The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-03-07
FROM CHICAGO.

CHICAGO, March 2, 1853.
10 Inc Ediisr % Ihe FoaElEsHAss ABvoc.rr.
Having noticed an article IN ons - ore
daily papers sOms time since. ~ 10 the r.a-
son q % many buildings falling, by Gre
and other causes, and having devoted mv
life 70 the art Of building, and following 4
for livings beg leave 70 assign tbe follow
ing in explanation
i. The employment or Incompetent 49,
men.
?. The use OF bad material.
:. The mode or construction.
With reference to the first CHARGE ywo,i.i
say that the employment or Incompetent
~Orklnen i carried on to far Rreatsr en-
TENT here in Chicago than ID any other civ
in toe United States. A contractor w;ir
mae ms estimate on building. bE the ecs:
q material, labor, &c., labor being .Iua~.
regulated BY the wages Of practised worL.
men. Now il said contractor ..u ..--
IL 90 AZ to make from 81 % AZ nsr -.
each hand, he will employ po,d -n.-
not be will keep enough to % TIE mos, -..
ticalar work, and Gil up With th,.a .na
have never had t-Owel in their bsnd. :,
the ratio o. zine 10 ten, while a. 49,. INV
'nem have net bsen at the business more
than six mont
N0~' ask, are such men competent a,
erect substantial buildiags Most ass,-..,I,.
not-snough the boss doas NOT rs-.
they can only pile W the bricks wv mort.
ana be gets Ms greenbacks FOR the wor
Now, SIR, this il a subject which de,.-i.
ihe consideration Of she entire puhli, o7a
"h'Ss ~ill stand i..vestigatiop IA a,.s
prepared 90 substantiate eYe4y ,.,
written
:. Az to the use Of poor Material T,.
nooe Vi MAKING mortar IN Chicago. w3uls
not DC allowed 10 any other city Mortar I'M
oraer 70 give its trength, should w allowed wv
s'anu az !east tout days . sour, then worked
well, before using Tben ths bri..es min
stuck together, but the green. t,t ro,rta-
that is used in this city, has no m ,re st-sn-Ih
than 80 much wet sand. [ have W,--.l
% some Of our best buildings. N hot
weather, when tho mortar wouii acrraWv
dry before the bricks could be iai3 oo,t
then the bond 0f che mortar II dead. A-nf-
take Old MORTAR good workman w.
spread enough Of il for twelve brick. aver
10 tne hottest weather, and iay tbsrn art
ne mortar stiil remain soft, and tbs boad
good This makes good strong work. W
strange contrast 10 the mode now Dur
susd.
B. The mole Of construction i beyond
doubt the most imperfect. Common seD4s
teaches us that val : Inches thick y far
too light 10 sustain the weight o. doors mar
titions, and roof of q building. thrs. Four
and sometimes five stories high, with the
hKtnros, sales, &C., thar ar placed II them
Then, 10 case OF hre, whsn the timbers fan
the walls fall also ani Va many casgs thA
walls fall hrst As, fOr example, ia the Far
veil Hall building a fine tvn4 az
architecture. and ! now say III "a 4 bis.s-
Ing % Chicago that it vas burned for AZ
would undoubtedly have fallen before Iony
sud caused the death Of many A eti,ea
have c0nversed with many VIA attanHai
the concert, the night before Il was boroat
and an informed b. some of them tant t.4
building then gave coDsiderable-so mueh
% that they left before the entertainment
wac over.
But would Tot c0niins myself 10 this
building IN particular. " through the WHY
where you will, and you win had buildings
with their walls cracked aud broken. What
Is the csuset Il arises from the fact that when
foundations are Ding, the largest, toughest
stoIes are thrown ID, and the spaces filed W
with small stone, perfectly dry, THAT ls no
mortar between Iheml; tra- N.Y.
ihrot0 the foundation toge.uv. &C.,
laying it. have seer roundatious laid wher
one cord Of stone was laiI with the mort
that should lave been put into one pa-r
The Consequence Is that when the heft az
the wall Saames upon i, it spreads and set
ties then u follows the briCkwork must
crack and give way. -Ihis, sir, | believe %
DC the cause OF many fataai accidents at f'es-
in this city.
Hoping these observations nav fni a
place IN your paper for the benefit cf I'll
concerned, remain your
Friend and well wisher.