Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-05-21
Lost Arts.
MIR, MILLIKAN I:

Mr.. MILLIKAN:
Through your excellent paper we ask
the attention of your readers to the ques-
ton Nv hat shall we use for building ma
terial, few years hencey" Every intel
ligent observer, whose attention is direct
ed to this subject. must conclude that
within few years at the rate our beauti-
ful forests are being destroyed, they will
be gone, or SO nearly that what is left
suitable for building material can be had
only at fabulous prices.
Wise business men are looking for a
substitute. The subject of artificial
stone has engaged the attention of scien-
lists for many years, with varied results
till within the last ten or fifteen years.
And now it seems to be a success; SO
much so indeed that it is being used by
some of the best builders and architects
OF the world. The material for its man
ufacture can be found in every part of
our country, and its cost is SO much less
than other building material that we are
astonished that ere this it has not been
brought into general use; costing as it
does, less than the cutting and dressing
of common sandstone. 1t is made in
molds, dried in the air, and in short
time becomes as hard as the common
stone, and capable of bearing greater
yeight than any other stone, except
or size conceivable, such as ashlers, Key
stones, caps, cornice, brackets, mantle
pieces, monuments, floors, doors, pave
ments, stairs, doorsteps, roofs and any
kind of ornamental work in fact the
whole building can be made of it at a cost
much less than any other substantial ma
terial. This stone resists the power OF
either frost, fire or water. When an
architect or builder wants first rate
solid foundation he makes it on the
stone principle; and alter this is done
he runs up his walls with other material
rot half so good, cheaper durable. Why
not use this material, for the walls, cost
ing less, and can be made any color de-
sired
Some four years ago Mr.. H. b. Perish
ing, of this place, put up three story
front for Mr.. Joseph Bartlett of South
Bend, on Washington Street, and made
the stone on the st. Joseph river, above
the city, and hauled it TO the city on a
wagon, over a rough road, six weeks af-
ter il was made, and placed IL in the
building; and it has been getting harder
and better ever since, and is one of the
finest fronts in the state, MIR. Pers hing
also made side walk for Mr.. John Dunn
of South Bend, about the same time,
which will last an age, getting better
every year; being different colors, pre-
sents beautiful appearance and is one
ot the finest side walks in the state. The
same material used as a mastic is super
ior to any mastic used for the outside OF
buildings; and a brick, stone or frame
building can be made to look SO much
like genuine stone building that it re-
auires an effort to tell the difference.
We noticed some pieces of the same
lain in front of Mr.. Pershing's house for
some three years and it seems that no
weather, frost, freezing or rain, affects it.
He has recently been making a few
specimens, we noticed, in different col.
ors, three to four days old, which seems
as hard as rock and he informs us that
they will get harder for years to come
Mr.. Pershing has given a great deal OF
thought and time to this enterprise, and
=. think in a county where stone is so
scarce as it is in this county that a man.
ufactory OF this article should at once be
commenced; as every part of building
can be made from it, even the doors and
window frames, and stair cases, &c. We
learn that bridges can be made of it that
are stronger, and will last longer, than
any other bridge. Frauchwarner says in
England the open cutting between Glou
cester Road Station and Earles Court
Road, is a bridge fiat arch, of seventy five
feet span and seventy-s six feet in rise, in
the centre, which is 311s feet thick, in
creasing towards the hanches, and In
testing the bridge, rails were laid upon
the sleepers over the arch, and trucks
weighing all together with their load:
forty mine tons, formed into a train with
wheel base of 81 feet, hence the load
amounted to forty-nine fifty sevenths o.
a ton per foot run.
AT subsequent trial gravel ten fee
wide and three feet thick at the crown
and six feet thick at the launches, was
laid over the bridge and upon the ballas
was placed the permanent way, and thu
same load passed over it. In this test tht
) strain upon it was as follow:
Tun CIV
Weight of arch. IL
Strain per square foot dead load ......... IL
Strain per square foot passing load..-.... II
Total strain per foot...... Is
| The load was left on the bridge al
might and showed no signs of failure, ant
is all right to day. Would it not be wei
L. Il