Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-12-09
A DARING STRUCTURAL FEAT
GREAT SKILL DISPLAYED ON
THE NEW CHAPEL.
Building Being Erected AT The
Academy Without The
Aid of Outside
Scaffold
GREAT PROGRESS IS MADE.

GREAT PROGRESS IS MADE.
On the grounds of the Naval Acad-
emy, is being completed one of the most
daring feats of structural work ever
before attempted in the United States
To one who does not understand the
principal on which the work is being
done would be suggested the position
of the man who stood on the outer end
of the limb while he sawed that men,
Der from the body of the tree.
Although, in this case, the founda-
tion of the building in course Of coli
struction was built first, indications
are that it would have been equally
easy TO build downward from the roof
Practically all of the work on the
building has been done by means of
hanging scaffolds and as the work pro-
crosses the lower scaffold is removed
TO be added to. the top. The building
with which these strange liberties are
being taken is the new chapel for the
midshipmen and officers and is to cost
slightly less than half million of dol
lars Towering 2l0 feet above sea
level it will dominate the cluster of
buildings of the new Academy, which
will cost $l5, 600, 600. 1t will stand at
the head of the plaza system on which
the buildings are being erected.
Leading away from the chapel and
toward the broad flowing Severn river
the costly buildings become more
squatty in shape and size after the plan
of the architectural arrangement at
the st. Louis fair. Much has been
written of the buildings at the Acad-
emy, their uses, cost and architectural
arrangement, but nothing has. hereto
fore, been written with reference TO
the gigantic task undertaken by the
builders of the chapel. They have at
tempted feat in the face of the posi-
tive statement on the part of we'll
known engineers that it could not be
done and that utter failure would re-
suit from the attempt. In spite of the
many discouraging prophecies the con-
tractors have perseved in their efforts
and now are to be met with the tri
umph of success. In very few days
the contractors who have been doing
the structural work will turn the
building over to the original contrac-
tors FOR the finishing work. This
will mark the completion of the only
structure of its kind in the country,
although work similar to this which is
being done has figured in many of
the large buildings of France for a
number of years.
The contract for the chapel was
taken by the Noel Construction Com
pany which, in turn, sublet the work
TO the Baltimore Ferro Concrete Com
pany, which is now finishing the
structural work. 1t might be said that
concrete alone is used in the building,
although bar steel and iron is used to
a considerable extent. Even though
the building and the huge dome which
surmounts it were left without the
terra Gotta covering which it will
later receive, it would Withstand the
weather of years without material
damage or loss to its beauty The fact
that the dome, columns and arches are
made of solid concrete is not particu-
larly wonderful, nor does it reflect
any great advance in the building line
as compared to the work of years ago,
but the manner in which the concrete
was placed in position is what makes
it so unusual. Absolutely no supports
were used in the moulding of the
different sections of the buildings. al
though many of the portions are on a
perfect circle. Each and every bit of
concrete used in the building other
than in the columns is really q key
stone.
When Camille Siquot came here
from France little more than four
months ago to conduct the work for
the Ferro Concrete Company he was
laughed at by many who heard of the
manner in which he intended to erect
the concrete building. He proceeded
with his work and today the practi-
calIy completed building is guaran-
tee that he knew whereof he spoke.
The building is practically the shape
of q Grecian cross, the central por-
tion of which has been rounded. The
floor space of this is SO feet in diane
ter, which, with the transepts give a
floor space ll6 feet square. Each of
the transepts is built in the form of
an arch, they being four in number.
AS each of these arches has but four
legs, each of which is about two feet
in diameter, it will be seen that the
enormous series of domes which con-
tinue upward 2l0 feet, stand upon
rather slender legs.
The pillars, or legs, were built in
much the same manner as any other
concrete structure. When the arches
were started it was seen, however,
that Siquot was going to attempt
something never before seen in this
country. Instead of securing the
wooden frames which are generally
held in position by scaffolding to hold
the great weight of concrete which
is placed in position to form the arch.
no artificial aides were employed.
The wooden boxes, or molds, were
added in short sections, the longest of
which was less that 2 feet. AS the
work progressed and the arch took
shape, it seemed that it must break
and fall by sheer weight. Work pro-
gressed from both sides till the two
points met at what, in masonry,
would be the keystone and were then
joined together by the simple addition
of more concrete. The weight must
have been something enormous, but in
spite of that fact they retained their
position through each successive stage
of the work and, of course, when com-
pleted the danger of collapse was
passed.
1t was in tile construction of the
dome and the walls which support il
that Siquot displayed the greatest skill.
1t seemed more a work of creation
than construction and stands today as
an example of what is daily being ac-
complished along new lines. In this,
the tension strength Of concrete il
given test more severe than any
a a q