The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-21
THE SAFETY OF OUR PUBLIC
BUILDINGS.
Editor of the statesman :

Editor OF the Statesman
And our temporary capitol
building has fallen and architects |
have been summoned to pass on the !
causes; to hold post-mortem?
Does this seem necessary? About |
the same thing was done when the |
old capitol building was burned,
and they, the experts" concluded
just as all other sensible people
about the capitol, that it was burned
from defective flues-from no fue at
all. The new building has fallen.
"The rains have beaten" upon the
walls, and the walls have simply
fallen, not having been properly
built. There might be some excuse
in the explanation that "the walls
were green, etc. etc." if it was I'M
derstood that the capitol building
was after completion to be pro-
tected by false roof or covering to
shield 1t from rain aud storm. Too
much reliance is placed, and has
been placed, in what experts have
said, and are always ready to say.
There Is also too much hurry, too
great haste, too much show
of economy, when sensible, common
sense people know all the time that
the economy talked of is dear, is
always the most expensive thing en-
countered.
When the contractor built the
boarding department of the agricul-
tural and mechanical college at
Bryan storm of rain and wind
threw down one entire side, and
nearly, whole end wall-the con-
tractor made it good.
When the college went into opera
ton the main building had cracked,
the stairway had straightway "to
be braced," sured-up, or it would
have tumbled. The professors
houses were built-five in number
in hurry, of course, but without
proper foundations, walls, etc. They
have been cracking and falling ever
since, and repairs have cost no little.
"The state architect" then, one of
the experts" now, was the archi.
tect-with the most extraordinary
powers in the premises-of all the
buildings of the A. Il M. college.
His powers were SO absolute that
Gov. Coke, then president of the
board, on arrival was surprised to
find that his express wishes as to
the arrangement and general make
up of the whole had been totally dis
regarded. II huge piles of brick
and masonry are demanded, as they
seem to be by the tastes of our Tex
as boards, whether ofcapitol or other
public buildings, their huge foun-
dations and thick solid walls must
steadily, not hurridly, rise upon
their foundation. What writer in
Teas Jnur9aal of EducattOn said
| about your university build
ings may not be amiss even, as ii
is understood, after all tie expert
ence OF all the countries, they are
building a sort of golden temple up
on College Hill, which, before COM
pletion, may be visited by storm of
rain and wind, while the walls are in
the green state. 1t was said:
"The middle ages have not built
cloisters for us, why should we build
for the middle ages? We do not
need monumental piles. Had the
money that has been sunk in brick
and mortar in this country during
the last twenty years been judicious-
ly invested, the salary of every pro-
lessor in America might have been
doubled at this moment. The city
of Philadelphia expended two mil
lions of dollars upon Girard college.
1t succeeded in building Grecian
temple that is the wonder of the
visitor and the terror of the teacher"
OF the income of the Girard estate
in 1880, $S1O,397, $350,112 was ex-
pended in repairs upon Girard COL
lege buildings the same year.
How different the example of the
great Bismarck. Within three years
from the annexation of Alsace, the
German government re-established
the university of incentive men !;
and the ultimate test OF university
is its ability to command, to secure
and to retain learned and enthusi-
astic professors.
But If an example nearer home is
necessary, John Hopkins university
began in rented rooms, and as vet
has not any separate and distinct
university buildings.
Strasburg, with eighty professors
and over six hundred students, has
not single building it can properly
call its own. This was not for the
lack of funds. Bismark knew too
we'll that the strength of u university
did not consist In dead buildings
mere mortar and stone decorated by
the fanciful hand of the architect.
Hoping that large amount of
common sense may be brought into
requisition and less of theoretical
fancy, even though it be the deliver
ance and opinion of Grained ex-
perts," in our next efforts for tenn
porary capitol building, l am yours
sincerely A TAXPAYER