about 205 years before Christ was construct
cd in somewhat similar manner, and, notwlth-
standing numerous vicissltudes, is still wondrousy
strong, discovering no signs of ruin"
lhc Romans brought their arts 10 England ana
there practised them:
''The foundations of the Roman station, Aldbo-
rough, Yorkshlre-the upper parts OF which are
formed OF round pebbles united by 4 strong ce-
ment-and of some portions OF Severn's wall con
slsts OF rough stone and pebbles, compacted IN
clay; while in several instances we find they used
perfect concreted masses Of gravel, sand, or
pounded bricks and lime, precisely similar to the
concrete of our day.
''The walls of Aldborough Church, Yorkshire;
the tower Of Earls Barton Church,; that OF ST. Pc
tcr's Church, at Barton upon Humber, Lincoln
shire, aud building at Warmlord Southampton
shire-all OF which, IN the opinion o several anti
quaries are composed, some OF round pebble stones
united by mortar, and others OF rubble stone and
fints well groued-are still OF amazing sohdity,
and appear 10 defy time"
Sir Christopher Wren discovered that the foun-
dation Of st. PauI's Cathedral, upon which had
stood imposing pile, destroyed by the great fire,
was composed OF macs Of kentish rubble stone,
cemented with extremely hard mortar.
1.-The foundation of the north transept OF Vest
minister Abbey, built in l2i5, is composed Of fnts,
irregular stones, rubble, and mortar, forming
body almost Impenetrablc"
"The foundations of the public buildings in
Westminster, the law courts, the additional build
ings to the House of Lords, the Library of the
House Of Commons, &c, were formed of granite,
or other hard stone, broken in email pieces, (none
exceeding in size an ordinary hens eggD and
laid IN layers closely rammed and grouted; every
third layer of Dorking lime and sharp river sand"
The new Parliament House OF Great Britain, re-
Gently built, rests upon foundations ten feet seven
inches in height, composed entirely OF concrete
On this mass Of small stone, broken up for the
purpose and grouted, the walls Of that massive
structure erected; and yet our cars are stunned
with the cry that the stone in these foundations
not large enough 10 give il proper strength. This
| fact, in regard 10 the foundations OF the work at
Westminster learn from the reports of the archi.
| tect ! happened 10 mention II few days ago IN
! the presence Of come Of the workmen lately Gu
/ 90 god on the Capitol, when two Of them informed
ft f1g fd ma
/ they had each worked upon these very foundations.
The walls laid, and which the objects Of daily
observation by the members of this House, sub
jccts Of admiration to every scientific and practical
! man who has seen them. Such solidity, such
| strength and such admirable skill in their con
strUcton, have never been manifested before In any
work done in this city, and doubt whether better
/ work Of the kind can be found in any part Of the
/ Union. Yet told by the honorable chair.
man Of the special committee that the walls are OF
\ no value, and should be torn up. am astonished
at the conclusion TO which he has arrived. II makes
INC blush for the intelligence of my felloVmembers
! on this floor upon matters Of such practical cha
/ racter. When gentlemen see the report Of the spe
cal committee, If the evidence accompanies II, they
will find that some Of the most scientific engineers
] and architects in the nation-indeed, might say
the world-as well ne the most experienced pract-
cal men, have testified, after examining the work,
that Il il Of sufficient strength and dty 10 bear
an infinitely greater weight than can possibly be
put upon IL.
The mortar Of which these walls are built is said
not 10 be Of good quality, because il has not yet
hardened. The fact that such complaint " made
il proof only hat there entrusted with the
legislation Of this country who larnentably de-
hcicut tboso practical matters which are familiar
60 the commOnost Of men. Who, in his sober
senses, could Imagine that mortar IN the centre OF
a thick wall, seven feet thick, exposed 10 the Sc
verify Of rigorous winter, and only two months
laid, would be now dry and hardoucdl The very
best mortar ever used could not have hardened in
such situation IN go short time Twenty years
will not suffice 10 make IL dry and solid as II will
become; and every practical as well as scientific
man knows that II is better il should be so. Ask
the common hborer, who has been accustomed to
attend upon masons, and be will tell you that the
longer the process Of evaporation continues the
stronger viii be the adheson OF the mortar ltisa
fact 60 well demonstrated by the experience OF those
who are accustomed TO work in mortar, that II
needs no scientific experiments TO prove It, The
fact then, that in digging into these foundations
the mortar was found 20 be dry and hard, is no
evidence that Il is OF bad quality. On the contrary
assert, without fear of contradiction by any man
Of intelligence the subject, that the mortar is
good ne could have been made. II is made of good
lime, clean, sharp sand, and mixed in proper pro
portions. The practical and scientific men who
. have examined IL concur with me in opinion, and
a a.,