December 28, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



997 



THE NEW CHEMICAL LABORATORY OF THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS. 



As a new laboratory has been constructed 

 during the past j'ear at Lawrence, to accom- 

 modate the departments of chemistry and 

 pharmacy, some facts in regard to the build- 

 ing, and the appliances furnished, may be of 

 value to others who contemplate erecting 

 buildings for this purpose. 



The material used, as shown in the cut, is 

 native limestone, laid in horizontal courses 

 with recessed pointing. A large portion of 

 this was quarried on the site, as the upper 



The plans were drawn by J. G. Haskell, 

 architect, and the director of the labora- 

 tory with the assistance of his colleagues, 

 after personal inspection and study of many 

 of the largest and best appointed chemical 

 laboratories in the country. The building 

 is plain and massive in construction, and 

 while very little was expended for adorn- 

 ment, no expense was spared to secure the 

 best practical conditions for chemical and 

 pharmaceutical work, according to modern 

 methods. 



The length of the building is 187 feet and 



Chemical Laboratories 

 courses of rock were removed in order to 

 obtain a solid foundation on the lowest of a 

 series of ledges. Some of the courses in the 

 excavation were of light stone, while others 

 were colored yellowish by iron oxid ; the 

 light rocks are used for the outside layers, 

 except on the back side, and the yellow 

 rocks for interior filling. For trimmings, 

 a limestone, known as Jefferson County, 

 which occurs in ledges something over a 

 foot in thickness, within a few miles of the 

 city, is utilized. 



South Front, 

 the greatest breadth 70 feet, with a. central 

 portion devoted to oifioes, private labora- 

 tories, etc., and two wings for larger labora- 

 tories and lecture rooms. Below the base- 

 ment floor there is a plenum four feet in 

 depth, and as the building is upon the side 

 of the hill, three sides of the basement are 

 above the ground, and well lighted. Each 

 of the three other stories is twelve feet in 

 height, and the attic is commodious and 

 well lighted. 



As the so-called mill construction is used 



