Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1892 [PAGE 181]

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184

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

I t was ordered, on motion of Mr. Cobb, t h a t the Secretary write Mr. Murray t h a t his valuable gift was gratefully accepted by the University. The Committee on Buildings and Grounds presented the following report with regard t o m a t t e r s in its charge, and also with regard t o heating the drill hall:

REPORT ON BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. To the Trustees of the University of Illinois. GENTLEMEN : Your Committee on Buildings and Grounds asks leave to submit the following report, incorporating in it the report of Professor Ricker, architect of the new building:

CHAMPAIGN, I I I . , December 7, 1891.

To the Committee en Buildings and Grounds of the Board of Trus'ees. GENTLEMEN : I beg leave to present the following report in regard to the matters placed under my charge:

1. N A T U R A L SCIENCE B U I L D I N G .

As good solid earth was not reached at the depth fixed by the Committee at the time of letting the contract for the building, for about onehalf its perimeter, and as I had no authority to lower the building, I was compelled to have the foundations for external basement walls carried live inches deeper than required by contract, thus increasing the height of these walls by t h a t amount and incurring an extra expense therefor. This extra masonry has been computed to be 346i cubic feet of rubble stone work, for which the contractor has agreed to accept 30 cents per cubic foot, amounting to $103.88. No extra depth or extra cost for internal brick walls. Mr. Jobst offered to face the external stone basement walls above grade with pitch-faced Bedford stone, with sawed beds, instead of square pitchfaced Essex rubble, specified, at no additional cost to the University, and I accepted his proposition with great pleasure, as it will greatly improve the external appearance of the building. As Bedford stone is stained yellowish by contact with cement mortar, I have permitted the stone walls above grade to be laid in lime instead of cement mortar, which has been used for all internal brick walls, as specified. In accordance with a request of the Regent, an external door and frame was substituted for a window in the east end of the building, to give direct access to a plant house, which it is proposed to add to the exterior later, t h i s will cause a small extra. No. 3 color, hydraulic pressed bricks, made at Collinsville, 111., have been selected for the external pressed brick facing of walls, with pink buff plain and moulded bricks and blocks of the Chicago Anderson Co., for the frieze of the cornice. I have samples of these bricks for examination by the committee, if desired. Some difficulty was experienced in regard to the quality of the second lot of common bricks shipped here from Bloomington. After the rejection of several car loads, the brick contractor furnished men to sort them at the cars, the soft bricks being sent back to Bloomington, and the hard ones being accepted, when of satisfactory quality. The difficulty appears to have been entirely the fault of the brick makers, as the contractor purchased hard brick by samples, which are in my hands. I do not apprehend any trouble from this source in the future. The Warrensburg sandstone has probably been one-half cut now and loaded on cars for shipment, so t h a t there can be no delay on account of this stone.