The Placer herald., 1871-04-08


walls of the first story are of granite, IL feet
in hight and 3 feet thick. This granite rock
was quarried from an excavation made in
gently sloping hill and where the building
now stands. Sufficient rock was also quar-
ried for the erection of still-house, very
soon to be commenced, and which, in dimen
sion will be 80 feet by % feet. The first
story of the building first referred to is sup
ported by five sets of massive stringers, eacL
10 inches by II mches-those stringers sup
ported by columns II by II and standing on
brick piers built in cement-the piers resting
on bedrock of solid granite. The columns
occur every 8 feet; then come the joists, 4
10y II and only one foot apart, then floor
of sugar-pine boards, each II inches thick
over this floor was spread layer Of pull
verized decomposed granite 10 inches deep
and we'll pounded down and to "cap the
c,imateric" as it were, over all is a bed Of
cement q inches thick, completely impervi
Gus to water and fire-proof also. On the
top of that, occurs another set of stringers
p. .ecisey similar to that already mentioned
as in tile cellar below, each stronger sup
ported by brick column running up 3 feet
8 inches, and resting en- the stringers first
mentioned Immediately over the first columns.
On the top of those stringers comes the .joists,
4 inches by II and only inches apart, and
strong enough to uphold the largest train Of
cars that ever thundered over railroad.
On those joists is another floor, from which
springs the same number Of columns-half
in dimensions Of those already spoken of, then
another set Of .osts and floor and from the
latter springs another set of columns one
third the size of those first referred 10.
These columns rise to the massive stringer
that supports the roof The studding in the
second story is inches by 6, heavily brac
ed, morised and pinned-the corner posts
being II inches by II inches, all framed and
mortised into sill 10 inches by -. The
balance of the studding intervening to that
we have spoken of is inches by 6. The
siding is Of clear sugar-pins, dressed and
painted with three coats of paint. The main
body is Of straw, finishing of white, while
the doors are Of slate color In front of this
fine structure is porch, fifty feet long by
13 feet wide constructed of I inch red wood,
torgued, grooved and finished in artistic
style. Everything that modern science has
devised fer proper ventilation has been ap-
Piled in the erection of the bli'dng. In fr )nt
are til ee openings, well guarded with iron
CRATES Al the back part are two hues, or
perhaps more properly speaking chimneys,
running up and through the granite wall on
the outside and above for twelve feet, con-
4tructed Of brick. There are forty windows
in the building. Running around the base
outside is Aumc (shond you choose to cali
it euch), three feet wide, covered with ce
nent and bordered with parapet of granite.
This is TO carry away water which might
come from adjacent portions Of the grounds,
and from the roof of the building. The sec
ond story is the fermenting room, and as
every one knows that when the grape juice
is in the process of fermentation it will over
flow, pipes Nre ingeniously laid, which emerge
from the walls of the building and thus con-
vey the liquid TO the fume beneath. The
two upper stories are ceiled The space (G
inches) between the ceiling and weather
boarding being filled with oawdust. The
ceiling of clear sugar pine is washed with
some kind Of material which will resist the
action of fire. Paint would not. The front
portion of the building is on level ground,
then extends backward 100 feet, its entire
length. In this 100 feet an elevation was
gained on the hill of seventeen feet. 1t is
evident, therefore, when the ground was ex-
cavated and graded for the reception of the
building, the ascent to the third story by an
inclined plane from the rear of the structure
would be very easy. This third story is the
f,,,.t 1 cd (,~ 81
in every similar respect to the fermentation
room below. The grapes are hurled with
velocity up the gentle incline and crushed.
Instead of conveying the juice in buckets to
the fermenting room, hose is applied,
through which it passes through the floor to
the barrels or other receptacles below for fer
mentaton. Again, in front Of the second
story is a handsome varandah, 13 feet wide
The casks are rolled out here from the fer
mentaton room, to be prepared for the re-
cepton of the wine, which is done by thor
ously cleansing with pure soft water from
never failing well through hose by force
pump outside. From the fermenting room
TO the cellar underneath, the wine is con-
veyed by hose through the floor in the
same way that the juice is sent from the
crushing room above. Again, all the ma
terial in the fermenting room for the manu-
facture of brandy will be conveyed by troughs
or fumes to the Still House just about to
be built, so that everything that wealth could
command and art and ingenuity devise have
been lavished here to facilitate his business,
by Mr.. Nickeson All doors are furnished
with burglar-proof locks, and windows also.
The whole cdifce stands on bed of granite,
everlasting as the hills. The doors and win
dows of the cellar have iron shutters, fire
and burglar-proof.
This grand structure was commenced
about the first of June Of last year, and on
an average, fifteen men were employed daily
in its construction-the whole being superin-
tended and directed by Mr.. Nickeson, in
person; and in concluding our discursive rap
id description of the building, permit us to
say, that in all our pcregrinations through
California for more than twenty-five years.