Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-11-11
TIE WALL QUESTION

IL an arucle a dsy or two since on the
re Bea0ility of brick aud soft building stones,
Nnd the consequent absorben cy and rstentfye-
ness Of water or damp by walls OF the ordi-
nary CONSTRUCTION built of such material
csusing sickness in our weIIingx we sug-
ge>ted the hollow or double wall as a practi-
cable remedy. Ofthe superior quality Of such
3 VAL, Of its advantages as a non conductor
q heat and OF sound, and OF the general
advantage OF this style OF construc ion, there
can be 20 doubt OF the holIo W brick COZ.
tages in England, 1t is reported that they are
warner in winter aud cooler in sumner han
the common constructions: while of ancient
hollow floors that are warmed by hot air
underneath them. IL is declared that the
warmth derived from their extended surface
is more comfortable than that derived from
any other mode Of house-warming. M Fer.
rand, the architect of the model dwelling of
the Cooperative Society OF Paris, has an eX-
tended application OF these double walls as 8
means OF eoualizIng temperature. He opens
the space between the two hollow walls into
the cave or cellar beneath the ground floor,
from which the air circulates bet ween the
walls. The air Of the cellar being cooler in
summer and warmer In winter in extremes of
temperature than the outer air, this inner
structure of air serves to maintain equal tenn
perstuTe IN the Interior hollow wall and in the
wall surface of the room. The principls OF
construction has been applied IN hospital nuts
N not climates, reported, SUCCESSFULLY The
hollow Of the double wall is also applied as a
means of producing q current Of air for in
terror ventilation. This same architect makes
lis walls OF hollow brick and double, with a
thickness Of five inches, which would be insuf.
fcient for teanng purposes, but the wall Is held
Ogether by iron columns beams and cross
trees, and thus ne adds economy of space TO the
ofhsr advantages We have already mentioned.
The hollow bricks are extensively used In
England and France. II they are made OF the
usual size, the gain is chiefly 10 the quality of
the brick, and there is little advantage f. the
Price OF the manufacture. But there is Inch
gain If the cubic contents BE- enlarged; and
English experiments prove that walls nine
inches thick, of hollow brick each OF the size
OF twelve of the common brick, costs, set in
cement, one-thIrd or . per cent less than the
ccnmon brick wall set in lime mortar
Hollow briek-a composition Of cement ana
Hne-sOmewhat larger than our common
Gay bricks are now being used here in the
construction OF the Howard University. The
fine rssldencs OF Henry ID. Cooke, ESQ, the
banker, in Georgetown, and the extension of
the same recently built by him: as well as the
residence OF Col. Robert p. Dodge, 10 George
tovr, are built OF hollow walls of the common
bricks; and Mr.. :. p. Brown IS no " building
On the corner OF and 18th streets, in this city,
Tour large and elegant dwellings, covering an
area OF 1900 square feet, on the same plan.
In these houses the outer section OF wall is
nike inches zone brick thick, and the inner
section * inches "a half brick thick, with a
space oftwo inches between, making the whole
thickness of the wall sixteen inches. The outer
ard inner sections of wall are not entirely dis
connected, but are tied together In construc-
ticr in such 3 manner as 70 increase instead
Of diminishing The siren 9Th.