Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-05-14
~17cTI,1so OF m-oonHrENTs.

0OLO AI14s ~ ~ "A. S1O
Saturday Kveai.I..-:-
T1r v1cr1nso OF noo.PzTHSTs'
I'm. origin of the fearful calamity
which recently occurreu
",ond Is a question of public import
.nos everywhere. There is no better
a n,o of the necessity for the
thorough and scientific instruction of
.nrnr mechanics and artisans than
THAT the people 50 frequently read of
concerning the falling Of houses and
consequent destruction of life and
limb. We had accounts Of two such
accidents since the dreadful occur
rance in Richmond. But it is only
when some disaster occurs that de-
s,rovs scores and hundreds Of lives
that the public mind is so strongly
aroused as to take effective means to
guard against the recurrence Of such
terrible tragedies. The construction
Of a building that can by any posi-
bility be made use Of for the congrega-
ton Of large numbers of people, is an
important matter that should always
be placed in uuquestionably competent
hands. As a general rule such men
are chosen !; too often however, they
are not. But it very frequently hap
pens in the course of years, that build
ings~ carefully constructed by the origi-
nal architects and builders are put in
charge Of inferior architects or igno-
rant persons, to be altered to suit other
purposes. This is nearly always q
fatal mistake, for if there is any dis
elimination to be made there should be
more care In the selection of the di-
recting head, where alterations are to
be made in a large building, than If 1t
were to be an entirely new structure.
But the safe rule is to employ only the
best men in all cases where large num-
bers of persons may be placed in peril,
whether the proposed building is Gu
tirely new or only an altered one. II
is quite too common to take serious
risks to save material, workmanship
and cost. Such buildings always
should be subjected to the tests, and
constructed upon the principles ap'
piled to railway bridges or irst-clas'
roads-that Is the maximum Loaf
which by any possibility can be PLACED
upon them, whether Of freight, o
merchandise In store, or the more pre-
cious burden Of human beings, should
be first carefully ascertained, an,
then the walls and flsors, and ever,
part on which any part of the strain
can rest, should be so constructe,
as to bear five or ten time
the maximum load so ascertained
When a new building falls down it i
nearly always because the architect o
builder is ignorant, or because he reck
lessly d~isregards the plainest princi
Piles of mechanical science. When thi
happens with an altered old building
1t Is most frequently through pur,
ignorance. Some men who take charge
of such operations seem to have ne
idea that those parts of a building
upon which nearly the whole weight
Of the structure rests should be firm
and strong, and continuous from thu
foundation trenches to the uppermos
girder, rafter or joist at the top Of tn,
house. They do their work as If thu
weight Of a building has some inheren
magical property Of sustaining itsel
in the air without other support. A
to the breaking down Of the Richmopt
Courtroom, it Is not quite certain
which part gave way first, whether tn,
gallery or the middle Of the floor. Thu
latter was supported by three timber
Orders, about thirty-four feet long
twenty inches by twelve, and place.
fourteen feet apart. They were moi
supported by pillars below, and the
middle one, which broke down, had
"settled' about nine inches before the
disaster. Some think it gave way
first under the weight Of the crowd
upon it, and carried the gallery along.
Others believe that the gallery and
the crowd Of people on it fell first,
and by the additional weight thus pre-
cipitated suddenly upon the middle of
the weak girder broke that and carried
all down together. In either 9 there
were lamentable defects Of construc-
ton for such a building, for the gallery
was supported by q heavy girder, which
In Its turn was supported by nothing,
for all it had under 1t was n meagre
wooden post At either end, and wa
nowhere supported by the wall. 1t Il
q wonder that It did not fall long ago
Thorough instruction of youn:
artisans In the principles of mechanical
science, and the utmost care in the sc
lection Of competent architects ant
builders for public buildings, and espe
cially for alterations in old building:
used, or to be used, for public pur
poses, are the true remedies for thes'
shocking tragedies. As the new Cap
itol at Carson City is now in course o
construction, We would suggest to th'
Commissioners who have charge Of til,
business, that they see to it that nj
second Richmond affair happens il
this State. While we believe the con
tractor, Mr.. Cavanaugh, will do til
best he knows how in the construction
of the building, it is well known tina
he Is not an architect or builder; and
however honest and well meaning h
may be in his work, it may turn ont
second Richmond structure. We max
the suggestion in good faith.
A NOTE OF WARNING.-The New
York Express Democratic) says:
1t II understood that the Finance Commit