Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-08-31

Inc ioIio"lng Is the Ipll Text 0l the report OF
the con mission on the restoration of the Patent
office
WASHINGTON, D. c., August 9th, 1873
Hon. Cart SChlJr1, Secretary Of the I-tter9or:
The undersigned, a commission appointed 10
Examine into, and report upon, tn plans
submitted for restoring aud demonstrating
the Patent office building" have attended to
hal duty. and would respectfully rep ,rt:
We have received the contributions of thir-
tetE competitors, CONSISTING Of one lndrrd
and ten shteta containing upwards of two
hurCred and ftty-fOur drawings with eXpia
nations, and Twelve written descriptions. OF
""e-the contribution Of MT. j. Ii. merrill for
Violation OF the rules Gf Competition in falling
tt make his contribution anonymous
ron careful consideration of your letter
OF Instruction, together with circulars of June
lith. and amendments of June 9th, 1873,
and accompanying lthographic she ats, upon
Which architects were invited to base their
contributions, We resolved that our recon-
mendations must be favorable Ito that
competitor, who, taking into account the Va
nous requirements and suggestions of circular
scheme, the most Intelligent embodiment of
tneSe requirements and suggestions" also,
thai III dett rmining tue meTiGs Of the various
schemes which have been submitted we as
experts, must, in iIislic to all COMPETITORS. be
governed solely 10y the require nentS of said
cncuiaf and accompanying plans
Having now carefully examined the varions
drawings and written eXp.anatil ms, we are
unalilIhouslt ot The opinion that tna author OF
the contribution designated thus 'IMrA J.
NrydSgh Terra Haute, Ind mas presented
the most lntelllEent embodiment of the re
qulremeuiS and suggestions OF the governing
circular, aid We recommend the erection upon
tht walls o. the pre>en, hiding, uf an add
Gnnal story III ic," subs Il italy as Sng
Eesttd hy Ills comp titDr. The aiopIi0l II
THIS SCHEME VII! give dB entire new story ol
01lceS, SeV; hty t"u la uum 5-f.
IN this connection, we would recommend the
centra ccut &c ing pdsSa - ,Sno an upon Sheets
nos: j. aud l5 Of same cplnrctl;or; OF, Instead
oi this, a building, rec Angular il form, aoou5
Seyenty-five feet from north TO South. aud
SeEeGtY fe' [ nom east % NesI.
This strl cture should be tangent to thA
curve OF wall OF present stairway, OF south
wing, and connect with north wing by a AR
70" paSsa % only 'hus interfering as little "a
pos lhit with the iIh OF present building. Il
rade viii, three tinished stories IT will contain,
say. eighteen Offices thus the prop p)S1d treAJ
uent OF present building, together with the
central structure above described, will furnish
atotai Of ninety new rooEIS OF average size OF
preseD, Offices.
The new model room a proposed will b. of
uniform height and style over the whole area
Of the present building; Well arranged Tx
light and air. and Capable Of architectural
iita nent in harmony wi h the present s;ruc-
ture both externally and internally.
A d matter of interior arrangement. We
would recommend tha the principal gallery
',e made of somewhat gre!ter width than that
shown upon section sheet No Is, and placed II
aIt"er ieVe, and that narrower gallery be
paced above tHi-.
Much il genuity has been displayed by com
pe'itors il att mptS 10 secure needed space,
Vile erecting nothing which Shall be visible
above the present SKY line except at conSld
-lab!e distance from the building, but every
euch attempt develops some SeriDuS difficulty,
such. for instai ce, "a lack of sufficient height
IL proposed model room absence of light aud
Tree ci cula'lDD o. alF Interference with ligAt
and air OF present model room lack of proper
ana cor Vtnient means of communication Dp-
tween various portions OF bui ding; or funia-
mental dettct ID fornl, which ~ m engagement
of detail, however Clever, can obvi ste AMI
which III Il room of national Importance can
10 he a"crpted or overlooked,
fe question of design for restoration of
tbe bui!niDg, >ubsta italy as il stood before
ne fire, l. ha dy more thau one OF interior
detail. Taking This hy il eli We are of the
opinion that The author OF the contribution
designated thus, 5 G i'll mono7rain aAd
ei.c oss III d eli cie, III sh~ets,Nu,. AMI t, ~
hibIAed the best pi actical aIi,TeI 20 this re-
4ulteIheHt, bat iha' this arrangemhn' wou'd
require moGlfirat N by wide nllI4 OF th- cen
:Ta lonkltutl"ai ts',s2~, by I'D .ctinl oi pro
Jecticu Of case, and BY the opening IF others
parallel With this ana u, a '@r she side Wa.iis.
Also, that the roof, p o.,osej Is o.'en - seri
Gus objection, on the ground ii cotnfJy t, ar.j
would require to ne supplemented by an late
flor shell 0I c-lilng, separate from the sub
stance Of tie roof, aH6 enclosing d Sufici.nt
amountof air, with proper ventIidLing arrange
ment, irr projection agains! extreme tempera
TIL rs OF summer or winter.
The question of all "entire new roof has
been varlously answered by various competi.
Tors, but in no case has plan been suggested,
50 far superior to others or to those methods
OF construction which are the common prop
erty OF all skilled builders as to cali for special
mention.
Iron roofs, protected by lime of tiel," "por-
Gus terra Gotta or ''other improved fre-
proof materials" are recommended. The
ime OF tiel, and porous terra Gotta, are both
good materials for the purpose, and capable of
adaptation to any form Of iron work.
In the design of (, sheet No Is, which we
have recommended, a common form of roof
is indicated, spanning the width of the build
ing.
II our suggestions, as to the widening of the
galleries in this plan, be adopted, the c,lumls
may be made to stand over the intersection Of
the corridor and cross walls, as shown ia
another scheme of this contributor, tsh eet Nd.
81 in which case the piers or columns may
become parts OF the construction and thus
divide the bearing OF the roof into three com
paratlve small bays, readily spanned by a
Single beam.
We would suggest as proper locations for
three passenger elevators, The well-holeS of
the two stairways in eastern wing of presel elt
stairway of western wing, while the opposite
well hole OF the latter affords excellent Oppor-
tunity for freight elevator, il desired.
The arrangement of the pi!aSters of the south
portico is such-the outer one, which must
govern the projection of an attic, standing
considerably forward Of the line Of the inter
must. of necessity, ne supported over the space
below, primarily by transverse iron girders,
or their equivalent, resting upon the interme-
diate pilaSters and opposite columns
Before Closing our report we feel it our duty
to call attention to the very dangerous condi-
tlOn OF the ceiling and roof of the south pOr-
ticO; these are of wood, furred and plaStered
upon the under side in each case. A wall of
masonry separates the enclosed space from
the main model room, but does not pass
through the roof. In this wall are openings
into the space between the vaulting and roof
OF same, which openings are entirely unpro-
tected, being closed merely by doors OF wood.
Fire might readily be communicated to this
space, either through the roof, as in the case
OF the recent csnhagratiUn in the west wing
or from below, should any evil minded person,
with sufficient ingenuity, be tempted to take
advantage Of the present condition of the
ceiling of the pOrticO. In carrying out the
proposed changes in the main building, this
ceiling and roof should be replaced BY sub
Stantial fre-pro0f construction. Very respect
fully, tSigned1-James X Wilson, Richard
NJ. Uplohn, 81. w Hartwen
This report has not yet received the formal
approval Of the Secretary of the Interior, but
it is likely that the building will be restored
Suhsta ntially In accordance with the recon-
mendatiOn Of the commission. The Secretary
Is anxious that the plan Of a permanent work
OF this magnitude shall be the best attainable
and will reserve his final decision in the matter
until the plans proposed by this report are sub
jected to the criticism of the architects of tn
subject may be based on thorough under
standing of the features of the plans recon
meDded, arrangements have been made fO
the puhlieatIQn of the ren0rt of q cor,op,ia