212 On the Method employed to remove the Vaulted Roof of [April, 



fill the compartments below. The Faith, Hope, and Charity of the 

 west windows are taken from the designs of Sir Joshua Reynolds in 

 New Church, Oxford. 



From the great size of the panes of thin glass the difficulty of 

 repairing any of them, if broken, will easily be understood. Yet by 

 an accident, two panes were broken in putting up. The head and 

 neck of Hope was smashed to atoms by the falling of a bambu ! Al- 

 though it is hard to excuse the occurrence of any accident where pre- 

 cautions should have rendered it impossible, we cannot but praise the 

 ingenuity with which it was repaired, so that the damage is not per- 

 ceptible. The fragments were united together with a transparent var- 

 nish on another pane of colourless glass. The only question is as to 

 the durability of the cement ; we should fear it would grow brown 

 by age and exposure. 



Report on the Demolition of the Vaulted Roofs of St. Peters Church. 



" A continuous and perfect equilibrium of the several parts of a build- 

 ing, and the concentration of all the forces, whether vertical or lateral, 

 on a few principal supports, which for the sake of lightness, elegance 

 and economy, are calculated to stistain no more than their allotted 

 pressure, being fundamental principles in Gothic architecture ; the 

 demolition of such a structure (more especially if the equilibrium has 

 been destroyed by the weakening of those supports) must at any time, 

 even with the aid of powerful means, be considered an undertaking of 

 much difficulty and danger ; but in this country, with the assistance of 

 native workmen alone, it becomes a duty demanding the utmost vigi- 

 lance and attention ; consequently in the removal of the vaulted roofs 

 of St. Peter's Church, it became of primary importance to ascertain, 

 with precision, the extent and character of the existing derangement of 

 equilibrium, as a correct basis for calculation and design, in the opera- 

 tions to be pursued. With this view, a particular and most minute 

 inspection of all the several parts of the edifice was made, of which 

 the following was the result : 



Foundations. — With regard to the foundations, it was ascertained, 

 that the sinking, which had taken place from the nature of the alluvial 

 soil, was exceedingly small* ; any tendency there might have been to 

 sinking in the main pillars having been counteracted by the heavy 

 reversed arches extending under the basement from pillar to pillar. 



* The sinking of the pillars most injured by the punkah beams not exceeding 

 fth of an inch, which was as little as could be expected from a general settlement 

 in a brick building, and by no means capable of affecting the equilibrium. 



