Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-13

4
we saw, to give figures from notes Of
measurement made by ourselves on the
spot, and the results of tests to which
We have subjected the stone.
1t is, as we have said above, sand
stone belonging probably to the Pots
dam fromation it varies slightly in
color, being for the most part of a
yellowish tint closely approaching to
white. A very important feature of
the quarry, and one that will be fully
appreciated only by scientific construc-
tors, is the position of the layers com
posing it. First, they are very slight
ly inclined from horizontal position,
the angle of the dip being not more
than four degrees with the horizon
Second, the joints make very nearly
right angles with the layers and with
each other, and third, the directions
of the lines of the joints are as nearly
as possible those of the cardinal points
of the compass, i. e. North and South,
and East and West. Architects and
engineers who construct massive edi-
fees Of any character are well aware
of the Importance Of placing stones in
masonry in the positions which they
occupied in the quarry-bed. The fact
that structure in which all the stones
as so placed is much stronger in ali
respects than one otherwise entirely
similar in which the stones have been
laid without regard to their original
positions is now we'll established so
we'll indeed is this principle settled,
that, in all important engineering
works. the planning and control Of
which are entrusted to competent men,
a stipulation is inserted In contracts
for dressed stone that due regard shall
be had In preparing the stone to its
position IN the quarry, and any scien-
tifc engineer would reject stone that
has been SO dressed as to place the face
which was horizontal in the quarry in
a vertical position in the wall or abut-
ment, such a position being especially
Instantaneous when the stone is to
be exposed to the weather. It is
hence evident that the position of the
layers in the Stonington quarry is
highly favorable i'll this important par
ticular
Tie quarry is moreover we'll situat-
ed with regard to getting out stone
with comparatively little labor it oc-
cupies ridge of moderate elevation,
the side of which being removed, the
layers are exposed.
In the upper layers the stone is
much broken although not by any
means to an extent which renders it
valueless on the contrary these lay
ers afford ordinary building and found
alton stone, excellent in quality, and
of rather more than the usual size.
The layers increase in thickness with
their depth below the surface of the
ridge, the joints at the same time be-
coming less frequent. Careful meas
urement showed that the thickness of
the layers ranged from six inches in
the upper part of the quarry to twenty
four inches in the lower part The
distance between joints, measured on
East and West lines, was from eight
feet above to twenty-one feet below
upon North and South lines, the same
distance ranged from three to seven
feet. We measured several blocks in
; place which contained between two
hundred and three hundred cubic feet
and weighed from sixteen to eighteen
tons. We give the dimensions of a
few: Length II feet, breadth 4 it,,
depth l ID feet, containing y Gu. f., !;
I'd, length Is feet, breadth 6 feet,
depth 2 feet, containing 216 GU. f.,
weight 34560 lbs. or over II tons :;
Sd, length p feet, breadth 7 feet,
depth 2 feet, contents 294 Gu. f.,
weight 47040 lbs. or over % tons
From these figures it will be seen that
dimension stone of any size likely
to be required in any structure can be
had from this quarry, the great bulk
g of which consists of blocks such as
those above described.
More important than the question of
size is that Of character in which term
we include toughness, resistance to
crushing and tensile strains, behavior
Nth ,o0ord to atnOc0boric InHuapcas