The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-01-20
An Iron Palace.

The Reading, Pa, Eagle, says Geo.
L. Huston of Parkesburg, Chester county,
Pa, will build a palatial private mansion
for himself entirely of iron, the foundations
being of solid rock. The architect is an
Englishman whom Mr.. Huston recently
met while abroad The iron work is now
being turned out at Coatesville, as the su-
perstructure is to be of iron entirely. The
floor of the hall, vestibule and library will
be laid with polished cast iron tiles, in which
different qualities of iron will be used to
produce some variety of color as in ordinary
tile flooring. All the other floors of the
house will be of stout iron plates firmly
bolted to the iron joists. The outside wall
and inside partitions all through the struc-
ture will be composed of two courses of
iron plates firmly bolted together, SO as to
be air-tight These hollow iron walls and
partitions will be used instead of chimneys
and for conveying heat to the different
parts of the house, and for ventilation.
The hot smoke and gases from the furnaces
passing through the sides of the rooms in
this way will, it is claimed, be almost suf-
fcient to keep the house comfortable In the
coolest weather, so that the heating can be
done with about one-half the fuel required
in ordinary houses. All the doors and
windows sashes will also be iron, but will
be constructed in such light way and SO
nicely balanced upon hinges and weights as
to open and shut as easily as those made of
wood. All the inside walls and partitions
will be handsomely painted and frescoed so
as to present the appearance of an ordinary
house finished in plaster Outside, the
style of architecture will be light and grace
full, and it will be painted and ornamented
so as to look as if built of wood The roof
will be of strong boiler plate, and on the
top, at the convergence OF the four gables,
will be a handsome observatory supported
at the four corners by four Ionic pillars of
iron. Inside the ornaments will be made
of same material In the parlor will be
mantel of polished steel, handsomely orna-
mented. There will be similar one in the
dining-room, upon which will be engraved
hunting scenes. In the library will be a
massive mantel so constructed that it will
look as if it were made of pig iron fused
COSeIHer. QulGo d ouAAoSAoJ a. "AA"' AoO
will be a cabinet for the exhibition of spec
linens of iron. This will be constructed
entirely of strongly magnetized iron, so
that ali the specimens will adhere to the
back of it, held in place solely by magnetic
attraction. In order to guard against the
bungling which would take place in such
solid iron structure on account ofthe contrac-
ton and expansion caused by the heat and
cold, there will be breaks in the IRON at in
tervals, which will be filed with rubber, SO
that when expansion takes place there VIII
be room for it without producing any
change in the contour of the framework;
AS much as possible of the furniture will
also be of iron, SO that if it takes fire many
part, nothing can burn but the carpets ana
the few articles of wood that may be within
reach of the flames, The house will be an
architectural and scientific curiosity. Mr..
Huston admits that it may cost twice or
three times as much as any ordinary house,
but claims that with little attention it will
last for centuries without repairs, and VIII
never cost cent for insurance,