Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-04-06

aThe warehouse Of Bracken, Good
ell 4 Day, in Tama City. was built
three years ago. The abutments are
OF the Oxford stone, and the blocks
Of stone are Of tho size usually used
for abutments. Again and again ha.
the water frozen around the stones,
and they have not only been exposed
to the atmosphere, tor the wind
sweeps under the warehouse from
three sides, or two sides and one
end, but the most of the time they
have had 4 great weight pressing
upon them, fifteen car loads Of wheat,
aud ye: they are sound, hard, and
tounh as granite.
The Empire Block was built six
years ago the coming spring, two
story brick, 70 by 700, with base
ment. The basement, the foundation,
is Oxford stone, and portion Of the
stone has been repeatedly submerged
in water, and subjected to freezing
and thawing, and yet the stone to
day, is harder, tongher, and firmer
than when the foundation was laid.
Another fact. The stone used was
not equal to that to be used for the
foundation OF the Capitol. The first
layers were regarded % only TT for
lime, but the deeper the stone has
been quarried the more superior is
its texture.
"At Toledo, there are many build
ings reating on the same foundation,
and in every case has the stone prov
ed to be OF the very best qualify
We examined the foundation OF the
Methodist Cnnrch. The building
stands on a breezy spot The foun-
dation Oas laid fourteen years ago,
and the stone vastly inferior in quail
ty to that to be used for the Capitol,
and yet every stone is perfect; four
teen years OF atmosphere and frost,
heat and cold, have tailed to develop
any tendency whatever in the Oxford
stone to become tragmentary. The
same facts are established by tho use
OF the stone for years 1t Indiantown."
This testimony was called out by
the hue aud cry which has been rails
ed by the newspaper press OF some
localities, principally, we have observ-
ed, where rival qnarries are located
in the immediate vicinity, and in part
by the opinions of Prot. White, the
State Geo!ogist, who characterizes oil
oolites as liable to become fragment.
ary when exposed to the atmosphere
and frosts and to crumble TO pieces.
We have looked 10 vain. with some
care, in the bound volumes Of the
Geological Report, just received from
the Secretary OF State. tor any evi-
dence that Prot. White visited Tama
County and examined this stone
Against his opinion may be mention
ed tho fact that Christ Church, Ok
ford, England, is built Of oolitc, and
is now IN . good state OF preserva.
tion, though ii is 700 years old. 1t is
also said that many of the old Rhine
castles are built OF oolite stone.
Il may be the misfortune Of the
Tama quarries that they have not
baen developed long enough to de-
,ermlne their character. Certain il is
that Prof Hinrichs, OF the State Uni.
versity, on subJectin2 specimens from
the various quarries to chemical and
mechanical tests as complete as sci.
ence could apply to them, pronounc.
ed this one 81 the very best and most
durable stones OF the State; superior
to the Joliet stone, used for the US.
Post Office, at Des Moines, and to the
Sonora stone used for the foundation
al the new State Capitol At Spring
field, Illinois. It remains to be shown
that his tests are unreliable.
OF course the Capitol Commission
ers should not use the stone unless
fully satisfied OF its permanence and
durability. They were to meet yes
terday at Des Moines, to settle the
question, and it Is perhaps ere this
decided. Whether the stone is used
for the Capitol OF not, there seems to
be ample evidence Of its superiority
to most of the known quarrics Of the
State, aud the demand for it where
both durability and beauty are re-
quired, must hereafter be large
[Belle Plaine Union March 80.