Report of Construction of the Temporary State Capitol, at Austin, Texas. Page: 20
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20 REPORT OF CONSTRUCTION
1. In addition to the plan of surface drainage recommended in my report
of October 4, 1882, there should be some means of permanently
draining the foundation walls, particularly that of the east front. To
accomplish this a tile drain should begin at the northwest corner of the
building, and from thence along the north and east fronts, intersected by
a. similar drain coming through the alley on the south. This drain should
be placed below the sidewalk drain at least one foot below the level of
the foundation and eight or ten feed parallel thereto, and continued down
Congress avenue a sufficient distance to discharge into the surface drain.
By notes taken with level instrument I find that this distance will not
exceed one block.
2. The waste pipe for the basins on the first floor is made to discharge
on the north side of the building, and there is not a sufficient fall from
the water-table to make this discharge into the sidewalk drain, the exit
of the pipe, being about two feet below the surface grade. This should
be remedied either by using more pipe and conducting the waste to the
east front of the building, or it would be best to make this discharge
into the tile foundation drain above referred to.
3. A good flagstone or cement pavement is needed on the east and
north fronts. A pavement, also, under the balcony, on the south and
west fronts, Would add to the comfort and convenience of the building.
4. Owing to the very porous nature of a large, proportion of the
stone used in the construction of the building, it is susceptible of absorbing
a great deal of moisture during a long continued wet season, and
thereby decreasing very materially the strength of the walls. To
remedy this the building should be rough-casted or cemented on the exposed
side of the walls. The east front, and all other cut stone work,
should first be oiled with crude petroleum and then painted. This would
render the walls impervious to water, and, by a proper selection of color,
add greatly to the general appearance of 'the building.
5. Upon each floor, there should be a hose attachment to a watersupply
pipe for use in case of fire. This is a necessity which has already
been suggested by your. Honorable Board; but, upon examination, I find
that the plan proposed will not be practicable, viz: Of attaching on each
floor - feet of hose to the present water supply pipes. The supply
pipes are one inch in diameter connecting with a street main on West
Mesquite street, of six inches in diameter, and the pressure about forty
pounds per square inch on the second floor of the building, which would
only permit the use of a very small stream with so weak a pressure as to
be of very little service in case of fire. I would suggest tapping the ten
inch water main on Congress Avenue with a two-inch pipe, or two oneinch
connections, if the'Water Company should object to the two-inch
connection, and conducting this two-inch pipe to the third floor in the
angle of the building, at the intersection of the south and west fronts,
which is about the centre of the building. Opposite each story, fire
plugs should be placed for connecting one and one-half inch hose from
the interior of the building. This would give a good supply of water,
and the pressure would be increased sufficiently to make it effective, even
with the present system of water-works, and when the new system, now
in process of construction, is completed, the pressure can be more than
doubled when the fire alarm is given.
' 6. The plastering and painting of the entire building could be improved,
both in regard to durability and appearance by calcimining. the
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State of Texas. Capitol Board. Report of Construction of the Temporary State Capitol, at Austin, Texas., book, 1883; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38104/m1/21/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.