The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-10
BEDFORD LIMESTONE.
Report Giving Twenty Reasons in Favor of
the Indiana Stone as Against Granite.


New York Special to Pittsburg Dispatch.
Col Richard Nevins ir, who has been in
Washington to confer with the Treasury Depart
ment regarding the material to be used in the
new postoffice and government building at Pitts
burg, arrived here to-day. He had long con-
ference with Secretary Manning and Mr. Fair
child, yesterday, in which he represented his
views upon the subject of Bedford limestone
from Indiana being preferable to granite from
Maine, and was requested by the Secretary TO
make out report ON the subject which he has
just mailed to night
Senator Voorhees,, of Indiana, was also at the
department. yesterday, and made an argument
upon the intention of Congress in the matter
He says that if granite had been named in the
bill by which the special appropriation of $3.50 900
was made for this structure, it could not have
been passed. The friends of granite have been
claiming that it was understood that granite was
to be used, which is refuted by Senator Voor
heeS. Colonel Nevins, in his report gives some
twenty reasons why he believes that limestone
is better than the granite. Among them are the
following, which are summarized, as the report
itself occupies forty or fifty pages of foolseap.
Granite is unable to stand the heat of conf1a-
gratlons, as was abundantly proven in the great
Boston fire. At New Orleans, where the gov
eminent had building of granite, it was badly
damaged by the heat of a fire in its vicinity.
Plttsburg streets are SO narrow that fire in any
block near by would injure granite structure.
Under the action both of heat and water it crum-
bles The limestone stands 1900 Fahrenheit of
heat. Granite cannot be carved like limestone,
and is therefore undesirable in point of orna-
mentatlon. Limestone weighs one-seventh less
than granite, and would relieve the foundation
of that much dead weight Limestone improves
with age, and hardens and whitens. Bedford
stone. II used, will be shipped in the rough from
the quarrles and vii! be cut in Pittsburg by
local stone cutters. This would not be posi-
Bile with the granite on account of the extra
weight and because of the peculiar work re-
CURED in cutting it. 1t would all have to be cut
in Maine before it was put on board the cars.
The stonecutters of Pittsburg are entitled to the
work on the new structure, and should have it,
other things being equal.
If limestone is used it will save the govern
ment $lOO, 00O The demand for economy in the
conduct of the government, and the desire of the
administration to practice economy as far as
compatible with the public interests makes this
no small item. The granite costs more because it
is more difficult to cut, and account of the
difference in freights. The endurance and dura-
blllty of Bedford limestone cannot be questioned
1t has stood for sixty years in Indiana The
reason it has not before been more widely known
and used is the previous lack of shipping fiacl-
ties. The English Parliament building is built
OF maenesia limestone similar in quality to the
Indiana stone.
Criticism has been made on the House of Par
lament that it has blackened with age. But
the English government has never made any
question OF its strength and durability. The
crushing weight of Bedford limestone runs from
10000 to 5000 pounds per square inch. with
factor of safety of 300. The stone has great
elasticity and resistance to crushing force 1t
will bend and straighten and remain resonant as
steel after being bent a thousand times. The
action Of frost cannot affect the limestone, as it
is but little permeable of water. The atmos-
phere of Pittsburg, where coal is used fuel, is
much charged with sulphuric acid. When the
acid comes in contact with limestone it forms sui
phate of lime. The sulphate of lime being white
cannot affect the color of the stone while at the
same time it forms protection for it. In the
course Of years the limestone might be black
ened by the smoke but the granite would also
blacken. The use of natural gas is becoming so
general in Pittsburg that in few years this OBJ
lection may be obviated in both cases. The Bed
ford stone contains SO per cent. of carbonate of
lime and 20 per cent. of petroleum. The impur-
tiles are organic matter, with complete freedom
from the presence of corrodable minerals Dana,
the mineraogist. in his text book which is an
accepted authority, says, on Page 364, that tho
very best varieties of limestone are not exceeded
in durability by any article of rock, not even by
granite.
The Bedford limestone is used in the State
Capitol of Indiana at Indianapolis, the court
house and postoffice at Indianapolis, the court
house at Fort Wayne, the courthouse at Louis
vile, KY, the Cotton Exchange at New Orleans,
the Mutual Life Insurance building and the
Vanderbilt residences in New York city, the
Globe Insurance building in Philadelphia, James
p SCOTS residence in Philadelphia, United
States buildings at Frankfort KY, jefferson,
Mo-. Hannibal and Fort Wayne, besides hun
dreds of other less prominent places. The
State of Georgia has as good granite as can be
found in the United States. Yet after going to
great expense to investigate by practical test the
difference between granite and limestone, it was
decided to the Bedford limestone for the
construction of their new Capitol at Atlanta,
although they had quarry of granite within
twenty miles of the city
Colonel Nevns has touched upon some other
points in his report that not strictly confined
to the question of which stone is the better He
hints that the Chamber of Commerce is anxious
to have granite used merely because it is the
costlier stone. In answering questions that had
evdentaly been raised as to why the Allegheny
courthouse was built of granite, he said: .'It is
notorious in Pittsburg, and can be easily an
swered by an examination of the newspaper &C
counts of the letting of the contract"
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