Year: 1873

I


alluded to- all these very requistions for this mode
of freproof construction for any number of build
ings reauired at a days notice, that particu-
lar new sizes or varieties would have to be waited
for from the mills AS TO the roofs, the excellent
system of the Messrs. Cornell. being applied TO
the Drexel building Wal-st.. and the Bennett
building in Nassau-st. leaves nothing to be desired
in this respect which do not already possess.


The outer walls in all the Paris buildings are plas-
tered directly the solid face Of the stone wall and
of course without the Intervention of any wooden
purrng lathing. as among ourselves. In our eli
mate, however, this method would be impossible
account Of the frost striking through. and affecting
the interior face, except by principle long in
among many of our best architects of building the
walls with slight air-space hollow left in the
center, which need not necessarily be more than
about two inches, although it is frequently in
creased in practice to four inches In such case the
two sections Of the wall are bound together by hoop
iron ties, more commonly by single bricks set in
at irregular and frequent intervals. Another, and
perhaps more secure method, is to build tho whole
backing of the stone or face-brck fronts
with common brick set in succession
of wthos or fues throughout. in this case carrying
the entire line of brick-work and its interpaced
fues clear from top TO bottom of the walls In the
same manner the lues OF a chimney are ordinarily
built, separated by the four-inch partitions or
chimney withes" in our usual practice. have
been informed by the Government architect in
charge of the numerous large buildings in the
Charlestown Navy-Yard that he has long used this
method of constructing brick walls with entire
success even in that more severe climate, finding it
entirely adequate to the exclusion of the
effects of any changes OF weather
from the interior surfaces of the walls.
The interior partitions Of the French buildings are
of stone brick in the case of the hghtey ones
where there is less direct support or where the room
is of greater consequence-of solid plaster, held in
place however, by strips of hard wood strongly
fastened at the top and bottom, and imbedded
securely in solid plaster We have in this city, re-
Gently introduced. perhaps even better and more
readily applicable system, consisting OF blocks OF
gypsum about p feet square and inches in
thickness, made hollow or tubular through
out for the sake of hghtness, and cemented
edge to edge when set up on end, with
a preparation of nearly the same material.
This admirable method has been introduced into
the Drexel building and will shortly be commenced
in the Bennett building and anticipate the happi-
est results Of hghtness dryness and perfect security
from its use. As to the gypsum, which fills so impor-
tant place in the interior constructions OF the
Paris architects | am informed the authority OF
Prof Chandler of Columbia College thatno necessity
exists for its importation from abroad Millions of
funs of gypsum could be readily had in our own
Countrywide States of North and South Carolina
alone being able to furnish all that would be
required in our cities for the next hundred years The
chimnev-hues of the French system demand few
words of special notice. They are built of circular
cement or stone-waro pipes, imbedded in the sodity
of the walls-Do wood being allowed TO come near
them nor indeed is it possible under this system of
70 Low i'm They
rarely occur in the form of that is
TO saw in any wall OF partition which is of less thick
ness than the exterior diameter of the pipes so as to
cause them to project into the rooms on either slde
from the face Of the wall is more usual with the
chimneys of own buildings. If carefully put to-
gether however, and imbedded in solid face OF
gypsum, can see no objection whatever to their
being used in this commoner form. if the exigencies
of the plan shall seem to require it,


have thus sketched-very hastily and i'm
perfectly as / am aware-the wide differences which
exist between the reasonably fre-proof construc-
ton of all the Paris buildings and the radically
faulty and dangerous methods of our own cities 1t
is not claimed that buildings under this system,
indeed, under any, can ever be absolutely, thor
oughly, unquaifedly incombustible, under all cir
cumstances. All we can say, and all which wish
on this occasion to assert is, that cities built
in the manner ] have described do not have
fearful and extensive confagrations, scarcely any
fires at all, even, worthy of the name. That our
American cities do have such fearful visltatiOns,
freguently and always, we are too well aware What
is the inevitable inferencei That when whole
neighborhoods whole quarters of the city, whole
cities themselves, are uniformly built in the man
ner described the terrible dangers under which we
now exist will become mpossible-nst q solid, brick
and iron structure and there safe enough itself as
to fire originating within ITSELF and harmless enough
as aqainst the liability to add anything to the
roaring connagratiOns of other tinder-bOX build
ings that nav 90 on around it, but a whole city
reasonably built Of incOmbustible materials. with
little wood in its structure and that little so sep
arated and defended as TO make the horrible bolo-
caust of a whole ward, even of whole street. an
impossible aud unheard of thing, Here is the true
secret and until we come to this, all round and are
made 10 come to it by law which is the only thing
that viii ever effect it thoroughly, we know, by the
fote of Portland, and Chicago, and Boston, just
what we are liable at any moment to incur.
When the active leaders of public opinion awake to
the force of these truths may perhaps see some
thing efficient carried out into practice U, for a
Garrison among building-stone! o, for Bergh
among birch and mortar to make this matter his
bobby--his one persistent lifelong idea AT least
The public press seem to be now tOleraby awake 20
the import of the subject and it is to be hoped that
their interest may be kept alive until some active
and real measures are taken to free us from the ter
rible insecurity which seems to be coming rapdyto
be understood and accepted the normal condition
of existence in civilized America. Yours,


ARTHUR GILMAN Architect.


No 10 Trinity Building. Jan. D. 1873


-------------------