Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-09
FOR THE NATIONAL IsTELLIaENcER.


4 NATIONAL INTELLIGENcER
CoLWELLs IRON BUILDING.-RE IN
ARCHITECTURE.
As many indications to point the gradual subs-
tuition OF iron for the materials at present employed
architectural construction conceive that shall perform
acceptable service to the public by calling their aten
ton, through your columns to plan Of construct
ing iron buildings which bids fair obviate the practical
difficulties which have hitherto retarded the progress of
this great but inevitable revolution in the architecture Of
the country.
During recent visit to Philadelphia my attention was
arrested by elegant specimen of iron architecture on
the Of Arch and Eleventh streets Struck with
the unusual circumstance of iron building for private
residence, was led to institute inquiries, when found
that it had been erected some three years ago
detrimental and practical test of the plan of construc-
ton to which attention is now invited
An examination of the chief difficulties which have at-
tended the perseverng attempts being made in this
country and in Europe to introduce the iron building
will enable the public fully to comprehend its ad-
vantages, to which attention is now invited.
The great and apparently nsuperable objection to the
Of iron material for the construction of the walls
substantial frame work of buildings is founded upon
one of its Well-known elementary properties-namey,
its expansion and contraction under different degrees Of
temperature
The first difficulty arising from this source is the COM
paravey slight but constantly disorganizing force ex
erted upon of iron or other metals by expan
sion from solar heat and contraction by severe cod-a
difficulty great in Europe, but much formidable in
this country where have such extraordinary extremes
of temperature. distinguished scientific gentleman
speaking Of this subject refers to the monument Colon
de Ia Place Vendome erected in honor of Napoleon the
lst and covered with bronze made from captured
In this monument" he says, there experienced
| much trouble from contraction and expansion. The
bronze plates firmly united by rivets acted as one
pendous sheet and bucked under the suns rays in
most extraordinary manner, acting as real great
pyrometer"
Although ingenious and complicated devices may have
partially the effects of expansion arising from
this source, they have been wholly inadequate to over
come the much greater expansion from artificial heat in
contiguous conHagrations. Iron buildings usually
constructed, although expressly designed to resist
fagratons in compact cities, have been wholly ineffec-
tua for this purpose 1t found in the great fires at
San Francisco that the iron columns and frame work of
buildings were expanded and thus warped and thrown
of line by the heat of fires the streets and that
the buildings were ruined before contact Of the
flames.
secondary effect of this expansion and contraction
and which has exercised much influence in restricting
the use of iron in architecture to purposes of nte
ror and exterior ornament is its granuation produced
by this ncessant action and its consequent ultimate
fitness for permanent structures subjected great strain
or pressure This treacherous property Of ron ordi
nariy employed, is earfuy illustrated by caastrophes
to iron bridges steamboat boilers and other iron
which have been exposed for considerable time
changes Of temperature and subjected to considerable
pressure. "
But oil these obstacles surrounded another
ed in the want of feasible and economical plan Of
constructing the framework Of buildings from iron so as
to be adapted to any form style of architecture
The grand error in building Of iron has been the adop
ton of the frame of the ordinary building instead
Of the stone brick WALL the type of the skeleton
substantial work Of the building Iron structures thus
far made have consisted Of series Of columns reaching
from story 10 another As the outer face of these
columns forms the exterior surface of the building iron
architecture has been limited few stereotype FORMS
fronts of buildings supported by sidewalks Of brick
stone, to comparatively open structures like the Crys
tai Palaces; although it is chiefly general subst
tute for brick and stone with view to the promotion Of
facility and economy in construction that iron COM
mends itself to the attention Of the present generation
The public will therefore, be agreeaby surprised to learn
that all these been, beyond all doubt fully
overcome by plan of constructing iron buildings
devised by Mr. STEPHEN CoLwELL, Of Philadelphia, one
Of the leading masters Of Pennsylvania, and well
known by his writings political economy and christian
philanthropy Mr. Cowell, being largely identified with
the iron interests of Pennsylvania during period of
general depression in those interests led to nves
gae the of iron architecture with the hope that
field might be opened for the consumption Of iron
The present plan the result of this investigation aided
by the suggestions of eminent architects and scientific
men, and more than all by practical experiment in the
construction Of beautiful building in Philadelphia upon
this PLAN subjected to three years trial 1t consists
in the erection Of skeletonwal composed Of blocks
hollow cubes or frames Of iron of the thickness Of the
proposed wall. These frames being placed upon each
other in the same brick stone cloth felt
is placed between the frames level them and
they bound to each other by clamps so that the
| whole frame is as firm doweled stone-work Upon
the outside of this skeletonwa after it is erected is
placed exterior covering Of plates Of iron which
capable of the highest ornament Upon the inside is
placed athing of iron gauze covered with pasterpg
single brick wall. The frames being hollow body Of
mir is included between the interior and exterior surfaces
This air being excellent is shown by
the of double windows protects the interior of the
building from extremes of heat and cold The principal
portion Of the framework of the building is enclosed in
this nonconducting medium To insuate these frames,
SO that heat should not be communicated from the
interior surfaces is only necessary nterpose
nconductng substances at the points of contact Thus
the whsle frame is preserved from expansion and
traction in medium of equal temperature. BY this
simple and happy arrangement all those formidable diff
culties which to undere the whole system Of iron
architecture obvated. With roof constructed upon
the same principle, and with double shutters filed with
nonconductng substance have the perfect applica
ton of the principle Of the treproof safe to buildings
and accomplished the greatest desderaum of urban
architecture. This building is not only fre-proof, but
lightning proof as it is weestabished that buildings
composed principally of iron struck by lightning
The skeleton blocks and other materials of this building
instead Of being adapted to only particular structure
style Of architecture be applied any building or
removed from to another. They, in short become
subject Of commerce, and building upon this plan be-
the work Of days. instead Of months and years as
ut present.
The great practical Importance Of this invention will
be fully apparent n review sorne az tha