THE BUTTRESS. 



197 



Putting aside the " flying " buttress, which is simply one 

 buttress mounted on another to support the clerestory walls, 

 the structure of the ordinary buttress is simple enough. 



The most primitive form of the buttress is often found in 

 country farms, where the farmer sees the walls of his barns and 

 outhouses leaning suspiciously on one side, and, instead of 

 going to the root of things, props them up by a stout pole or 

 beam. 



This, however, can be nothing but a temporary arrangement, 

 especially as beams have a tendency to rot, and their ends to 

 sink into the earth by the gradual pressure of the wall. The 

 genuine buttress was therefore evolved, the basal part being 

 very thick and heavy, and the upper part comparatively thin 

 and slight. Simple as a buttress looks, much skill is needed in 

 making it, and if it be not rightly built, it does infinitely more 

 harm than good. 



A case in point occurs within a short distance of my house. 

 The walls of an ancient edifice having shown symptoms of 

 yielding, and some ominous cracks made their appearance, a 

 couple of very sturdy buttresses had been erected, in order to 

 stop further damage. Unfortunately, the builder was ignorant 



PADDLE-WOOD TREE. 



BUTTRESSES. 



of the principles of architecture, and though he made the 

 buttresses very strong and massive, he omitted to make a solid 

 foundation on which their bases should rest. Consequently he 

 only hung the buttresses, so to speak, on the AVI ill, and helped 

 to tear it asunder by the additional weight. 



