The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-11
xIrc.rrcor NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. letter
from, Hiram Pow crs---2Eon lii" IhiN
Arches arc EsuiIt in Houses


Firc.Prcor NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. fIcttci
from Hiram Pow crS---2FoN Hse hhiN
Arches arc tIuilt in Dwelling o'sscs
ia Florence.
In the ;n.ercstn" letter from Mr.. Powers,
which VIC quoted recently from the lfo'''
,l"urc .Jnir7,ni. reference WAS m"dcto q ms
,hol Of supporting floors ~ arches, now II
y,,lr il Italy. and ado.tcd hy Mr.. Power
in the construction Of his own villa. Ito"
flto>c arches ere constructed Is further en-
paiuca i.v Mr.. Powers III The following l''!-
ter, which we take from tic same Journal:
FLORENCE. February II, 1872.
Dear Sir,-I have but little time apart from
m, work 10 answer your inquiry Ill Regard
20 the thin arches built here Tor dwelling
houses. The builders first throw up all the
walls without any flooring whatever. 1ht
walls arc hound, when Necessary. all ;roi'no
with iron reds, varyin.: from IN lncl! 10 a.
inch and half in diameter. Standing beio"
and looking up, YOU II Ir>t might net per-
ceive 4 Slight recess i'll tie walls ut the POM
where the arch is 10 rest. Il is about on
md q half inches deep, and two and L liai.
inches high.
Mucu ,ury are ready to lcgin the arch
STAGING is made all around the room for tic
ml>9ns 20 stand on. They ,r>t CT all make
with plaster of paris smooth place Oh TIC
walls on which 10 draw tEc curve intended
for the arch. OF colr,c this curved !ln
presents the appearance of bow. the ends
meeting at the base Of the arch at each cor
nrr Of the room. Bricks. one foot long and
six inches broad. and one and half inches
thick, well burnt. bllt not so hard rs 10 at
serb water, are brought. aid plaster OF pari>
instead Of mortar to lay them with. Tho
mason. now stretch small cords across from
corner to corner Of each wall, Tie ends fast
enod six inches distant from tie batter, and
on the carve Of the arch. They then, Wit!
trowc!s aad brush, mix upon their boards g
snail quantity Of plaster to The consistency
OF mortar, and each taking Il brick, apply the
plaster to one end and one side Of il, and IN
SANITY place it in position, where they hole
il for 4 moment 10 allow the brick, by al
sorbing the water, SO to tbickcn and stil1t
the plaster rs to hold the brick in lis place.
They then take another, placing it aga,na'
the wall and the first brick, and 20 they sc
on until the four mason> have projected their
arch six inches out into the sl,ace, aud i'll
c.inel upward according to the curve OF I'll,
arch. The m:lSonS now stretch their cord
on the curve Of the arch, another six inches
out, and so they 90 on until some support l.
required, which is obtained by placing four
rli!cr> from the centre Of each wall and AL
meeting in the middle Of the space, So Il, not
to project above tIe highest part o! lhcarc!.
They then place Il brick OF two on each Of
these raitcls cpdwi>e, until they touch both
ra.tcr and arch; little plaster Of paris i
used to stay the bricks. This DONE they 20
on again until the arch is completed. But
note where the bricks meet at the corners they
plSs one another little at every alternate
row, SO as to make y Scrrated junction. This
makes the corners stronger than anywhere
else. When the arch is done it is nowhere
more than inch and Il half thick, but you c;u
safely walk upon it, and it sounds like q
drum. The uppelno>t or garnet vaults arc
usually stitcncd with braces Of bricks from
the walls toward the middle. These vaults
have no floors on them.
The vaults done, we now want to gill III
the spaces and lay the tile floors. The frs
we do witha number Of small arches, dcCl
at the walls, but coming to nothing rs they
approach the centre. These serve double
purpose--they brace and sticn the arch, AMI
also ill up the spaces, until, by using old
wall rubbish, which is lighter than sand, The
ground for the brick flooring is prepared,
which flooring is laid, not with plaster OF
paris, but mortar. Thus this thin arch is
honey-combcd, rs it were, for lShtncSS, and
IL Is 81 Stitiiss tH.l d luOiil twenty-five 1cct
square is quite safe for Il dancing party. But
it is important that you have good mortar FOL
your walls, much lime and little sand; tho
mortar should become as hard as the bricks
l have seen mortar in walls of six years
standing. III Cincinnati, that I could dig ou1
with my nails. This is not tic wall for any
kind oil arch TO rest Oh and against. Obsery,
that the curves of the little arches on top 0
the main arch run counter to the curve o
the main arch.
still think that il several builders coult
club together. it would be well to send GU
here for mason who fully understands III,
matter. l have been told that there ar,
arches of this description at Nctcrla Which
have stood certainly several thousand wears
They are in the tomhs of that very ancien
city, and the arch is called " The Noltcrluno.
have seen these arches without any plaster
on them, the bricks so laid as to present /;
beautiful mosaic appearance. The cost OF
them is very small, us you must have per
ceived from the above description, and the,
are SO light Is to require no Very great thick.
ness Of outer wall. Yours. faithfully,
HIRAM Powers.
Henry Horard, Esq.
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