The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-09-17
For the National Intellisencer.
COLWELLS IRON neutrality-suspicious. IN
ARCUITECTURE


As many indications point the gradual sub
suon of iron for the materials at present employed in
architectural construction conceive that shall perform
acceptable service to the public by calling their a'ten-
ton through your columns to new plan OF constructing
iron buildings which bids hr obviae the practical diff
cutes 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
arrested by elegant specimen OF iron architecture on the
corner of Arch and Eleventh streets Struck with the
usual circumstance of iron building for private resi-
dence led to institute inquiries when found that it
had been erected three years ago experimental
and practical test of the plan OF construction 10 which
attention is now invited.
An examination of the chief difficulties which have at
tended the perseverng attempts now being made in this
country and in Europe introduce the iron building will
enable the public fully comprehend lis advantages
to which attention is now invited.
The great and apparently insnperable objection TO the
use iron material for the construction of the walls
or substantial framework of buildings is founded upon
one of its wellknown elementary propertesnamely its
expansion and contraction under different degrees OF tenn
perature
The first difficulty arising from this source is the
paratively slight but constantly disorganizing force
ered upon structures OF iron or other metals by expansion
from solar heat and contraction by colda diff
Guilty great in Europe but much more formidable in this
country where have such extraordinary extremes Of
temperature distinguished scientific gentleman, speak
ing of this subject refers the monument Colon de Ia
Place Vendome erected in honor of Napoleon the st and
covered with bronze made from captured cannon ln this
monument he there experienced much trouble
from contraction and expansion The bronze plates firmly
united by ryets acted stupendous sheet and huced
under the suns rays in most extraordinary manner act
ing a real great pyrometer.'
Although ingenious and complicated devices may have
partially the effects of expansion arising from
this source they have been wholly inadequate
the greater from artificial heat in
tiguous confagratons Iron buildings usually construct
ed although expressly designed resist conagaton in
compact cities have been wholly Intellectual for this pur
pose It found in the great fires al San francisco that
the iron columns and framework of buildings
panded and thus warped and thrown out of line by the
heat of fires the streets and that the buildings
ruined before contact Of the flames.
secondary effect Of this expansion and contraction,
and which has exercised much influence in restricting
the of iron in architecture TO purposes of interior
and exterior ornament is its granulaton produced by this
ncessant action and its consequent ultimate unftness for
permanent subjected great strain pressure
This treacherous property of ron ordinarily employed
is feafuy illustrated by catastrophns to iron bridges
steamboat boilers and other iron structures which have
been exposed for considerable time changes of tenn
perature and subjected to considerable pressure.
But all these obstacles surmouued another is presented
in the want of some feasible and economical plan of
structng the framework Of buildings from iron
be adapted to any form or style of architecture.
The grand in building of iron has been the adop
ton of the frame OF the ordinary wooden 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 another AS the outer face of these
columns forms the exterior surface of the building, iron
architecture has been limited to few stereotype forms
fronts of buildings supported by sidewalks OF brick
stone, to comparatively open structures like the Crys
tai Palaces although il is chiefly a general subst-
ue for brick and stone with view to the promotion of
facility and economy ia construction, that iron
inends itself the attention of the present generation
The public will therefore be ageeaby surprised to learn
that all these difficulties have BEEN beyond oil doubt fully
by new plan of constructing iron buildings
devised by Mr. Stephen Cowel of Philadelphia, of the
leading iron-masers of Pennsylvania and we'll known by
his writings political economy and Christian phan
thropy Mr.. Cowell being largely identified with the
iron interests of Pennsylvania during period Of general
depression In those interests was led to investigate the sub
ject 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 sug
gcsons of eminent architects and scientific men, and
than all by practical experiment in the construction of
beautiful building in Philadelphia upon this plan,
of skeleton wall 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 or cement is placed
between the frames TO level them anf they are bound
to each other by clamps, that the whole frame is
ms firm doweed stone-work. Upon the outside Of
this skeleton-wal after is erected is placed
terror covering of plates of IRON which capable Of
the bighes, ornament Upon the inside is placed
lahing of iron gnuze covered with plasiering sin
gle brick wall The being hollow body of air
is included between the interior and exterior surfaces
This air being excellent non-conducor, as ia 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 nop-conducting medium To nsulae these frames