The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-30
REVOLUTION N BUILDING.
Steel Frames Make Wider Range of
stone Available.
York Commercial Advertiser


The modern system of construction. by
which weights of the tall buildings now 80
great a feature of most American cities are
transferred from the walls to the steel or
curious change as to the qualities demanded
IN building stone. Formerly Ii was essential
that the stone of the walls of high build
ing should be capable of bearing enormous
weights without crushing. Now ii is only
necessary that the stone shall be handsome
in appearance and of moderate strength, as
IL is used only as facing" in the tall build
ings
1t is the application of the truss princi-
pie to the framing of buildings indeed that
renders the fifteen and twenty-story COM
mercia1 and Industrial towers of to-day
practicable, for TO make the walls thick
enough In the lower course to stand the
weight OF some of the high structures now
adays put on narrow lots in many cases
would be TO use up half the area devoted
TO the building with foundation walls
The strongest stone known to American
builders VIII bear pressure OF $4,000
of New Jersey and the dolerite OF Staten
island will both take this weight, which is
somewhat in excess of the capabilities of
the GRANTEES. Thus the granite of Rhode
Island brushes when the pressure reaches
more than 1850 pounds to the cubic inch:
that of Virginia will bear 21.z50 pounds
and that OF Maryland 10, $50 pounds The
strength OF the GRANTEES of Maine. New
Hampshire and Vermont varies somewhat,
but not greatly, from these figures, and
the strength of granite has been the quality
that has most recommended il in the past.
The strongest marbles in the world are
from American quarries and come from
Lee. Mass. They will bear the weight of
L., 40 pounds to the cubic inch. The mar
bic OF Tuckahoe n. Y, will bear 1850
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
u,Sl2 pounds. The statuary marble of
Carrara will bar only 9.723. The strongest
limestone VIII support 1920 pounds TO the
cubic inch. and IL is Quarried In the vi
Cinity of Kingston, n. Y. The Empire
State is especially rich in limestone quar-
ries the products Of which are greatly val
ued 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 Lockport is of various gray shades
and there are cream and dove-ti1ted stones
found in other portions of the State Some
OF the handsOmest lght-shaded limestone
is found in Florida and the Bermudas.
The Ohio-limestones are quite the equal of
any in America and are favorites in Cincin-
natl. Cleveland and Columbus A most val
liable property of the Ohio limestones is
their power of resisting fire. quality shared
by the limeStOnes of Indiana and Illinois.
These stones are quarried in slabs. and at
one time in the geological history of the
earth formed a part OF the beach or bottom
of the seas of the Niagara period.
Americans are much more lavish in the
use OF bright colOred building stones than
the English or any other northern people, a
fact that was noted forty years ago by Il
titled English visitor TO this country. who.
in a Letter 10 a British periodical drew a
parallel between the cheerful aspect pre-
scented by American facadeS and the somber
appearance of the English fronts, TO the de-
cided disadvantage of the latter