New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-27

orc the Granite pillars In tie Custom iiodF por'co
Tbcv ar, not. however. more than one-thiTd thc
height or dimensions If the ObcllNk.
rho attention which has been given 10 the care
,,b. Obcli,l IS due largely To- Park Commissioner
por1rr who has personally interested himself III
.. c,udition Some doubt as to the manner III
,rbi.h tbc stone would withstand the weather
,,s,ad when the Obclisk was placed IN central
PARK hut Commander Gorrirgr SAID at the 'linc
that ~ il had already withstood over 3,OoV years
- ,vo, likely t. last many more. Even 50 c"lc-
rul AN observer as President Barnard, oi ''luhoh
COLLEGE after an Investigation gave his opinion t'a'
. ,,,r,,. .> n,sir,. IN this climate would have no
ncrccptiblc effect upon the stone. But IN lchS thaI
G,, yc,r, after IL had been placed in tho park, the
ors, t..r. ,v,rr realized Professor K. Ogden Dore-
u. who had kept n watch on il from the start, an
uourccd that the stone was rapidly falling away
The surface from which the polish had so long
dis,ppcarcd was dry and brittle when the oucllSK
c,me to this climate DR.. Doremus aHcertaihcd
that the frosts were causing the stone 10 break
OH in LARGE flakes. This led 10 an lnveatIcatIou'
which confirmed the report of Dr. Doremns ana
Professor Ncwhcrry, Of columbia COLLEGE, ad"eu
>, T. tbe assertion that AT this rate of dsintcgra-
ton there would be- nothing bnt bare SHAFT lcit
of the Obclisl, by the end Of the present century.
The companion OF this Obclisk, which stands
an the banks OF the Thames in London. Is coated
with a PREPARATION Of linsscd oil rs protection
from the weather. but the treatment by parailih'
MAS pronounced more favorable tor preservation,
and this was applied to the Ohchsll IN Central
Park Before making the application all the
loose flakes on the surface were removed. lhcJ
filled more than six barrels with stone and weighed
| IN the accrceatc more than half ton. At this
| rate the loss Of ton IN weight every ten
wears. the conclusion OF Professor Ncwbcrry was
| likely 10 be realized in & comparatively short
| time In making the application quantity OF
crosotr. dissolved in mrpcntmc was mixed with
| thc par,fiuc to prevent vegetable growth on the
| ,rouc The surface of the rock was heated by
| hol ling charcoal-furnacc over the spot to bc
! treated and then the liquid parainc was applied
with a brush and allowed 10 penetrate the stone
as far it was readily absorbed The distance
! was asccrtaincd to be about an inch. The paraf
fine on cooling hardcns in the pores of the
stone, and it is not materially affected by th,
weather 1t will not melt under 100 degrees
| Fahrenheit so That tie heat OF the sun does not
influence it in summer
| The total area Of the surface of the Shaft anC
| Of the plinth of the ObeiSk is 220 square yards
and the amnount of parailnc absorbed as stated by
| L. VI. CalIalI, who directed the application and
aftcrward read paper in the Academy of Science.
on tie condition Of the work. was 81 "a pounds
| Some criticism was made the process Of heating
the surface Of the stone to apply the composition
| but it is asserted that the heat was never cX
| uemc. and that at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit