Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-21

the sample before him, should not be used In
a public building. He had refused to bid on
the Memphis customhouse If it was to be
built of sandstone, because If the building was
under construction for twelve months by the
time you got TO the top the bottom would
have begun to decay. Of the specimen OF
Tennessee marble before him (which it he's
been proposed to use In constructing the GUS
tomhouse), he says: THAT Is one of the
finest building materials l have ever seen In
this country; it Is just as good as Italian
marble. There is building of this material
in Knoxville, and you can see how the stone
stands there" AS to sandstone, he referred
the committee to New York, where they
would find plenty of it in disintegrating
state after only ten or twelve years use. The
Freedman's bank building, in this city, which
is built of Seneca sandstone 1.-THE same In
which there was so much corrupt deallugb Is
an exception, because it is an oxide OF iron
ton Mr.. MCGOWAN stated that for
the wear and tear of sandstone
the committee had only to examine
the Fifteenth street front of the treasury
building, which had not been painted tor
sumo time. A close inspection of it would
discover to them large holes. 1t had not
been painted recently because the govern
lite. Henry X. Searle Is an architect residing
here. He has had many years experience in
his profession, and unhesitatingly prefers
marble to sandstone. He did not like the
specimen of Illinois sandstone before him.
He had been examining it for some time, and
would not like to use it. He had had much
of sad experience with sandstones, and would
not recommend even the best of them for use
in public building like that contemplated
in Memphis. He would not use the illinois
sandstone, of which they had a specimen be-
fore them, unless obliged to. He liked the
Tennessee marble because it was a better
stone, heavier, more compact End stronger
This, " he says, putting his hand on the
Tennessee marble, lis a good specimen of
building material. don't think there. is any
comparison between the two stones. And he
thought it much the cheaper of the two, even
though it cost twenty-five per cent more.
There was only one description of sandstone
that he would or could recommend, and that
is the argillaceous s. me which underlies the
lime rock in New York, and which is taken
out at Medina and Lockport. 1t goes by the
stone. 1t is mixed with clay, and is not
regular granulated sandstone, but it
Is as hard as granite. There is no
sandstone that is equal to granite or marble,
There is nothing equal to these stones. Even
the finest quality OF pressed brick laid in &C.
ment will not last as long or resist the ele
ments 30 thoroughly. Mr.. Alfred B. Mullett
was oXdullucu dt leuSlu. NE WAS IOEIneTly
supervising architect of the treasu y, and the
man who drew the plans and for while SUI
perlntended the construction of the new State
department 1.-THE handsomest building in the
country. He had as much experience in va
rious kinds of building stones as any man in
his profession. He preferred marble to sand
stone, and would not use the latter only I'M
der compulsion. He would use marble at a
cost of fifty per cent over sandstone, and
nj n.
stone, samples of which they had before
them. Sandstone should never be used In
public buildings. In London the impolicv of
using such a stone is now apparent. The
new houses of parliament, constructed at an
immense cost, of sandstone supposed to be
the very best building material, are crumb-
ling away. Scientific experts had pronounced
1t excellent, but use has belied them. He
examined the sample of Tennessee marble
before the committee, and said he "consid-
cred the Tennessee marble found near Knox
vile, of which this is a sample, the most
beautiful and durable marble for building
purposes In the United States. l used it in
the customhouse at Knoxville, and tested it
thoroughly, and | know of no marble in the
country which runs so uniformly, or requires
so little selection. l should be glad to see it
selected for some important building in this
city. l think Colonel Casey's estimate of it
correct. 1t is very dense, the crystals are
close, it absorbs scarcely any water, and l
can find no practical difference between pieces
taken from different parts of the same quar-
ry, and but little between specimens taken
from any of the quarries around. 1t appears
to be an enormous upheaval of one great
original bed" Mr.. Mullett paid the people
of Memphis handsome tribute for present
ing the very eligible site for the customhouse,
and said it was the noblest gift ever made to
the government for such a purpose. On
not do to build the Memphis customhouse of
brick; that, in fact, could not be done with
out altering the plans radically; and that it was
better to build it of Tennessee marble than ILL
nois sandstone, even though the cost was in
creased by fifty per cent. ST, Mr.. Mullett con-
BILE, as against this sandstone, at any fair
price, | think it ought to get it. If you could
zee two buildings put up, one of this sand
stone and the other of this marble. do not
think you would hesitate one moment to pay
the difference In price and take the marble.
Indeed, do not think you would want the
sandstone at any price, | wish you. could see
l consider it, SO far as material is con-
cerned, one of the handsomest in the
country, and | don't think that any
building material has ever been dis
covered and used In the United States
that for durability and beauty equals the
Knoxville MARBLE" Mr.. Clemence A. Did
den, an architect of this city, preferred sand
stone for public buildings, but when pressed
to the wall admitted that it was liable to dis
integrate. when marble and granite would
not. And yet he preferred 1t. He talked
sandstone strong. He said architects used it
generally on public buildings, but when
asked to name public building in this coun-
try constructed of that perishable material,
said he could not name any, but he had seen
&c
Lament, which have had to be covered with
some sort of a chemical solution to prevent
the walls crumblIng away. Mr.. Didden
didn't know how to square fancy with fact,
and as friend of Illinois sandstone was
dead failure. He was the only exception to
the general condemnation of Illinois sand
stone and recommendation of Tennessee mar
BILE. He is fraud, and was trying to sustain
the fraudulent secretary in his attempt to de-
fraud the people of Memphis and Tennessee.
Mr.. Didden said the Illinois sandstone was
very good stone (of its kind, but then it is
bad kind, while the Tennessee marble he
pronounced about equal to so much iron and
just as compact. He also finally admit
ted that sandstone would not last as
marble would, because it would de-
cay and the latter would not.
And yet so well had he been instructed that
he held out to the last that he preferred the
decaylng to the enduring material. He was
swift witness and sure for the fraudulent sec
Rotary, and played fraud so plainly that every
one present saw and admitted it. Summing
up, it will be seen that the secretary stands
condemned by experts for ordering sandstone
In place of marble, and that there is only one
explanation of the matter, and that lies IN
Job something akin to the Seneca sandstone
job, which promised SO much but yielded so
little. When Casey Young gets his report
(of which this testimony VIII form part) be-
fore the house, the bill which passed the SEN
ate providing for marble will no doubt pass;
then Mr.. Sandstone Secretary Sherman will
have no option but to see that our customhouse
Is built OF enduring and beautiful Tennessee
marble. The best in the world, sir
j. NJ K.
Relies OF By-gOne Black Hills Miners.
Sioux City Qowa) Journal: Mr.. Witcher
Oava no an intaractip,, aonount Of ba