The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-03-05
Old Roman EBrackwork,

There is no doubt as to the antiquity O
the arch. poifited or round-the former
shape originates in the gable; and is ex.
empllfied by every child as he begins Iiis
house of cards. It is also the most natural
form for 'horizontal'' vaultings, built Oh
left in a wall; the true or radiating arch
built of wedge-shaped blocks, being nat
urally adapted to the circular shape The
Romans never used any form but this, and
the Cloaca Maxima consists Of three arches
OF this construction, one within another
Great constructions like the vaults of NV
cenn and Tiryns, heWn as it were out of
the solid substance of wall, and support
ed as part of it, and not as wedge-Iike
blocks, by their own conference, have moth
ing to do with the transition of the true
arch from Greek to Gothic. And there was
this special fitness III the radiating arch for
Christian and Northern Gethic work. that
it lent itself in particular to architecture
Of domestic character and the minor ma
terials. Baths and cloacsp could not and
needed not all be carried out in the Pen
telic marble which Attic temples had at
hand The utilitarian buildings Of Rome
are made admirable and impressive by
scale and skill in rough material, and in
them was passed III some degree from the
impressions of beauty into those of discip-
/ lined and proportioued force The Pan
theon, as combining both in the highest
| degree, must be forever considered to hold
| the same position in Latin and deriyative
architecture, as the Panthenon in pure
| Greek. But less costly materials had to be
used on great scale throughout the en-
pire. The magnitude of Roman buildings
was necessary to the greatness Of Rome,
and her citizens not only ased the traver-
tine of their own hills, but applied them
selves vigorously to brickmaking. Brick
edifices were so common in Rome up to
the Augistan Age, as to give occasion to
the Emperor's boast that he (or, more
properly, Vipsanius Agrippa) had found
Rome Of BRICK (ldterttiam,) and left her OF
marble, or, rather, incrusted with it. It
dating arches. The thin, well-burned
''tetradon'' or penatadoronn tile answered
every purpose, could be worked in any-
how, Or be manufactured anywhere; and,
with its fresh cement Of lime burned on
the day Of using, was almost imperish-
able The arch, says Ferguson, was
never properly understood till the Ro-
man tiles were used for it. As with
Babylonlan bricks Of more distant time,
they were daily dated, with time and place,
makers name and Consulate, and are Of
ten important chronological evidence
The Twenty-seco1d Legion has been traced
through great part Of Germany BY the
bricks which bear his name. Bricks OF
the Sixth and Ninth Legions are found at
York, and dates thus obtained have
been found of g4eat value IN determining
the period of Christian sepulchral cham
bers, as in the cemetery Of s. Domitalla,
which contains dated tiles of Hadrian,s
reign. Mr.. Parker's photographs of the
House of Pudens contain excellent speci-
iLcHS ~ lhc ~ " anu sccoIu century Drick
Or tile work, and illustrate its excellent ap-
plication of radiating arches. The use of
less splendid materials seems in times to
have worked both ways, and ministered to
pride Of science instead Of pride of state.
Mr. Street has explained in . manner
equally interesting and convincing, how
the progress Of architectural skill in build
ing vast structures with bricks or stones Of
small size, no larger than a man could
carry, gradually engrossed attention 10
that men began to vie with each other IN
Wonder-Working ingenuities Of construc-
ton, and to think less Of sculpture and
or expression Of solemn or inten-
aiye though The Gotemporary Reeiesc.