638 REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 



The floors of the rooms over the groined arches, in the central front towers, will. 

 be flagged with best North river flag, as above described for the cellars themselves, 

 laid in the best cement and sand-mortar. 



Fire-proofing. — The floor of the chemical lecture-room, which occupies the whole 

 east wing, and the floors of the students' working laboratory, and the room above it 

 in the east connecting range, each of which is 38 by 24 feet in the clear, will be ren- 

 dered fire-proof in the following manner : Cast-iron beams of the shape of the letter 

 T reversed, whose vertical arm will be 15 inches in depth, by 1} inch in width, with 

 a bead on the upper end 1\ inches in diameter, and whose horizontal arm will be 

 8 inches long, and average 1 \ inch in thickness, will be laid four feet from centres ; 

 the ends of these beams will run 9 inches into the walls, and will rest on a cast-iron 

 plate, 3 inches wide by 1 inch in depth, which will be firmly anchored to the walls ; 

 between these beams, arches of brick five inches in depth will be turned to form the 

 floors. The spandrils over the arches will be filled in with a mixture of lime, sand,, 

 and broken stone or gravel, over which a flooring of best North river flag, well axed 

 on the upper face, and not more than two inches thick, will be laid in the best cement 

 and sand-mortar. 



The floors of the rooms over the janitor's room and of the two rooms in the tow- 

 ers, on a level with the museum, making in all four floors 16 feet square, (exclusive 

 of those over the groined arches in the cellars of the front towers,) will be similarly 

 fire-proofed, unless they are groined with brick as hereinbefore specified. 



The floor of the principal lecture-room will be tiled with best North river flag, laid 

 on brick cross-walls, and well jointed and bedded in cement and sand-mortar. 



A border of colored marble tiles four inches square, laid on bricks, in cement or 

 plaster of Paris, will be carried around the Eegents' room, three feet in width. 



Safe. — A fire-proof safe will be constructed in the small octagonal tower, attached 

 to the rear tower, with double wrought-iron doors, and iron shelves and hollow brick 

 casings, per directions of architect. 



A mantelpiece of red marble, or of such color as the architect shall direct, and of 

 the richest Norman pattern, having two columns on each side, whose shafts will be 

 a cable-mould and chevron, with plinths and moulded bases, and foliage caps of the 

 richest character ; over the columns a rich frieze, which will be ornamented by a 

 band of Norman foliage, will be carried, and over this a label mould filled with pat- 

 eras or rosettes. Upon this mould the shelf will be laid, which will be at least three 

 inches thick, and moulded in the front and ends. All the remaining parts of the 

 chimney will be completely finished in the best manner. The sides and back of the 

 fireplace will be laid up of best fire-brick, laid herring-bone fashion. 



Dry walls of stone. — There will be four sinks or cesspools, eight feet in diameter 

 and twelve feet deep, walled up in the best manner, with dry stone, and placed in 

 such positions as the architect shall direct. 



Twenty-four cesspools, four feet in diameter and six feet deep, walled up with dry 

 stone, will be built under the different floors of the building. 



All the remaining mason work of every description, necessary to complete the 

 whole building in the most perfect manner, will be performed by the contractor. 



As it is the intention of the above specification, with the plans, to cover the entire 

 and perfect completion of the work, no charge for extra work will be allowed the 

 contractor, unless caused by actual alterations of the plans. And the contractor will 

 be bound by the sum of $10,000, to abide by the decision of the architect, whose 

 decision in all matters relating to the form, dimensions, and finish of all the parts of 

 the work, shall be final and conclusive. 



J. KEN WICK, Jr., Architect. 



[Note. — Contractors will also estimate the difference in expense between facing 

 the building with rubble masonry, as hereinbefore specified, or of setting the whole 

 face with ashlar, varying in height of course from ten to fourteen inches, and averag- 

 ing eight inches in thickness, the ashlar being furnished by the stone-cutter.] 



Specification of the stone and cutting for the Smithsonian Institution. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF STONE. 



The contractors will estimate on furnishing all the stone necessary for the cutting 

 and the expense of the cutting itself, and will furnish three separate estimates of the 

 above, based on white marble, bufl'-colored sandstone of the best quality and uniform 

 color from the upper Potomac, and granite of the same color and quality as that in 

 the rear of the General Post Office of the United States. 



