The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-02
THE BUILDING STONE OF TODAY.
Steel France Now Bear the Weight Of the
Skyscrapers.


Especial Correspondence1
PTTTsBuRG. Nov 27-The modern system
of construction, by which the weights OF
the tall buildings now great a feature of
most American cities are transferred from
the walls to the steel or iron truss framing
has brought about a curious change as 10
the qualities demanded in building stone
Formerly it was essential that the stone Of
the walls OF a high building should be cap
able of bearing enormous weights without
crushing Now it is only necessary that
the stone shall be handsome in appearance
and of moderate strength, as ii is used only
as facing" in the tall buildings.
1t is the application Of the truss principle
to the framing Of buildings indeed that
renders the Is and 90 story commercial and
Industrial towers Of today practicable. for
to make the walls thick enough in the low
or courses to stand the weight OF some OF
the high structures nowadays put on mar
row lots in many cases would be to use I'D
half the area devoted TO the building with
foundation walls.
The strongest stone known to American
builders will bear pressure of - ,0y0pounds
to the cubic inch. The trap rocks of New
Jersey and the dolerite of Staten Island
will both take this weight, which is some
what in excess of the capabilities of the
GRANTEES. Thus the granite of Rhode Island
crushes when the pressure reaches more
than IL. $50 pounds 20 the cubic inch, that
of Virginia will bear 81 $50 pounds and that
of Maryland 1880 pounds The strength
of the GRANTEES of Maine New Hampshire
and Vermont varies somewhat bat not
greatly from these figures, and the strength
of granite has been the quality that has
most recommended it in the past.
The strongest marbles in the world are
from American quarries aud come from
Lee, Mass. They viii bear the weight OF
l3, 40 pounds to the cubic inch. The mar
bic Of Tuckahoe. y. Y, will bear IL, go
pounds 10 the inch, and this Is in excess of
the strength OF some Of the Fundy red
GRANTEES. which are capable OF bearing only
ll,sl2 pounds The statuary marble OF Car
rara viii bear only 9723- The strongest
limestone will support I3. 900 pounds TO the
cubic inch, and il isquaTried IN the vicinity
of Kingston, y. Y. The Empire State IL
especially rich in limestone quarries. the
products Of which are greatly valued for
their variety OF color That OF Glens Falls
is jet black and will take on q high polish;
the stone Of Medina Albion and Lock port
il OF various gray shades, and there are
cream and dove tinted stones found in other
portions Of the state. Some Of the hand
soonest light shaded limestone is found IN
Florida and the Bermudas.
TIE Ohio iifnes.oBes are quite the equal
Of snv In America and are favorites ia Gin
CinnAsi. Cisveland and Columbus. A most
valuable property OF the Oslo limestones
is their power of resisting ire, quality
shared by the iimesiones of northern Iu6i-
ana and Illinois. These stones are quar-
ried in slabs, and az oDe tine Ia the geolog-
icgl history Of the earth formed q part u
the beach or bottom u the seas of the Nj
sgsrs period
Amer3cans are much more lavish In the
Use Of bright coiored building s;ones than
the English Or anY other northern people,
iaot that vas noted ~ ysars ago By
titled English yisiIor 20 this country. WHO,
IN letter 70 a British periodical. drs~
parallel between the cheerful ssgect Pre-
seased by American fsc2sies and tie som
Der appearance Of tie Engiish fronts. 20 ,ss
1o0sGed disadvantage OF the latter.
l. l. CEAIo.