Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-07-12
An Iron Palace.
Reading (Pa.) Eagle

lheadlng tfa) Eagle
George L. Huston, of Parkesburg, Chester
County, Pa, will build palatial private
mansion for himself entirely Of iron, the
foundation being of solid rock. The archi-
tect is an Englishman whom Mr.. Huston
recently met while abroad. The iron work
is now being turned out at Coatesville, as
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 the same 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 structure 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 differ
ent 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
sufficient to keep the house comfortable in
the coldest weather, so that the heating can
be done with about one-half the fuel re-
quired in ordinary houses.
All the doors and window-sashes will also
be iron, but will be constructed in such a
light way and so nicely balanced upon
hinges and weights as to open and shut as
easily as those made of wood. All the in
side walls and partitions will be handsome
ly painted and frescoed, so as to present the
appearance of any ordinary house finished
in plaster. Outside, the style of architec-
ture will be light and graceful, and it will
be painted and ornamented so as to look as
if it was built of wood. The roof will be of
strong boiler-plate, and on the top, at the
conveyance 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 the same
material. In the parlor will be mantle of
polished steel, handsomely ornamented
There will be similar one in the dining
room, upon which will be engraved hunt
ing scenes. In the library will be mas
sive mantle so constructed that it will look
as if it were made of pig-iron fused to-
gether
Quite curiosity in this room will be
cabinet for the exhibition of specimens of
iron. This will be constructed entirely of
strongly magnetized iron, so that all the
specimens will adhear to the back of it, held
in place solely by magnetic attraction. In
Ordersto guard against the bungling which
would take place in such a solid iron struc-
ture on account of the contraction and ex-
pansion caused by the heat and cold, there
will be breaks in the iron at intervals,
which will be filled with rubber, so that
when expansion takes place there will 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 in any part, nothing
can burn but the carpets and the few
articles of wood that may be within reach of
the flames. The house will be an architec-
tural and scientific curiosity. Mr.. Huston
admits that it may cost twice or three times
as much as an ordinary house, but claims
that with little attention it will last for
centuries without repairs, and will never
cost cent for insurance.