Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/502

 408 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [Dec, xtout wattles, and let down into soft places, such as sandbanks, moors, bogs, or the like ; Building Solid Stone Ma- sonry in Caissons, or boxes. This mode is constantly used at this day; and is decidedly useful for irregular bottoms, under water. As soon as the caisson is lowered to its intended berth, the sides and bottom, by a previous arrangement, are removed, and drawn up, leaving the solid masonry in its required posi- tion. But, these and various other methods, adopted for facilitating the baying of foundations, are not likely to be called into use by architects, as it is seldom now-a-days that bridge-building, aque- ducts, &c, come under the care of our profession. Building Foundations on Plank, pro- vided that plank be of a wood suitable for that purpose, and well charred, is a good method. But, in order thoroughly to insure its safety, it is absolutely necessary that there should be three tiers, not less than three inches thick each, with the joints broken, so as, in no case, to allow two joints to come to- gether. On the upper tier of these planks, the bedding-stones should be laid, as carefully as in the other cases. The advantage to be derived from planking is in the fact, that it bridges over soft spots ; and presents an equal bearing throughout, for the whole super- structure to rest upon. The only thing to be feared is, the possibility of rot, which is, we think, sufficiently guarded against, by the charring, if faithfully done. We have now presented our readers with the general features of this most interesting subject ; and trust, that the constantly inventing talent of our brethren may yet develop other, and still better modes of placing buildings on a firm footing, free from the possi- bilitj T of lapse, check, or injury of any description. Our predecessors, in all ages, were able to build miracles of strength and beauty, whose wondrous weight must be the indubitable wit- nesses of the perfection of their founda- tions. There is no good reason why we, in our day of great enlightenment, having before us such grand examples, should not secure our buildings, beyond any peradventure of failure whatsoever. CHEAP AND BEAUTIFUL DWELLING-HOUSES IN RURAL DISTRICTS. ' B y J S. Ho rpHE art of building cheap and beau- -L tiful cottages, adapted to the wants of rural districts, has been but little studied about Philadelphia. The vast number of cheap dwellings within the limits of the paved streets, has hitherto rendered it unnecessary, for persons of moderate means, to go anj- distance into the rural districts, in order to obtain a dwelling-house with a reasonable amount of space, light or air, for a com- paratively small sum of money. But times have changed. The prices of lots, building materials and labor, have nearly doubled, and hence the cost of dwelling- ughton, M. D. houses, within the built-up portions of the city, have increased in like propor- tion. The question now arises, where can a man of moderate means obtain a dwellingdiouse, with a spacious lot, at a price within his reach ? Near the city of Boston, the question has been met and answered, in a practi- cal way, by building, in the rural dis- tricts, thousands of frame cottages, cov- ered with wooden siding, in a beautiful style of architecture, neatby painted, generally with small gardens attached, at prices ranging from $1,800 to $3,000, and upwards. Many of these frame