The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
VANITY AND TEXAS vEXATION
OF SPIRIT.

into what such research has demon
strated to the professor. The princi-
pie that stones are more last
ing when laid on beds clearly demon
strated in the case of all the building
stones. After structure has been
erected "A lew years, there Is no dlfii-
Guilty in dividing the stones laid on
bed from those laid on edge, as the Ia
limitations in the latter become dis
stinctlv marked; and in some kinds
this can be discovered Immediately af
ter completion, as the more porous
layers dry first. thereby giving the
stones stripped appearance. Brown
stone decomposes when laid on bed,
especially when exposed to intense
sun heat. A fertile source of decay
in stone is imperfect joining, by
which dampness is accumulated
behind stones, and frequent
exposure to such trying effect results
in rapid decomposition. The decay
of marble is first shown by its becom-
ing pitted, blocks set on edge showing
the more rapid decay. Granite shows
pitting, the hornbende being first at
tackled. The decay of granite is more
rapid on the sun sides of buildings
| than elsewhere. Most of the sand
stones are too soft for use in. the
lower portion of heavy buildings.
The western sandstones are
more durable than those from New
England. Limestones, upon which
we mainly depend in Texas, have not
been so thoroughly tested in the east
ern cities, where DR.. Julian made his
Investigations, but he has doubts about
fine grained limestones, and bases this
doubt upon the rapid decay of West
minister Abbey. Whether the extreme
dampness of the London climate has
had anything to do with this decay is
not explained; in fact, he draws no
deductions from such condition, and
does not even refer to it. The
climate of Texas is al
most the reverse of that
which envelops the historical abbey.
The doctor has reached the following
conclusion in regard to the life of
stones. defining life as the period
during which the stone presents de-
cent appearance: Coarse brownstone
best used out of the sun, from five to
fifteen years; laminated fine brown
stone, from twenty-five to fifty
years: compact fine brownstone,
from one to two centuries;
Nova Scotia stone will probably
last from fifty to one hundred
years; Ohio sandstone, the best of the
sandstones, one hundred years; Caen
stone, from thirty-five to forty years;
coarse dolomite marble, forty years;
fine marble, sixty years; pure calca-
reous marble, from forty, to one nun
bred years; granite, from seventy-fve
to two hundred years, according to
variety. Pure calcareous mar
BILE comes nearer the for
nations depended on in Texas
| than anything which the professor
has tested. OF course there are many
fruitful causes, growing out of i'm
proper solutions and compositions,
used in construction, which assist in
the more rapid destruction of stones.
These and hydrations, and the chemi-
cal effect of the suns rays, combin-
| ing with them, assist in more
rapid decomposition. The obser-
vations were mostly confined
to buildings in New York
city, and therefore they do not apply
aptly to all portions of the country.
1t must be observed, however, that
the "life of stone" is intended in
these Investigations to mean 1.-THE
period during which the stone ipre-
sents a decent appearance" Of course
some of the stones mentioned by the
professor preserve almost perfect in
tegrity for cen turtles, but the best de-
cay absolutely in time. The pyra-
mids of Egypt have lasted thousands
of years, but some speculative genius
has lately asserted that the perfectly
preserved blocks of stone used in
their construction are the creation of
an artificial compound, now unknown.
This may even be true, for the Coils
ium at Rome, built nearly two
thousand years ago, was decay
ing ten centuries ago. Some of its
walls, however, are still quite intact,
and many of the huge blocks of gran
tie, from pillars and portals, that lie
about the magnificent ruins, yet re-
tain the shapes given them by the ar
tisans, and even the marks of masons'
tools are still distinctly visible on
many pieces. When Caesar became
master of Europe, huge aqueducts
were built along the upper Rhine on
great granite pillars, and many of
these as they now stand would form
suitable resting place for railway
tracks bearing the weighty trains of
modern transportation. The evil
dences of durability of stone loom up
before us in considering what is super
ficially presented by DR.. Julian. They
suggest to us how our great state
capitol and our other public buildings
might be made to last five hun
dred years were the spirit of
enlarged view and comprehensive
thought, aided by worldly observation,
guiding the minds of those intrusted
with their conception and erection.
The limestone out of which the CAPT
tol is to be built may be most durable. |
but this has not been proven either
by experience or by proper scientific
investigation. There is hard lime
stone. or more properly a mable. in |
the counties of Burnett and Llano.
which, we think, would form struc- |
lures that would last almost like the |
pyramids, and there is a granite there |
which would equal in durability the
material that composed the walls and |
terraces of the ancient Roman thea |