Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-10-31

bcrs Of the committee were not entirely settled
upon several of the points alluded to.
The first question natdra,y was, whether il
was practicable and expedent to repau the
building, by avang Ourselves of the walls as
they stand, and upon this point, both we, and
every experienced person whom we consulted,
we're unanimously of opinion that the walls were
too much Injured by fire to be employed again
without violating the principles of security of
construction and sound economy, and they
will accordingly be wholly taken down.
The most important of the remaining ques-
tons were:
The additional extent, if any, to be given to
the building, and the division of the interior in
tolegisatve executive and clerical departments
The expediency of making it partially or al
together fire-proof;
The form and proportions of the dome
The mode of warming and
The style of finish and decoration.
We were abundantly satisfied that enlarged
space was required for the accommodation of
the public service but it was thought that the
wings and the principal building could not be
extended more than twelve-and a-half feet each
without involving greater expenditure in Sc
curing the foundations and removing the rocky
bill in the rear than present circumstances would
justify; and we found, moreover, that in the
opinion Of most persons familiar with the late
State House, an addition of twenty-five feet to
The total length and Of twelve-and-a- feet to the
depth, of the building, would amply suffice to re-
move all the inconyeniences heretofore com
planned of, on the ground of the insufficiency OF
space.
The division and arrangement of the legisla-
tive and executive chambers, the committee
rooms and the public offices in the former build
ing, is understood to have been generally salts
factory, except in the dimensions of the rooms,
and we determined to retain that division, with
such notifications as the increased space allows.
The difficulty and expense of making the
building strictly freproof throughout were found,
upon the best inquiry we could make, formidable,
and that mode of construction is attended with
inconvenienccs not easily obviated. We, there
fore, did not deem il expedient, in the absence
of positive instructions in the act, to attempt to
secure absolute incombustibity in all parts of
the building but conlented ourselves with ex-
GLIDING the use of wood and other combustibe
material in the construction Of the first story,
in the flooring of the principal story, and in all
the partitions and stair cases of the whole build
ing, and in directing the use Of such other Sc
curities against fire as can be economically and
conveniently introduced elsewhere.
There was some difference of opinion in the
committee in respect to the dome, some Of the
members seriously doubling the expedency of
constructing such an appendage at all. 1t was
suggested that wooden dome would increase
the risk of fire. and the objections to metallic
one were thought unanswerablc. 1t was urged
that as a roof a dome was superiuous their be-
ing M c;rular sn,ce IN No sheltered or liobted
bv il and that az a mere decor,t,on !, vas in.
annronr;ate 10 ,be general arch;,ec,nre as we'll
as To tbe site of the Canitol. and would there
fore rather inure than Improve the architectur-