Evening star., 1930-11-30
THE ACE OF THE METAL HOUSE
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

AS a means Of catching up with the
tremendous overproduction which has
brought depression in mining and metal
manufacture, concerted effort Is being
made to increase the use of various
metals in building. The proposed de-
velopment Is Of special interest because
Of the effect its adoption is likely to
have upon the architecture Of the
| Nation.
| This is an age in which steel con-
struction has become highly developed,
| especially in the United States. That
can scarcely be very greatly intensified
to speed up consumption of building
metal. 1t is in other directions that
the introduction of more metal into
buildings will be pressed. The skeleton
steel construction In modern sky
Scraper has created new type of
architecture in producing the spring
towers OF our great cities. Yet the
metal itself Is not visible. The steel
g1rderS are all incased in brick, stone
OF concrete. They contribute immense
strength, make great heights possible
and conserve space, but, so far as the
exterior Is concerned, they do not alter
the appearance Of surfaces. A steel
skeleton building covered with brick
walls looks no different, for example,
1
l1sh castle Of great height, constructed
OF brick but entirely without steel.
| Inc OBJECT OF the new campaign for
increased metal consumption is to in
troduce metal In additional ways, using
1t upon surfaces. It Is in this manner
that the architecture Of the country
gives promise Of undergoing O change.
| It Is proposed that the actual walls
OF buildings be made Of steel plates
|
weather. In the larger cities where
land costs millions of dollars an acre
every inch of space must be conserved.
A brick, stone or concrete wall takes
| up probably 20 times as much space
/ IN large building as q steel wall would.
This is not fantastic suggestion. A
skyScraper now Is under construction
in Chicago which is being built of
metal throughout; skeleton, walls. floors,
ceilings and roof. An idea of the effect
Of steel as an exterior surface may be
obtained from the steel helmet on the
lofty Chrysler Building In New York.
| A new church in Cologne, Germany,
Ia constructed entirely Of metal. It Il
called the Iron Church.
This development, 20 especially urged
| just now as means Of Fastening abb
Sorption Of metal surpluses and in
creasing employment Is strongly remi-
/ hASOCAAV Va 0A CoAAlCA RCAAO0 Al OAAC
history of American architecture when
the Introduction of metal altered the
appearance of buildings.
Recalls Cast Iron Era.
| The reason was, in some respects,
| similar. There was no great over
production of metal, but there was
what might be called overproduction
Of opportunity. Many rich deposits of
| iron ore had been found in various
sections of the country and improved
processes Of forging and casting iron
had been introduced. There was q
great access of output and ways had
to be devised to take advantage Of the
product.
There were many iron forges in the
thirteen original States and there had
been many in the Colonies in pre-revolu-
tionary days. Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia were then the great iron
States. They had deposits Of ore and
they had fronmasters who knew their
| business For example, Abraham Lin
| coins ancestors we're Virginia IRON
masters owning forges. The existence
| of these numerous forges, now long
fallen into disuse, Is kept in the MEM
ory by the place names they left.
Probably the most famous, because OF
| its association with George Washington
and the Revolutionary War, is Valley
Forge in Pennsylvania. Indeed, Capt.
| Washington, father Of George WASH
( ington, was himself part owner Oh