The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-13
IRON as a Building Material.

A resolution having been passed by the United
States Socrates during its last session, instructing
the Committee OH Manufactures to inquire how
far it would be practicdhle and expedicnt for the
Government TO employ iron as building mate
rial in the constructions Of the various Ftble ctliA
fees. a report has been made highly favorable 70
its extensive use for these purposes. In the
opinion of the committee few of the improve
ments and discoveries of the age promise more
important results than The nubsttttion Of iron in
the construction Of buildings for the materials
heretofore employed; lind that sin beauty. dura-
bility, polish, and susceptibility Of ornamental
ton il is superior to every other material except
marble" In the infancy Of iron constructions,
the report says, cast iron was employed for beams
and girders, and failed, from its natural uDhtness
for the purpose TO which it was applied, and u
prejudice was thus created against it's use; but
when the researches Of Stephenson, Hodgkinson,
and Fairbairn, in rcfereiice TO the great tubular
bridge over the Menai Straits, had fully devel-
oped the appropriate provinces Of cast and
wrought iron, and when the successful erection
of that bridge, followed by The crystal palaces in
London and New York, had fully demonstrated
the adaptability and the security Of iron for
building purposes, il only remained TO remove a
few mechanical difficulties in order to secure the
general use of iron in all frst-cass structures.
One Of the most formidable difficulties encount-
cred nrose from the expansive and contractile
materials with every change Of temperature; but
it appears that this has been wholly overcome.
by cheap, simple, and convenient process,
lately invented, and by means of which the col
umns, beams, &C., are imbedded in clay, pise, or
some other non-conductor of heat, they are COM
petely isolated, and no longer liable to the ex-
pansion which rendered iron next to useless as a
building material. Taking advantage Of this in
vention, which, as above stated, is both simple
and cheap, your committee arc informed that the
Secretary Of the Treasury has lately contracted
for the erection of the marine hospital at New
Orleans wholly Of iron. In the proposals issued
by the Secretary for bids for the erection Of this
edi6ce, iron was brought into competition with
brick; and the result discloses the fact, that an
entire iron buildings completely fire and lightning
proof, with beautiful and elegant external iron
venccring, resembling in appearance the marble
venecring or facing of the Capitol extension, may
be erected in many localities cheaper than an cd.
ifce of common brick"
In the process here referred to, clay-blocks, or
pise, are inserted between the outward and inward
facings of the walls, by which the temperature
within is rendered comparatively equable at all
seasons.
Referring to the rapid increase in the use OF
iron for building purposes, (not less than nine
teen millions of pounds having been used by the
United States Treasury Department alone, &C.
cording to letter from Captain A. II. Bowman,
engineer-in-chiefD the committee express salts
faction at the prospect that an impulse will be
given to the iron trade which viii largely increase
the production, and at The same time promote the
prosperity, Of this important branch OF American
industry In a lecture delivered not long since
by Mr.. Hewitt, a distinguished ironmaster, the
consumption of iron was considered az the stand
ard by which the progress of civilization is
measured. In concluding their report the conf
mittce remark that the application ofiron, even
for partial purposes connected with the erection
of our public edi6ces of various kinds, has been
made with entire success, so far as regards
strength, economy, and durability and is a most
important step in developing this branch Of our
national industry, and putting il on permanent
basis, provided its future growth is not impcdcd
by any partial legislation to its disadvantage
MteHigencer