REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 629 



of the same in writing to the said parties of the second part, any two of whom may 

 thereupon terminate this said contract by giving notice thereof in writing to the 

 said party of the first part ; and that thereupon this contract shall be deemed 

 terminated, abandoned, and lawfully forfeited by the said party of the first part, and 

 the said party of the second part may proceed to contract for the remainder of the 

 work with any other party or parties, holding all the work done and materials 

 delivered by the said party of the first part, and all the moneys due them therefor, as 

 security for the remainder of the work ; and also holding and binding the said party 

 of the first part, their heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, and bondsmen, to 

 make good any further loss or damage which may accrue to the said party of the 

 second part from such defalcation, forfeiture, and abandonment of the work by the 

 said party of the first part. 



And it is hereby further agreed and understood by the parties to this contract that 

 the following alterations in the plans and specifications shall be made, and that the 

 same shall be considered as part of this contract : 



First. The building shall be faced, and all the cut-stone work dressed from the 

 best Seneca freestone from the upper Potomac, to be taken from the Bull Eun quarry, 

 or some other quarry in the neighborhood of Seneca creek, to be designated by the 

 said parties of the second part, and free from all imperfections. 



Second. That the building shall be faced with coursed ashlar of the above-men- 

 tioned freestone, in courses varying from ten to fifteen inches in height, and no two 

 adjacent courses in the building to vary more than one inch in height, brought to a 

 joint not exceeding three-eighths (f ) of an inch in the widest place when laid, taken 

 out of wind ; dressed full to the square on the beds, builds, and joints, with a narrow 

 arras drawn around the face of each stone, and the face between the arres pointed off 

 horizontally in a regular manner and at regular distances — say not more than two 

 inches apart, averaging nine inches in thickness, with a proper proportion of bond 

 stone to bind the face to the backing — say one in every 3£ feet square ; the clause in 

 the mason's specification, commencing with " the face of the walls shall be strongly 

 tied to the backing," being continued in full force and effect. The whole of the 

 above ashlar to be set in the best manner, and pointed in the manner described in the 

 mason's specification. 



Third. That in place of the principal flights of the front and rear stairways, as 

 specified in the carpenter's specification, cut-stone steps and platforms of such free- 

 stone as shall be selected by the architect, which shall be fine cut and rubbed, with 

 handsome cast-iron newels and balusters, similar to the wooden ones described in the 

 carpenter's specification, and well bronzed in the best manner, with a heavy moulded 

 hand-rail of the best well-seasoned black walnut, shall be substituted. On the heads 

 of each of the above cut-stone steps and platforms, Norman pateras, or flower orna- 

 ments, shall be cut by the contractor. The above stone steps shall be carried up as 

 high as the level of the museum floor. 



Fourth. That a floor of one and a quarter inch white pine plank, resting on beams 

 of white pine 2 X 12 inches, set twenty inches from centres, shall be carried under 

 the roofs of the whole building and towers ; and that the floor beams shall be sup- 

 ported by 8 X 12 inch girders, where necessary, and plastering of cement mortar 

 two inches in thickness shall be laid over the top of all the said above-mentioned 

 floors. 



Fifth. That in place of the iron timbers having brick arches and concrete between 

 them, which are specified to be placed in the chemical lecture-room, the students' 

 working laboratory, and the rooms over it, wooden beams 3 X 12 inches, set 16 

 inches from centres, with a deafening of cement concrete four inches in thickness 

 between them, resting on one and a quarter inch plank, firmly secured to the beams 

 by 3 X lj i ncn strips, shall be substituted. The above beams shall be furred on the 

 under side, with 2 X 1£ inch stripes, set one foot from centres, and plastered three 

 coats ; the last coat shall be hard-finished. 



Sixth. That in the place of the iron columns in the larger lecture room, wooden 

 columns, nine inches square, which shall be furred, lathed, and stuccoed in the best 

 manner, with reeds forming clustered columns with foliage caps, bases and plinths, 

 shall be substituted. 



Seventh. That in the place of the tesselated wooden floor of the museum, a floor of 

 narrow clear Georgia yellow pine plank, not more than five inches wide, planed, 

 tongued and grooved, laid in courses and blind-nailed in the best manner, shall be 

 laid. The heads and sides of all the plank shall be planed after they are laid, so as 

 to be perfectly true and even when finished. 



