The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-01
GOAGrmlKG ABour RuILDIsG,
How wOr thleus Brick Wallis uro nulIt,
wooden Partitions ana SIaireaSts.

wooden Partitions ana SIaiFeaSss.
From ne NGV York TsmsL
The durability Of houses 10 q matter
Of public concern; yet 1t would appear,
from the piles oil loan In front OF build.
InHg now being constructed In various
parts Of the city, that the reason for
using sand as principal ingredient OF
mortar Is but little understood. l! IL
simply that when the lime or cement
becomes hardened, the residue OF the
material Of which mortar 10 composed
shall be as hard N itself. Clean grit
~ sand alone fulhlls this purpose. The
best specimen OF such sand anywhere
to be seen 10 on the Hospital grounds,
between Duane and Worth streets, In
parts Of the ground It appears Ia layers,
formed and oompacted by the action OF
waves, tho last touches having been
probably applied In the process OF up.
hoAval by which the Atlantic coast on
this side was raised. The grounds may
BIO visited With advantage by those
having buildings 10 erect, and by the
curious who would inform themselves
or the apparent action Of the sea OF this
point. '
In passing Through Thlrty.flth and
Thirty.Bixth streets, In the stage lines
which lately deVlRted into them on 90.
count OF aVenuesrepAlrs, the cat plant,
strong In greWth, might be seen on the
top and sides OF piles Of what was de-
nominated sand. A little loom helps
the mortar, said one OF the laborers,
who, With hoe In hand, was mixing the
Ingredients together. II 10 doubtless
due to this impression, In part that
when walls are taken down II 10 found
that the mortar does not adhere, but II
Is also due mainly TO the error Of Law.
Ing the bricks when dry, A common
hard brick, when dry, will absorb a
pint or more OF water, depending on Ito
porousness, and take from the mortar
In which 1t Ia newly embedded the
moisture necessary for effsctlng the res
quired union between the lime and
sand, which II secures when the bricks
are sufficiently soaked. To the perfec.
ton OF good brick wall, the two
things must oonour-that Is 10 say, the
mortar must be good, and the bricks
hard and deprived Of their capacity TO
suck from It, chief ingredient 10 In
sure such unlon Of the component parts
There are two difficulties In the way
OF building In this manner. Brlcklay-
ers find that tnelr fingers are torn In
handling wet bricks cRreleRsly-whlch.
induces complaints Of the practice
aud contractors find 1t less expensive
70 use the mould which Ia commonly
dtdused, rather than the pure sand
which Is less bountIiully scattered.
Much Of what 10 improperly used con-
talns snfticlent portion OF slleclous
particles 10 deceive. Ifmixed In glass
with clean water and disturbed, the
sand Will sink 10 the bottom and the
loan will make the mixture turbld.
The ordinary test Is to take 1t In the
hand, when It's sharpness will lmme.
diately be known, and II pure II will
not soil the hand. ItH purity Is due
In great part TO repeated washinSs, on
what was originally q shore, but it IL
occasionally found In small quantities.
where the stone Of which 1t was part
became dlslntegrated. That which we
get now from ocean beaches requires
washing, or the structure In which It Ia
used may show on the surface u stain
from It's saline particles. In building
the High Bridge very little sand was
used except what obtained from the
most convenient beach, and It was
thoroughly washed. The care used In
mixing the cement OF that structure
will greatly add TO its durability.
The influences at work TO prevent
Improvement In this respect are at
present more powerful than are those
In the opposite direction. We do not
soak any brick because the brIck-layer,
considering his own convenience, adj
vlses that tits unnecessary. We use mud
for our WALLS, such as may be washed
out BY rains and will not made firm
wall, because sand ID desrer than loan,
and the contractor would have all ma.
terlals cheap and his labor profitable,
We use lath and plaster on ferring or
on petition walls-composed Of wooden
jolsts, because It Is the interest Of
architects TO have buildings put up 90
that they may easily be destroyed by
fire, whereas II brick were used and
the plaster laid on wall OF that mate.
rial, fire would seldom extend to a
whole building. We use wooden stair.
cases because the amount expended
upon one OF iron or stone would fur
nish only plain and substantial piece
OF work, far less attractive to the eve
than the one which may be burned up
so rapidly as TO prevent egress from
the building. These are some oil the con.
alterations which expose US to the cree.
ton or buildings OF a character which
no good citizen can contemplate with
satisfaction. They are considerations,
too, which Indicate the combination
OF influences and interests by which
much needed reform Is 80 efiec!uall
resisted and delayed.