Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-17
[nrronrrD ron rHr AArRrcAs ORGAN
ACCOMMODATIONS.
By rRorKssoR :. $. SMELL, Or AxmRsr coLLEc


ARCHITECTURE
BY PROFESSOR Z. $. SMELL, or AMHERST COLLEGE.
From the decline of the GreciAn, Roman archi-
lecture nourisbed most. It's period of favor was
from 400 b. @. TO 100 A. D., and from that time it
rapidly declined The Romans derived the art
from the Grecians, but made many notifications
in their style. The Roman Doric column is
heightened and the style changed otherwise and
the Roman Ionic is longer than the Grecian Ionic
in the shaft and the volutes of the capital is con-
tracted. w III s6s
Two orders are peculiarly Roman, the Tuscan
and the Composite. The. Tuscan is exceedingly
plain, and in massveness resembles the Doric, and
the Tuscan column is never fiuted- The Composite
is union Of the Ionic and Corinthian, the large
volutes of the former being combined with the
acapthus leaves of the latter in the capital The
fieze was sometimes ornamented to high degree.
The five classic orders have now been described.
The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Of the Grecians,
in the lecture Of Wedneday night and the Tuscan
and Composite of the Romans. 1890 .st
The plinth was by the Romans inserted beneath
the column as part Of the base, they placed col
umns in corners, sometimes through the whole ia
cade. t, n n s,f-,,,Iatl !,
They placed columns in contact with the wall,
and sometimes represented them asimbedded IN
the walls, and sometimes employed fiat projections
from the walls, instead Of columns. In place OF
the simple stylobate Of steps, they generally used
the pedestal which gave the building greater Gle;
walton. They often interrupted the horizontal
lines of the stylobate and entablature, by bringing
out portions above and below the column beyond
the general surface thus destroying the simplicity
Of the Grecian facade, n Se1a3 sa.
r Here, by models and drawings, the lecturer
showed the difference between the spiral Greek
mouldings and the circular forms generally used by
the Romans, and the five contrasts Of light and
shade lost by the change Of the Romans. They
also carved the mouldings into ornamental figures.
The Corinthian style suited the taste Of the
Romans best, and was mostly used by them. And
their love for introducing ornament in every poss-
BILE way led to the formation of the Composite Or
der, and they loaded every moulding with scnlp-
ture. This exuberancc Of ornament, however, was
the style when the Roman art was degenerating.
The Romans effected great change in the form
Of public buildings by the invention and introduc-
ton into all forms of edifce Of the arch. The arch
is a transverse portion between two supports, so
constructed of separate pieces that they mutually
uphold each other. The pieces must have q
wedge-like figure whose sides point to a common
centre. l ~ YEA. .ests4er IN tt,t
Previous to the invention Of the arch, the Intel
was used for the transverse members of build
ing. The pressure being perpendicular, the Intel
must be an unbroken piece from one wall to the
III
as perpendicular. The walls must not only be
able to hold the weight Of the arch, but must have
frmness to resist the lateral thrust Prof s. now
illustrated the difference between the Intel and the
arch by models. The difference is often more in
the principle than in the outward appearance, and
one who does not understand the former, may be
mistaken in relying on the latter Some of the
most stupendous remains of the Roman arch are
found in the great aqueducts. e. sF. VIZ
fxr, q he 4ro
If it rests upon two opposite walls, It is called q
vault. Ii from four or more walls so as TO intersect
in edges running up from the angles, it is called
groined vault. If springs from every point of a
circular wall so as to form covering ola spherical
shape, it is called dome. The last allows a sky
light in the summit the stones of each circular
layer support each other ateraly, and every stone
is key to all others in the same layer, and no key
stone in the summit is needed as in the simple
arch. Then followed accounts of the various kinds
and the many ways ofusing the arch, and the prin-
cipal places where the most stupendous specimens
yet are visible. a8alsft
Many Roman structures exhibit magnifcence
that has never been surpassed. As an example,
the Coliseum was cited. This is an eliptical am
phitheatre, $50 feet long, 5lS wide, and 100 feet
high on the outer wall The slope on the inside
from near the top Of the wall to the arena in the
centre was covered with seats for spectators. In
this building 10000 could sit, and 10000 more
had room to stand eighty arcades extended from
between the lower tier of columns to the arena,
which served entrances by flights of stairs to the
various ranges of seats. II was an uncovered
building, erected by Vespasian between 10 and 80
A. D., and remained entire until the thirteenth
century. After that time, materials were taken
from II by the several Popes for the erection Of
palaces. A large portion is yet standing, and Is
carefully preserved. 1t was named Coliseum from
the Colossal statue Of Nero, by which It was sur
mounted. 2Na3k a3f 80
Specimens Of the different styles Of architecture
in this country pointed out, as In the lecture
Of "Wednesday night Roman structures are hume
rous here. Previous to 1920, no Grecian was to
be found among us, as the Grecian orders were till
then unknown. For many years, there was re-
luctance TO build after the Gothic FORM so that
nearly every public building Of any architectural
pretensions was Roman. Churches, 6tate-houses,
Court-houses, City Halls, and the more expensive
private dwellings, Of more than thirty years stand
ing are after some Roman model The Boston State
House has adome arched doors and windows, and
columns In pairs and so has the City Hall In New
York. The Merchants Exchange in Philadelphia,
is -Corinthian, with semcircular sweep In front.
The Presidents House in this city, is of the Roman
Ionic order.
The General Post Office Building is copied from
one Of the more modern forms Of the Roman style,
frequently called the Palladan or Italian order.
The Capitol was cited as noble edifce Of the
Romsnized Corinthian style. A model Of the new
building with its new wings and dome, was eI-
hibited, and fully explained; thus giving the audi
ence better idea Of practical architecture than
could be any other way attained.
In spite Of the inclemency Of the weather. quite
an audience was assembled, and much interest dis
played TO its close. The lecture was by many con-
Gdered even more interesting than the first.
This evening Prof Smells subject win be Gothic
Architecture.
By THE MORNINGS MAIL.