Призрак Оперы
The Paris Opera House
Thefloorofthecellarwascoveredwithalayerofconcrete,thenwithtwocoatsofcement,anotherlayerofconcreteandacoatofbitumen.Thewallincludesanouterwallbuiltasacoffer-dam,abrickwall,acoatofcement,andawallproper,alittleoverayardthick.Afterallthiswasdonethewholewasfilledwithwater,inorderthatthefluid,bypenetratingintothemostminuteinterstices,mightdepositasedimentwhichwouldclosethemmoresurelyandperfectlythanitwouldbepossibletodobyhand.Twelveyearselapsedbeforethecompletionofthebuilding,andduringthattimeitwasdemonstratedthattheprecautionstakensecuredabsoluteimpermeabilityandsolidity.
"Theeventsof1870interruptedworkjustasitwasabouttobeprosecutedmostvigorously,andthenewOperaHousewasputtonewandunexpecteduses.Duringthesiege,itwasconvertedintoavastmilitarystorehouseandfilledwithaheterogeneousmassofgoods.AfterthesiegethebuildingfellintothehandsoftheCommuneandtheroofwasturnedintoaballoonstation.Thedamagedone,however,wasslight.
"ThefinestoneemployedintheconstructionwasbroughtfromquarriesinSweden,Scotland,Italy,Algeria,Finland,Spain,BelgiumandFrance.Whileworkontheexteriorwasinprogress,thebuildingwascoveredinbyawoodenshell,renderedtransparentbythousandsofsmallpanesofglass.In1867aswarmofmen,suppliedwithhammersandaxes,strippedthehouseofitshabit,andshowedinallitssplendorthegreatstructure.
