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The Dimenfions of Stairs are differently afligned by different Authors : In this however they agree, that they mult not be more than Six, nor lefs than Four Inches high ; not more than 181 nor lefs than 12 Inches broad j not more than 1 (,, nor lefs than 6 Foot long, each Stair. But thefe Meafures have only regard to fine Buildings ; ordinary Houies are ex- cepted : Yet even in thefe, the Stairs are not to exceed Eight Inches in Height 5 nor lefs than Nine Inches in Breadth ; nor Three in Length.
To reduce the Dimenfions of Stairs to fome natural, or at leaft geometrical Standard, Vitfuvius borrows the Proportions ot the Sides of a rectangle Triangle, which the ancient School exprefs'd by the^ Numbers 3, 4 and y. The firft for the perpendicular Height ; the fecond for the horizontal Breadth ; and the third for the whole Slope or Inclination, from the Edge of one Stair to that of another.
But this Rule is let afide, and with good Reafbn, by the modern Builders. For, on this Principle, the lower the Stairs, the narrower they muft be ; and Stairs, for Inftance, Four Inches high (fuch as we find mentioned in ancient Architects) mult be but 5 | Inches broad.
One Rule to be regarded in the making of Stairs, is, That they be laid according to the Italian Phrafe, Con un tantino da Scarpa, i. e. fomewhat floping, or a little higheft behind, that the Foot may, as it were, both afcend and defcend at once j which, though obferved by few, is found a fecret and delicate Deception of the Pains in mounting.
Stair-CVz/e', an Afcent incloied between Walls, or a Balluftrade, confuting of Stairs or Steps, with Landing- places and Rails 5 ferving to make a Communication be- tween the feveral Stories of a Houfe. See Stair.
The Conftru£tion of a compleat Stair-Cafe, is one of the rooft curious Works in Architecture, The common Rules to be obferved therein, are as follow -
i° That it have a full, free Light, to prevent Accidents of flipping, falling, gjfcl i° That the Space over Head be large and airy, which the halt ans call un bel Sfogclo, good Ventilation, in regard a Man l'pends much Breath in mount- ing. 5 That the Half-paces, or Landing-places, be con- veniently distributed for repofing in the Way. 4 That to prevent Rencounters, $$c. the Stair-Cafe ben't too narrow; but this laft is to be regulated by the Quality of the Build- ing. 5 That Care be taken in placing the Stair-Cafe, fo as the Stairs m&y be distributed, without Prejudice to the reft of the Building.
The Kinds of Stair-Cafes ate various : In fbme, the Stairs are ftraighr, others winding ; in others both Ways.
Again, at ftraight Stairs, called alfo Flyers, fome fly directly forwards, others are Square, others Triangular, others csHM French Flights, OF winding Stairs, calFd alfo fl'iral or cockle Stairs, fbme are Square, fbme Circular, or fbme Elliptical.
And thele again, are various 3 fbme winding round a folid and others an open Newel.
Laftly, of mix *d Stairs, fome are call'd Z)cg-leg'd: Others both wind about a folid Newel, and fly about a fquare, open Newel.
Stair-Cafes are of that Importance in Building, that we can't excule the not giving a more particular Account of each kind.
Straight Stairs, then, are fuch as always^, that is, pro- ceed in a Right Line, and never wind, whence their De- nomination. See Flyers.
Of rhefe there are feveral Kinds; as %)i reel Flyers
or 'Plain Flyers, which proceed directly from one Floor to another, without turning either to the Right or Left ; feldom
ufed, except for Garret or Cellar Stairs, Square Flyers,
which fly round the Sides of a Square Newel, either folid or open 5 having at every Corner of the Newel, a fquare, half Step, taking up ^ of a Circle. So that they fly from one half Step to another, and the Length of the Stairs is per- pendicular to the Side of the Newel. "triangular Flyers,
which fly round by the Sides of a triangular Newel, either folid or open, having at each Corner of the Newel a Trapezial Half.ftep, taking up 1 of a Circle: So they fly from one Half-ftep to another -f and their Length is Perpendicular to
the Side of the Newel.. French Flyers, which fly, firft
dire&ly forwards, till they come within the Length of a Stair of the Wall $ and then have a fquare half Pace, from which you immediately aicend to another half Pace, from which the Stairs fly directly back again, parallel to their firft Flight. .
Winding Stairs, are fuch as always wind, and never fly i
Of thefe there is great Variety 5 as, Circular w'mding
Stairs, whereof there are four Kinds, viz, fuch as wind about a folid Newel, the fore Edge of each being in a Right Line, pointing to the Centre of the Newel ; commonly ufed in Church Steeples and great old Houfes. Such as wind round an open Newel, the' Fore-fide of each being in a right Line, pointing to the Centre of the Newel, as thofe in the Monument, London. Such as wind round a folid Newel,
only the Fore-fide of each, an Arch of a Circle, either coti- cave or convex, pointing near to the Circumference of the Newel. And liich as referable the lair, in all other refpeftsj fave that they have an open Newel. Any of thefe winding Stairs take up lefs Room than any other Kind. „ In Stairs I'nat wind round a folid Newel, Architects make the Diame- ter of the Newel either J or \, for 4 of that of the Stair- . cafe, according as that is in Bignels. If very fmall, the Newel is but % t and if large *-, &c.
In Stairs that wind round an open Newel, ^Palladia orders the Newel to be " the Diameter of the Stair-cafk \ though there does not appear any Reafbn why the Newel here Ihould not be proportion'd to the Stair-cafe, as in the former. As to the Number of Stairs in each Revolution 5 'Falladio orders, that in a Stair-cafe of 6 or 7 Foot Diameter, the* Stairs in each Revolution be 12 $ if the Diameter be g, the Stairs to be 16 ; if 9 or 10, the Stairs to be 20 ; and if 18,
to be 24. -Elliptical winding Stairs, whereof there are
two Kinds ; the one winding round a Solid, the other round an open Newel. They are much of the fame Nature as circular StJ.irs, excepting that in the one, the Newel is a Circle, and in the other an Ellipfis. . Square winding Stairs, are fuch as wind round a fquare Newel, either Sold or open ; the Fore-fide of each Stair being a right Line,
pointing to the Centre of the Newel. Triangular
winding Stairs, are fiich as wind round a triangular Newel ; the Fore-fide ot each being a right Line, pointing to the
Centre of the Newel, Columnatcd window Stairs:
Tailadio mentions a Stair-cafe in l Pompefs Portico at Romei fet on Columns, fo, as that the Light they received from
above, might diftribute it/elf to all Parts alike. . ^Double
winding Stairs, Scamozzi mentions a Stair-cafe of this Form, made by 'Fiedro del Bergo, and Jean Coffin, at Sciamfarg in France, in the King's Palace. They are fo contrived, as that two Pcrfons, the one afcending and the other defending, /hall never meet. Dr Grew defenbes a Model of this kind of Stair-cafe, kept in the Mufeum of the Royal Society The Foot of one of the Stair-cafes, he fays, is oppofite to that of the other, and both make a parallel Afcent, and within the fame Cylinder The Newel in the Middle is hollow, and built with long Apertures, to convey Light from Candles placed at the Bottom and on the Sides of the
Newel, into both Cafes. Quadruple winding Stairs,
<Palladio mentions a Stair-cafe of this Form, in the Caftle of Chambor near Sloys. It confifts of tow Stair-cafes, carried up together, having each its feveral Entrance, and going up one over another, in fuch Manner, as that being in the middle of the Building, the Four ferve for four Apartments 5 fo that the People of the one need not go up and down the Stairs of the other ; yet being open in the Middle, they all fee each other pafs.
Mixt Stairs, are fuch as partly fly, and partly wind 3 whence fome call them Flyers and Winders. Of thefe there
are feveral Kinds, as, ^Dog-leg'd Stairs, which firft fly
directly forwards, then wind a Semi-circle, and then fly directly backwards, parallel to that.' — ■ — Square Flyers and Winders, have a fquare Newel, either Solid or open, and fly by the Sides of the Newel, winding a Quadrant of a Circle
at each Corner. Solid and open NewePd Flyers and
Winders, are of two Kinds ; the one winds a Quadrant of a Circle about a Solid Newel, then flies by the Side of a fquare open Newel ; then winds again, by the Side of a folid Newel, then flies again, and fo alternately. The other flies firft, then winds, and thenflies again, alternately.
STALACTITE, or STAGONITE, in natural Hiftory, a fort of ftony, /parry Ificles, which hang down from the Tops or Arches of Grotto's, Caves or fubrerranean Cavemsj and from the Roof of the Buildings, and Capitals of the Pillars of fuch Places, as are built over Therms or Hot Springs, &c. See Stone and Spar.
Of this Kind, are the Sal Alumen, and Vitriolum StalaBi- crnn ; the Minera Ferri-falatlica, the Vitriolum Cafillare, the Ahtmen Capillars, &c.
The Stalatlitte, which incruftate or line the Tops and Sides of Caves, ££c. are manifeflly form'd of Exfudations 01* Extillations of petrifying Juices out of the neighbouring rocky Grounds. Thofe in the Cave on the Top of Ztreedon. Hill, Mr. 'Derham fancies, might be form'd by the Rains foaking through, and carrying with it Impregnations from the Stones; the Hill, there, being all rocky.
STALE, the Urine of Cattle. — - A Stale is alfo a living Fowl, put in any Place to allure other Fowl, where they may- be taken : For want of thefe, a Lark or any other Bird mot, his Entrails taken out, and dried in an Oven, in his Feathers^ with a Stick thruft through to keep him in a convenient Pofture, may ferve as well as a live one.
STALK, in Botany. SeeSTEM.
The Stalk is diftinouifh'd into feveral Kinds, viz. th© Naked Stalk ; which has no Leaves on: Crefed Stalk, that has Furrows or Ridges : Winged- Stalk, which has Leaves on both Sides. Striped Stalk, which is of Swo ormore Colours,^.
STALKING,
