--_New York Times_.
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CAST IRON IN ARCHITECTURE.
Whatever may be the misgivings entertained by many engineers respecting
the future use of cast iron for structures of certain kinds, it is clear
that for architectural purposes this material is likely to be employed
to an extent hardly contemplated by many who have looked upon it with
disfavor. At the present moment many buildings may be seen in London, in
which cast iron has been introduced instead of stone for architectural
features, and the substitution of cast iron for facades in many
warehouses and commercial buildings seems to show that, notwithstanding
the prejudices of the English architect against the importation of the
iron architecture of our transatlantic brethren, there is a prospect of
its being largely employed for frontages in which ample lighting and
strength are needed. The extensive window space necessary in narrow city
thoroughfares, and the difficulty of employing brick in large masses,
such as pilasters and lintels, have chiefly led to the adoption of
material having less of the uncertain durability and strength of either
stone or terra-cotta in its favor.
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