Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-05

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,uanassibs n foresee few years since, and could
.csrcelv he credited now by those VINO nave not
visited The city during the last year.
That II Is to enter still more largely into our ma
+;onsI architecture is shown by its admirable adap-
taton, as building material, to all the exigencies
of modern civilization.
The old plan Of building for posterity is giving
place to one better adapted to the genius d the
age The studpendous piles Of masonry which
constitute the architecture OF former times belong
10 period when labor was cheap, and time, in the
slow development of society, Of but little account
Buildings are now designed for present individual
use and convenience, and not unfrequently 10 give
place to others better suited to the taste or Inn
proved fortune Of the propietors. In fact the ar
chtectura structures of many of our modern cities
are completely replaced within space OF time en-
ceedingly brief as compared with those OF antqul-
~, especially If we add to the destruction OF hui
man hands that occasioned by fire.
This is eminently true of the architecture OF the
United States. We constitute, perhaps, a nation |
of the greatest builders which the world ever saw
the work Of demolition and construction among |
us being conducted upon scale and to an extent
without parallel in history. To such people
economy Of time, labor and material in building be-
come important considerations affecting, to
momentous extent, the aggregate national wealth
and prosperity. Now, iron is the material of con-
etruction which exactly meets the requirements of
the present generation. Its supply is inexhausti-
be its price moderator it is easy Of transportation
1t is susceptible Of greater rapdity OF construction
gilmore ECONOMY Of time and labor Of greater,
coveniences for internal arrangement, occupying
less space in our densely populated cities, and
combining the greatest strength and cheapness
with capablity Of high ornamentaton, at but lit
Ito expense
More than all, II possesses an intrinsic CONNER
cal value which Is affected but slightly by the SER
vice to which building material ID ordinarily sub
Lv, a. vht onan in n,rr Inn IN
cities, ina single night, sweeps away such incalcu-
liable wealth Of material well as the labor OF
years.
These qualifications ofiron, we think, sufficiently
indicate the extent to which it must gradually enter
into modern architecture and especially that OF this
country In view Of this prospect the iron interest
may well take courage under existing embarrass-
,nents Indeed the signs which foreshow an i'm
mense increasing demand for iron from this new
source of consumption are much more papable than
those which twenty years ago portended an APP
proachug revolution in the iron trade consequent
upon the introduction ofthe railroad system.
1t Is natural that the iron producers should watch
with deep interest the progress Of this movement,
and that they should strive, by all means within
their power to hasten facilitate it. We are not
surprised, therefore, that the adoption by the Fed
erai government ofiron as building material should
be earnestly advocated by the leading journals
presenting the iron interests in Pennsylvania and
other sections of the country. 1t ID certainly for
upate that the interest Of the iron masters and the
public interest ehould in this exactly coincide.
There can be no doubt that it is in the power Of
the federal government by introducing iron into
the public architecture Of the country TO essentially
contribute to its general adoption-thus afording
by iudicious expenditure of the public money
that incidental encouragement to this interest sc
often essaycd by systems Of tariffs or positive legs
lation.
Indeed, the employment of iron in our public
r ca. .n1 rtv.al
would OF itself effect consumption much create
than that Of all the railroads in the United States
a. 1. evidenced by tho number Of new public build
ing required by the growth and expansion OF thu
country; such as government and State houses
court houses, town halls prisons, asylums marke
hou,es. churches, DO. And we fully concur in th,
opinion. recently expressed by Pennsylvanif
;ournal, thai tho example of the federal govern
yuent In the adoption Of the iron building favored
= IS ~ sovsrnmant would be by the high engineer.
ing sdient AT It's Commando could not fail to be
speedily followed by the different States and mum
cipal authorities. By the impulse which would
thus be given to this movement an incidental en-
couragement would be afforded tota suffering
branch Of industry not only compatible with, bu
highly productive of, the public interest
Indeed, the substitution of iron for the presen
building materials may be urged as an importan
measure of economic reform in the department
of public construction.
In addition to the saving which would be effect
standing value of iron and the facility of trans
porting this material would secure accuracy ant
uniformity In the estimates for construction, an,
would effectualy prevent the fragrant imposition
in the contracts for the supply of material now Incl
dent to the varying prices of marble granite, ant
other stone, Ia different localities and to the mo
nopoly Of material often enjoyed by the proprie
tors OF contiguous quarries consequent upon th,
great difficulty and expense of transportation
Those decided advantages of iron as building
material forpubiic uses have secured its adoption
to a large extent, by the British government par
ticularly for colonial and public buildings-an ex.
ample which should not be lost sight of by our
government. IL is due, however, to the last and
present administrations to say that they have not
been unmindful Of the importance Of this measure
OF reform in great and growing department Of
the public service. This subject occupied the
serious attention Of the last administration. But
no practical trial Of the iron building was made on
. account Of the supposed impossiblity OF render
ing the exterior walls Of iron buildings completely
FIRE proof or Of protecting them from disorganiza-
ton by fire or solar heat.
The first practical step towards the introduction
Of the iron building into governmental use In this
country has been taken by the present Secretary
Of the Treasury, under the immediate superintend-
ence OF the Bureau of Construction of that Depart
ment in the Assay Office Of this city. The interior
Of this building, in the construction Of which iron
has been applied TO an extant unprecedented in
otner puphc structures Is said 70 constitute model
Of workmanship and economy. The exterior, we
are informed, would have been constructed wholly
Of iron but for the supposed difficulty TO which we
have before adverted. As IL is now claimed how
ever, by the journals in the iron interest that the
walls Of iron buildings may be rendered completely
6re-proof by the Of non-conductors, as to form
In fact vast iron-proof safe, may believe that
this apparently insuperabe objection Is completely
obviated. We therefore commend the general
advantages 10 a great national industry, and the
particular benefits to the government in economy
Of construction which likely TO follow from the
adoption Of iron structures for public use, as con-
alterations emnently worthy the attention Of Con-
grcss In making future appropriations for public
buildings
NEW YoRK.--A writer In Putnams Magazine,
speaking Of New York, remarks:
|" In commerce, In shipping, and maritime wealth,