The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-28
THE TEMPORARY CAPITOL.
DETAILS OF RHCOMMENDA.
TIONS by COL. MEYERS.
They Bear the Impress OF a KnOwl.
edge OF kais Business.

edge OF ais Business.
MT. smith Will Garry Them ont
But VIII Ask Additional Conn
Pensation.
Col. II. G. Meyers. designing architec
OF the Texas state capitol building, wa
called here recently to examine and ap
prove the balance OF the tracings OF the
original plans and detail drawings OF the
building, duty required Of HIM by Law
passed at the extra session OF the legisla
ture. After having performed this duty
and about to return TO his home
ne was requested by the capitol board, al
meeting held last Wednesday, to make
an examination OF the temporary capito
building, and submit such recommends
lions as be would deem proper, to make
the building as secure and safe as any
building when erected In a workman.
like manner. In obedience to the request
OF the board, Col. Meyers made efu
but hasty survey of the structure, and
upon the following morning submitted
the recommendation given below, which
were prepared in n night. An inteli.
gent observer, whether he be architect
or not, cannot fail to see, upon
n careful perusal of these recommends
in which they were prepared, that they
bear the impress OF one who has profound
varied, and practical experience in the
different departments of architecture.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
The removing and rebuilding OF all the
piers to the columns in the room desig.
mated as the complroller's general business
ofice, and In lieu thereof l would SUI 1sti.
tute piers three feet square at their base
commencing on rock or where the earth
lie firm, and battering up to two feet
square at the top line, which should be
the under line of the concrete floor.
These piers should be built of large stone,
well bedded and banded together, having
at least two through stones of the area OF
the pier. The stones used should be hard
hmestones, laid In cement mortar, the
surface OF the stones to be washed clean
just before being laid. The piers should
then be capped over with a stone with an
area Of two feet square and nine
De smoothly dressed and cut TO
the form rs per diagram attached.
This capstone should DE made OF hard
limestone, the top bed OF the stone to be
a true surface and bedded on bed of by
draulic cement.
The two small inside walls around the
room designated as the comptroller's pri-
the bottom of the foundation and rebuilt
of the thickness shown on the plans, ex-
cept ut the angle, where pier should be
built In connection with this wall, COM
mencing at the foundation three feet
square, and battering up and finishing
the same as the piers that support the
comptroller's large room, and fTom the
line Of the floor up to the under-side OF
the Orders which supports the second
hoor, the pier should be built OF large
blocks OF stone, well bonded together
and TO the wall with hoop iron to project
Mt least three feet each way on the wall
The north wall from the doorway of the
hall to the west end of the building, and
also the west wall from the north
end to the line of the fourth window
therefrom, should be taken down to the
top OF the foundation; and, provided the
foundation should be ascertained to have
been properly laid, then commence from
the top OF the foundation and erect new
walls of the thickness and height re-
quired by the plans. The said new walls
should be laid with selected large stones
OF hat beds and svuare builds. The first
course laid on top OF the foundation
should be hard limestone, and be of the
full width OF the wall and at least eigh-
teen inches wide, having almost true and
even quarry beds and equal thickness.
These stones should be carefully bed
ded on hydraulic cement on the founda-
ton. The walls from this line up should
then be built in range rubble mason
ry and well bedded and bonded to-
gether and at least every third course In
height should be In size about two-thirds
OF the width of the wall, using for the
first and second stories of these walls
selected large size stones, which should
be laid in hydraulic cement mortar. All
joints and intersects should be chinked
or slushed solid with cement mortar and
chips OF stones, and the joints on the out
side OF the wall carefully pointed. Re-
move the north wall from the line OF the
second story to the top of the building,
commencing at the east jam of the fourth
window from the main front and rebuild
this new piece of wall in the same
manner hereinbefore described for the
other portion of the new north wall.
Connect this new piece of wall with the
old wall by either toothing or binding the
stone into the old wall. The mortar on
the surfaces OF the stone of the old wall
should be removed before connecting the
new wall thereto, and where possible large
stone should be laid so as to form firm
bond between the old and new wall.
That portion OF the west wall common
cling ut the top of the window frame of
the fourth window from the north front
OF the third story, from thence
south around the angle to the
center of the pier between the
second and third windows OF the
the south wall should be removed and re-
built in the manner hereinbefore de-
scribed for the new walls. That three
double lines of hoop iron should be built
IN the wa Is to tie them more firmly to-
gether.
In order To obviate the removal of the
entire west and south walls, would
that these walls be strength
ened by placing 2x6 studding, IL inches
to their centers along the entire inside
surface of said walls in each story. To
support this studding in the first story. an
INSIDE wall should built along the
side of the foundation at least IL
inches thick; the stone to be
laid IN cement mortar, and large
spikes or pieces OF iron should be driven
into the mortar joints of the foundation
walls, and care should be taken in build
ing up the new wall that the spikes have
a proper anchorage TO connect as much as
possible the old and new walls together.
All debris should be carefully brushed
on and the mortar In joints between the
stone In the old walls to be removed at
least one and half inches deep, in order
that the mortar oil the new wall can be
properly cllnched with the cement of the
old wall. At the floor line on top of the
new foundation wall piece Of Axe tim
Der should be bedded in cement. A SIM
liar piece should be spiked on to the
piece that 10 beddeu on the wall and the
joint properly broken. The upright stud
ding around the walls should each be
spiked to these pieces of timber. At the
top Of these studdings there should he
placed two pieces OF 2x6 studding,
the drst piece spiked to the under side
OF the joist, the second piece spiked to the
first piece, and the Joints alternately
broken, and the studdlng spiked to these
plates. Where the joists run parallel
with the partitions pieces ola similar size
should be spiked to the top oil the stud
ding, forming n tie or sill to which the
jolst Of the other floors can be spiked, and
the uprights and plates spiked TO the
toist, or TO have pieces cut between the
the sides Of the uprights. On the top Of
be placed stills made of thickness
of Axe timber--the first piece to
be spiked on top of the joist,
aud the second piece to be spiked to the
first piece--the joints to be alternately
broken. Pieces OF Exc should be housed
between the studdlng each side Of the
windows, and firmly spiked together, and
the upright studding to be spiked into
the pieces forming the heads Of window
openings and into tho plates under the
joist. At each OF the angles ofthe build
ing at each story there should be placed
at top and bottom OF each floor, braces
having a horizontal and vertical run OF
at least i've feet and longer, II the window
openings win permit Il. These braces
should be Joined into the upright stud
ding and spiked together at all eonnec-
tons.