NATIONAL MUSEUM — BUILDINGS. 215 



which led to the accident l)y fire. In all the other rooms of the towers the plaster- 

 ing was upon the rough rubble work. 



The heavy projecting cornice of the south tower was mereh^ set in place without 

 fastening, and, consequently, could not withstand any disturbing action. 



The parts of the building which were not injured by fire, namely, the two wings 

 and connecting ranges, as far as the committee have had the opportunity of examin- 

 ing, are defective in materials and construction. The floors, in some cases, though 

 covered with flagging and filled in with deafening, rest upon 1)eams of pine wood, 

 which is decayed, and in the course of a iew years the interior of these parts will 

 recjnire renewal. 



It is proper to state that the foregoing remarks on the character of the materials 

 and the construction of the building are not applicable to the work on the main edi- 

 fice, subsequently executed under the superintendence of Gapt. (now General) B. S. 

 Alexander, of the United States Engineers. This work, which principally consisted 

 in the arching of the basement and the main story of the upper building, was exe- 

 cuted in fireproof materials and prevented the extension of the fire, and, conse- 

 (]nently, the destruction of the entire edifice and all its contents. 



From the foregoing account of the original construction of the building, it will not 

 be surjirising that the effect of the fire was found to be much more serious tlian pre- 

 \i()us to tliis survey it had been su]iposed, and that the work to be done could not 

 be confined to the mere repairing of the injury caused by the fire, but would include 

 also the rebuilding of a considerable part of the edifice; and this was particularly the 

 case on account of the decision of the Board that the restoration should be in all 

 parts indestructible by fire. 



The heavy projecting cornice of the south tower had fallen down, in part, and the 

 remainder was unfit to receive a new roof. 



The high brick columns, extending from the cellar to the eaves of the main building, 

 and supporting the northern wall of the south tower, were so nuich damaged l)y the 

 fire as to require to be removed, and consequently, with them the above-mentioned 

 wall itself. The lining of the upper story of the main building was also so much 

 injured that the greater portion of this will require renewal. But the most unstable 

 portion of the building, and that which gave rise to most anxiety, was the prin- 

 cipal northern tower. This, which is 140 feet high, starts from a square base, and 

 is gradually transformed into a regular octagon of smaller dimensions. Four sides 

 of this octagon rest upon the sides of the original square, but jtroject into the inte- 

 rior, while its other four sides extend diagonally across the angles of the square, 

 and are supported by rough and imperfect corbel work, consisting of masses of blue- 

 stone very seriously affected by the fire. The tower was originally divided into a 

 series of stories by transverse wooden beams and plank floors, which were entirely 

 destroyed. The anxiety in regard to this tower was increased by observing a vertical 

 crack extending a considerable portion of the height of the tower, but whether this 

 had previously been produced by unequal settling, and had merely been increased 

 by the unequal expansion of the exterior and interior walls, due to the fire, or 

 entirely produced l)y the latter cause, could not be definitely ascertained. As this 

 part of the building imperatively demanded innnediate care, the architect was 

 dii-ected to give it his first attention. After a due consideration of its then present 

 condition and its future use as a receptacle of iieavy articles, it was considered neces- 

 sary to erect within it a lining of solid brickwork 9 inches thick, laid in cement, 

 from the bottom to the top, firndy unite<l to the original wall, and serving as the 

 support to iron beams of the brick floor. And, furthermore, it was concluded to fill 

 up in brickwork a numl)er of the high, narrow windows in each story, which would 

 add to the strength of the structure without affecting externally its architectural 

 appearance. 



