Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/284

 266 THE BUILDING NEWS. - deed 7. St? > ‘ he Marca. 29, 1872. room, and staircase with lift to lying-in wards on upper floor. The entrance gateway has a porter’s room; the first floor provides accommodation for the master and all other superior officers; the second floor provides a large sleeping room for 86 able- bodied pauper “helps,” anda smaller room for 14 night nurses; the third floor will contain a large ward for 25 lying-in patients, with doctor’s room, nurses’ room, &e. —>—_ ARCHZZOLOGICAL. Roman Anriqurrres iy Baru.—Mr. C. E. Davis made a communication to a recent meeting of the Society of Antiquaries on a Roman altar found in Bath last autumn, in removing a portion of the buildings of the Bath Market adjoining the Guildhall. Mr. Davis reported that in October he found a fragment of what he believed a Roman altar built into a wall, and in the following month he discovered what he presumed to be a portion of the same altar, although the pieces did not precisely fit. The form was peculiar; the face of the stone, back and front, was perfectly perpendicular, and the thickness thus given perfectly agreed in each stone, but at the sides they tapered with an entasis of so slight a character as could not easily be represented in a small drawing. This tapering gave the height as shown, but without itit would have been a mere guess. The Rey. H. M. Scarth, in his “ Aque Solis,” gave an account of all the altars discovered in Bath, and this altar was particularly valuable, as there was no record of any previous discovery of one of the Genius Loci type. Discovery Ar CApus.—In the course of excava- tions at Capua, a prize vase has recently been found, which, according to the Atheneum, was won at the gymnastic sports at Athens in the year 332 B.c. The skeleton that lay in the tomb beside it is probably that of the winner. Unlike our costly cups, it is simply an amphora of clay, with a painting that represents on one side the goddess Athene hurling her spear and striding between two columns, which indicate the place of contest, each column being sur- mounted by a figure of Victory; on the other side a group of wrestlers, with a youth on the left looking on, and an umpire on the right, a bearded old man, with branch of office in his hand. On the front is written the name of the chief magistrate at Athens for the year, and the words “a prize from Athens.” Such vases are rare, and, apart from their archeo- logical value in determining the character of this branch of art at a particular time, awaken a more general interest from the circumstances in which they are found, Iyrerestinc ArcnxonocicaL Discovery. — The other day some workmen, while engaged in removing some rubbish from the north porch of Chichester Cathedral, to prepare for the reception of a new paving, came upon three graves, side by side, in the usual position, east and west, and there seems some peculiarity in the mode of burial. The bodies, it appears, were not encased in coffins, but were buried in their shrouds in graves built in the ground, the material used in one instance being chalk, in the others stone. The west ends are semicircular fo- the reception of the heads, and the other parts of the graves taper off to the east in the usual coffin shape. When found they were without lids, but it is con- jectured that some stone slabs. found near the spot some twelve months since, when the pathway was being cut, were originally placed over the bodies, The graves have since been carefully covered in with cement. The interments are supposed to have been made in the fourteenth century. ——$——— LAND AND BUILDING SOCIETIES. Tur Liverroot LAND Company, Laurep.—The tenth ordinary general meeting of this company was held on Wednesday week. The accounts showed that, after paying last year’s dividend and an interim dividend of 5 per cent. in September last, the balance to the credit of profit and loss was £23,647 7s. 8d., out of which the directors proposed to make a further dividend of 10 per cent., absorbing £3495 12s., making 15 per cent. for the year, and leaving in reserve a balance of £20,151 15s. 8d. The chairman moved the declaration of a dividend of 10 per cent. Mr. John Hedley secunded the motion, which was carried. THe (BIRMINGHAM) UNITED Bur~prne Soctery. —The fifteenth annual meeting of this society was held on Wednesday week. ‘The report stated that the receipts had amounted to nearly £11,000, and the total income exceeded £198,000. Compound interest at the usual rate—viz., 5 per cent., had been placed to the credit of investing members. Aiter this deduction, and after paying the interest to depositors, discharging all management and other expenses, the balance in favour of the society was £1535 8s, 2d., an increase of nearly £360 on the previous year. TO CORRESPONDENTS. [We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our correspondents. The Editor respectfully requests that all communications should be drawn up as briefly as possible, as there are many claimants upon the space allotted to correspondence.] To OUR READERS.—We shall feel obliged to any of our readers who will favour us with brief notes of works con- templated or in progress in the provinces. Letters relating to advertisements and the ordinary business of the Paper should be addressed to the EDITOR, 31, TAVISTOCK-STREET, COVENT-GARDEN, W.C. Advertisements for the current week must reach the office not later than 5 p.m. on Thursday. TO AMERICAN SUBSORIBERS. In answer to numerous inquiries, the Publisher begs to state that subscribers in the United States can be supplied with the BUILDING NEWS, post free from this Office, for the sum of 17s. 4d. (4 dols. 16¢., gold) per annum, payable in advance. = The remittance should. in all eases, be made by International Post-office Order. RECEIVED.—G. N.—B, & J.—T. P.—W. G.—G. C.—W. H. L —W.W. NOTICE.—HOUSE PLANNING.—We have not yet received the decision of the arbitrators, but are promised it in time for our next number. J. Heps.—Your communication next week. We go to press one day earlier this week on account of Good Friday, or we should have given it in this number. J. F. PooLe.—We suppose you mean the Arundel Society. If so, write to the Secretary, 24, New Bond-street, W. B, RB. C.—The articles are not finished. C. F.—It is difficult for us to say whether a building is suitable for illustration in the BuILDING News without seeing a photo. or drawing of some sort. When you have given us an opportunity of judging, we will do so without delay. Correspondence, —_>—__. ROMAN EXPLORATION FUND. To the Editor of the Buitpinc News. Srr,—Will you permit me to take advantage of the wide circulation of your paper to make known to my numerous friends in England and the subscribers to the Roman Exploration Fund, that I have this day been through the subterranean passage from the vestibule of the great ancient Mamertine Prison (commonly called the Prison of S. Peter) under the Church of the Crucifixion near the arch of Septimus Severus, and the principal chambers of that prison called the Lautumix, now cellars under the houses in the Via di Marforio and the Vicolo del Ghettarello. This passage is 80yds. long, nearly two high and one wide, and the construction as well as that of the prison is of the large blocks of tufa, usually called in Rome the walls of the kings, the same as that of the earliest part of the Cloaca Maxima. The excavation of this passage has been a tedious, difficult, and expensive work, and I hope it will be duly appre- ciated by the subscribers. It clearly settles another long disputed question among scholars, and demon- strates that this is the prison in the middle of the City, mentioned by Livy as made in the time of Ancus Martius [A. U. C. 121. B. C. 632. Liviihist. lib. I. c. 33]. All the disputed points in the historical topography of Rome might be settled and demon- strated in the same manner, if the necessary funds were forthcoming. I have had plans and sections made of this, and shall have them published as soon as possible and sent to the subscribers.—I am, &c., Joun Henry Parker, C.B. Rome, 27, Via Felice, 3°, March 18, 1872. GRANITE IN ARCHITECTURE. Srr,—There has been much writing and discus- sion lately about the want of durability of stone used for building in London. Notwithstanding the care taken in the appointment of a Royal Commis- sion to select the best stone for the Houses of Parlia- ment, and the decay of every stone building erected during the last century, it is contended that if the material were more carefully selected it would stand. Now I think, with the experience we have had, and alittle attention to the chemistry of the question, it is not too much to say that no stone—whether sand-stone, limestone, or dolomite—will resist the effects of the London atmosphere; and why? All these stones are porous and absorbent of moisture. London air, rain, and fog, contain large quantities of carbonic acid gas, of sulphurous and nitrous acid vapours, ammonia, unconsumed carbon, and alkaline ingre- dients. These, of course, destroy the cementing matter of the above stones—the carbonate of lime and carbonate of magnesia. Then there is the me- chanical effect of the expansion and contraction of the water absorbed by the stone owing to the excessive expansion that takes place before freezing is irresis- tible, and the cohesion of the cementing particles is destroyed for ever. If this be correct, is it not time to look to our granites to get us out of the difficulty ? Of course we shall have to adapt our design to our materia!, and give up our crockets, finials, and foliage. But may not this be an advantage, and compel us to adopt a little more purity of design ? Are we not—and the public too—rather nauseated with such an abundance of these trivialities ? People ery out for a new style. In my opinion, the adop- tion of granite would lead to a style different and nobler than any we have seen for a century or two. Simple and dignified in treatment, its beauty would consist in the judicious use of the colours of the dif- ferent varieties, and the effect of high finish derived from a polished surface relieved with inlaid geome- trical ornament. The cost of polished granite need not be alarming, when we consider that we have steam-power to bring it to our doors, and machinery wherewith to polish it; that polishing and incising and inlaying would “cost” no more than our customary carving and moulding in stone; and, further, that worked Swedish - granite is now delivered on the East Coast at as low a price as our own unwrought stone.—I am, &c., Henry Travis. PLUMBING, Sir,—In the articles on the above branch of building construction there seems to me one item omitted upon which I should be glad to have the advantage of a practical man’s instruction. In the flashings of gables, chimneys, &c., the way described is to cut grooves up therake and turn the lead in, but the most common method adopted for brickwork is to step-flash. Will “Plumber” be kind enough to describe the size and shape of the pieces of lead used, and the way of laying with the slates, and what lap is allowed? If he can describe the method of measuring step-flashing in taking out quantities I shall be obliged.—I am, &e., B. R. C. HOUSE-TOP GARDENS. Srr,—In reference to a subject treated of by a writer in a recent number of the Burtprye News, I beg to enclose a clipping from an American paper which your readers, or some of them at all events, will not find uninteresting :— It has been suggested, says the writer—perhaps many times—that, in cities where ground is far too valuable to be devoted to the growth even of those flowers most highly prized, the roofs of buildings might be covered with soil, and thereby adorned with a wealth of floral luxuriance. There isnothing impracticable in the idea, and we have heard of one or two instances occurring many years ago in which it was putin practice. An ordinary flat or slightly sloping roof, with a water-tight rim a foot high pro- vided to it, would certainly be a good support for garden mould, and the watering of the plants could be very easily and effectually provided by a hose and pump. To secure the most satisfactory results, it is more than likely that the house-top garden should be enclosed with glass. Exposed to winds as it would be, the structure would have to be very firmly built, and iron would, aside from the glazing, have mainly to be employed. Of course, gardens kept in this way would be costly, but so is everything else in great cities, and properly managed they would yield a far greater return than do most luxuries for the outlay expended upon them. Given the glass structure and the twelve inches depth of fertilised loam, no better opportunity need be asked for the growth of indigenous or exotic vegetation. The degree of moisture in the soil would manifestly be under easy control ; the tempera- ture could be maintained at any given point by a judicious use of the heat in the products of com- bustion now allowed to pass out of the chimney with- out giving up their waste caloric, and, if artificial lights were used, the tillage of the plants could be made a matter of evening amusement as pleasant as it would be unique. But in the development of any such rare system of floriculture, there would needs be adopted many minor appliances, some of them hitherto proposed for greenhouses, but none in-actual use where profit alone is sought, or where the gardener gives his attention at all times to his charge. Of such would be automatic devices for regulating the temperature, the inflow of fresh air, and the supply of moisture. There would also be afforded opportunities much greater than now exist for the testing of matters relating to science by that, by no means inconsider- able, class of business and professional men who variation of temperature during the 24 hours, The | lighten the duties of busy lives by amateur research