Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-16
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BONANZA

L
informs us that he has been following
the investigations of tine u. Engineer,
Can't. T.. III. RUFFNER-nOw engaged i'll
the Improvement of the Kanawha river
in opening and testing quarrles of
building stones in that locality, and re-
CARDS his discoveries and experiments
i'm this direction as of very great interest
and value, not only 10 that section, but
TO the whole State.
They are of value TO the whole State,
because, as DR.. SUMMERS suggests, the
strong probability is that the same
stratum will be found in many other
localities, and therefore may come to be
regarded as one Ofthe valuable resources
of the State, not less important than the
coal and ores of which We are wont to
boast. DR.. SUMMERS says the same
stratum has been traced along the ka-
nawha for twenty-seven miles, and the
most beautiful specimens are being
uuarried for use in building the State
Capitol and Custom House at Charles
ton. 49,.
Now, as to the character and qualities
Of the stone for building purposes, Capt.
RUFFNER has furnished very exact,
and we presume, entirely reliable in
formation as to its strength, weight and
ratio of absorption; information which
he says s'is not easy TO get, and not IN
general obtainable as TO guarrieS of
building stone throughout the United
States"
In the last issue of the kanawha Ga
eetfe we find this information set out i'll
detail in an article over the signature Of
Cant. RUFFSER, in which he makes
exact comparisons of the building stones
of the Kanawha with similar ones
throughout the United States, which
serve to show the exact value of the
fOrmer.-
CAPTAIN RUFFSER takes as basis of
his COMPARISONS the work of General
GILMORE, vino, he says, has made q
special study of the subject of building
stones i'm general uSe throughout the
United States. The following extract
from the article referred to in the Ga
-effe will give some idea of the result OF
these comparisons. Captain RUFFNER
first refers TO the manner in which Gen.
---I CrSsssoT.E TrEs-hxvS htS comparisons
between different kinds of stone, and
then proceeds to apply these tests to
the Kanawha stone:
'He-Gen. Gilmore,-use for purposes
OF comparison cubes measuring two inches
each way. and by crushing them on the
bed, and on the edge, and afterwards de-
termining the specific gravity, weight per
cubic foot and ratio OF absorption. obtains
elements by which stones of one class may
he compared with those of another. From
these tables We find (aS was 70 be eXpectedl
that the GRANTEES give the most uniform and
greatest strength, and from specimens OBJ
oh
necticut, Rhode Island, New York, MaSSa-
cnusatts. MARYLAND, Virginia, Minnesota
and Michigan 81 specimens crushed on
the bed give an average OF $500 pounds,
and Il on the edge give 6l.5OO
lbs OF limeStOneS are tested specimens
from New York, Ohio, Michigan, Wisson-
sin, Illinois. Kentucky and Missouri, and
- tests on the bed give an average OF o.
60 lbs, and Is on the edge, $500 Among
these are five of the Joliet Illinois stones
Of which Chicago is largely built; these
give on the bed Just about the average
above given.
Seven specimens Of marble from four
States give an average on the bed OF $1,000
lbs, and three on the edge, 5000
"SandStOneS were tested from three
places i'm New York one in New Jersey,
Connecticut and Michigan, two in Wiscon-
sin and three in Ohio, by 30 specimens in
all. OF these forty specimens from eleven
places in six States only tIcD exceeded the
mean strength OF the kanawha stones on
the bed, and only one eXtee led the average
ON the edge These three came from
Medina. y. Y, and il they are omitted the
Kanawha stones will acreage 10000 pounds
above the highest given in Gilmore's
tables, both on the bed and the edge. AL
though extensive quotation has thus Tar
beeu made, principally from Gilmore. 1t
is only because he supplies the most recent
and extensive results, but other authori-
ties as Mahan HaSwell, TrautTine, &c, all
go to prove that the weakest kanawha
stones thus far tested rank with, and gen
orally much above the strongest examples
of European and American SandStoneS used
rs building stones"
We omit the tables furnished by Cap
tain RCFFNER, which furnish exact COM
parsons with the Kanawha stone, with
the results indicated above. As Captain
RUFFNER says, sin ali cases of the con-
struction of large or expensive buildings
the careful architect deyotes more
thought To the character of the stone to
be used than to any other item, cost not
excepted" and the existence of such
qualities Of building stone as he reports,
is an important fact TO its relation to the
future building in this State, as well as
i'm its direct money value as part of
Our natural resources