The herald., 1918-06-27

The New Orleans Custom House is
one of the oldest buildings owned by
the United States, the first approprl-
alton of $500 having been made March
?. 1S45. for the preparation OF plans.
On March 8, 1S47, the first approprl-
alton of 100000 was made for the
commencement of the building. The
land on which the building stands
was coded to the United States by
the First Municipality Of New Or
leans on June %, 1913. The plans
for the building were then approved
by Robert J. Walker, Secretary OF the
! Treasury under President POLK, ana
the foundations of the building were
commenced Immediately, Henry Clay
! LAYING the cornerstone in 1913.
The building occupies an entire
! city square, having a frontage on
Canal Street of 337 feet, depth OF
3O5 feet and is so feet in height. the
building was originally intended to be
four stories in height, but on account
of changes in the design and struc-
ture of the roof under modlhed plans
prepared in 1871, the fourth story Is
suitable only for storage purposes.
The original plans for the building
were prepared by A. T. Wood, and
the work of construction was con-
Quoted under the supervision OF
lBuilding Commission appointed by
the Secretary of the Treasury, and
comprising Messrs. Alcee LeBranche,
Denis Prieur and William McKen-
rec Gwin, all citizens of New Or
leans. La. Col. William Turnbull
was Chief Superintendent of Con-
struction. and Gridley j. f. Bry-
ant. Inspector of Granite work.
On a portion of the site of this
building, Sieur de Bienville, the
second Governor of Louisiana, I'M
der the French, soon after the foun-
dation of the. City in 1871, erected
a small wooden Custom House called
nv the Creoles La Douane, ana
some portions of the block has ever
since formed the site of the New
! Orleans Custom House. This block
of land was in early days portion
| of the site of Bienville's country
house or private residence. 1t was
| TO this spot that the Ursuline Nuns
were conducted when they arrived IN
New Orleans in 1927, and they re-
sided here until the house in Char
tres street was erected by Bienyille
for their reception.
The Foundation.
The foundation of the building
consists of a grillage under each
wall, formed with a transverse layer
of four inch planks, on top OF when
| is laid a longitudinal layer OF IL
| inch X f12.inch timDers, these in
turn. being crossed by another layer
of similar timbers, this grillage be-
ing spread about, five feet on each
side of the walls, and the bottom
about nine feet below the present
street level. All timber in TINS
grillage is cypress and when uncov-
cred in 1915, to ascertain its condl-
ton. was found sound and no signs
of decay. On top of this grillage
is a layer of concrete 12-inches in
thickness and foot wider than the
walls on each side. On top of this
LAYER of concrete the brick masonry
is started, all walls having inverted
arches between all piers or acros:
all large openings, to distribute the
weight of the walls, ETC., equal!
over the entire grillage.
Not Built on Cotton Bales.
When tourists visit New Orleans
they are usually told that the Gus
tom House is built on a foundation
of cotton bales, but there is no trutl
| in the story. The only foundation
| for such story gaining publicity, ma.
be that during the early days
through the South, bale of cottol
| was used as a sort of standard o
| value, and it might have been state'
at some time that the foundation
| of the Custom House cost a certain
| number of bales of cotton, and !
| is possible the present story ema
| mated from this source.
Building Has Settled.
| A commission in 1851, appointed
to make an investigation, reported
that the site of the New Orlean
| Custom House, as ascertained from
test borings made, was the firmest
| dryest, and most reliable in AM
about the city; yet in 1850 tn
building had settled about feet,
inches. On account of this settle
ment the original plans for finish
ing the building were never carrie,
out. 1t was intended to provide
large dome over the central rotund
of the building, and top the wall
with a granite cornice, but the dom
was omitted and the cornice mad
of cast iron in lieu of granite as in
tended.
The exterior walls are fee
thick of granite, backed up wit
brick masonry; the interior wall
: are in like proportion to the build
ing. Through all walls at interval
!, of about 2 feet in height 1-4-inch
| 3-inch flat iron bands are built Il
| the longitudinal joints of the brick
work, and the wisdom of this rein
| forcement is shown by the fact tina
with all the settlement that has takel
place there are no serious cracks II
any of the walls of the building.
In the SOS. General (then Mayo
Beauregard was put in charge OF tn