AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 599 



ful investigation, been profoundly convinced of their superiority — 

 that they alone embrace the true principles of safety, durability, 

 and economy. And the inventor himself firmly believes, that 

 were the public fully aware of its great advantages, cast-iron 

 would be employed, for superior buildings, in every case, in pre- 

 ference to granite, marble, freestone, or brick. 



It was whilst in Italy, contemplating there the rich architec- 

 tural designs of antiquity, that Mr. Eogardus first conceived the 

 idea of emulating them in modern times, by the aid of cast-iron. 

 This was in the year 1840 ; and, during his subsequent travels in 

 Europe, he held it constantly in view ; and cherished it the more 

 carefalh', as he became convinced, by inquiry and personal obser- 

 vation, not only that the idea was original with himself, but that 

 he might thereby become the means of greatly adding to our 

 national wealth, and of establishing a new, a valuable, and a per- 

 manent branch of industry. 



It is impossible for the reader to realize to their full extent, the 

 difficulties which Mr. Eogardus had to encounter in the erection 

 of his first building. Whilst burdened with the care of his fac- 

 tory, and with limited means at his command, he had not only to 

 superintend every detail of its construction, but to hear and an- 

 swer daily, the same predictions of failure. One would not live 

 in it, if he had it as a gift, for fear lest it would crush itself by 

 its own weiglit ; another would not, for fear of lightning : a third 

 was sure that it was not perpendicular, and that sooner or later 

 it would topple to the ground; and a fourth foretold, that if a fire 

 should happen, it would melt -the columns, and the whole would 

 fall with one tremendous crash. Others declared, as the uni- 

 versal voice of science, that, in consequence of the expansion and 

 contraction of the metal, it contained within itself the elements 

 of early and rapid decay; and some even asserted that the experi- 

 ment had already been made in England; that its disastrous fail- 

 ure had been attended with a great public calamity; and that, in 

 consequence thereof, an Act of Parliament was actually then in 

 force, forbidding the erection of cast-iron buildings. Eut these 

 and other objections, Mr. E. had already thoroughly considered, 

 and found them either to be groundless altogether, or to involve 

 only such difficulties as might be obviated by mechanical means. 

 Meantime, the work on the building, which had been steadily pro- 

 gressing, though but slowly, wholly ceased for a time. This was 

 to many a convincing proof that something was wrong ; and the 



