The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-12-08


10 N, H,,s- ot a. pres yt.hcs nor il, s,.s.oo:
The Committee ON Public Buildiups.in
obedience TO the instructions in resolu-
ton adopted 10y this House on the Dist
day of October, 1853, proceeded imme.
diately thereafter to the discharge of the
duties imposed upon them, and after an
investigation continued through protracted
sittings, from time to time, for the space
Of four weeks, and which was conducted
by able counsel in behalf of interested and
opposing parties, beg leave to make the
following report:
AS to the general construction of the
State House, and its adaptedness to the
purpose for which such building is
needed, your Committee are of opinion
that, SO far as they can judge from its
present condition and design, it may be
made, by some slight deviations from the
proposed for completing the work,a build
ing Of which the State of Vermont may
well be proud
As to the commo]ousness Of the apart
ments, your Committee are of opinion
that they will be all that can be desired,
for all the purposes of the State. As to
the fitness Of the materials used, your
Committee are of opinion that it is all
that can be desired, both as pertains to its
durability and character
During the process of the investigation,
the attention of your Committee was d.
rected to several particulars in which
there seemed to be material difference of
opinion, among those who had been more
or less conversant with the construction,
as to the manner in which the work had
been done and was proposed to be done.
The first particular of this kind to
which your Committee would call atten-
ton, pertains to the granite columns in
front. 1t appears that these columns were
more or less injured by the fire, and it al
so appears that pieces have been cut out
of the base of the injured columns from
five to seven inches in depth and new
pieces inserted. The manne, in which
this work Of piecing has been done seems
to be all that the most fastidious could de-
sire. But the Committee are of opinion
that, in view of the probable durability
of this structure, these injured columns
should have been entirely rebuilt, even
at the expense Of hundreds of dollars.
The second particular to which your
Committee would call attention, pertains
to the trusses which support the dome and
roof of the main building. 1t appears
that set of trusses were framed during
the season of 1857, according to plans
made by and under the direction of a pro.
fessional Architect employed by the Su.
perintendent of construction, and were
ready to DO put upon the building last au-
tumn, and would have been put on had
the walls been ready to receive them. 1t
also appears that in consequence of mis-
understanding that had arisen between the
Superintendent and said Architect, anoth
er Architect was employed by the Super.
intendent some time in the spring Of 1858,
and that, under the direction of this see
ond Architect, said trusses were discarded
and new ones framed using however to
some extent the material and work of the
old ones, in the construction of the new.
1t further appears that the master carpen-
ter who framed both sets of trusses, pro
nounced the first amply sufficient and
that the Architect, under whose direction
the said first trusses were framed and the
master carpenter who framed them, both
expressed the wish that a pair of the
trusses might be tested by loading them,
before they were discarded but it does
not appear that they were so tested. And
it further appears that the additional ex-
pcnse of rs-framing and constructing these
trusses was some seven or eight hundred
dollars.
Your Committee are unable to discover
why the first trusses were not suitable.
They are decidedly of opinion that they
should have been tested before they were
discarded.
The third particular to which your Com
mittee would call attention pertains to the
stairs. 1t appears that a contract had
been make for two flights of iron stairs to
lead from the entrance story to the Sem
ate Chamber and Representatives Hall !;
and also that contract had been made
for two flights of wooden stairs to lead
from the vestibule of the second story to
the galleries of the Senate Chamber and
Representatives Hall.
Your Committee are of opinion that
these four flights of stairs should be of
iron, and that all communication from the
upper flights with the wood work above,
should be cut off by fre-proof appliance.
1t appears further that it is proposed
to place third flight Of stairs in each of
the circular stairways leading from the
upper landing of the several flights into a
room over the second story vestibule, and
that these third fights are to be of wood,
and are contracted for. But your COM
mittee are of opinion that no such third
flights should be placed in the circular
stairways, nor do they believe there is
any necessity for it. They are OF opinion
that these circular stairways should be
lighted by sky-light placed in the roof
| over them.