The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-12


The Strongest Bears Pressure Of $4,000
Pounds Per Cubic Inch.
The modern system of construction, by
which weights OF the tall buildings now SO
great feature Of most American cities arc
transferred from the walls to the steel or
iron truss framing. has brought about a
curious change as to the qualities demand
ed In building stone. Formerly 1t was es-
sential that the stone of the walls Of high
building should be capable of bearing enor-
nous weights without crushing. Now 1t
h only necessary that the stone should I've
handsome I'm appearance and OF moderate
strength. as it is used only as facing" in
the tall buildings.
1t is the application OF the truss princi-
pie to the framing Of buildings, indeed,
that renders the 10 and 20 story CONNER
cial and industrial towers of today practi-
cable, for to make the walls thick enough
in the lower courses to stand the weight OF
some of the high structures nowadays put
on narrow lots in many cases would be to
use up half the area devoted to the build
ing with foundation walls.
The strongest stone known to American
builders will bear a pressure Of "a, 600 pounds
to the cubic inch. The trap rocks Of New
Jersey and the dolerites 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 17,7J0 pounds to 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,
but 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 and come from
Lee, Mass. They will bear the weight OF
3,440 pounds TO the cubic inch. The mar
BILE of Tuckahoe, N. Y, will bear 1850
pounds to 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
Carara will bear emily 0,723. The strongest
limestone will support $500 pounds TO the
cubic inch, and it is quarried in the vicinity
of Kingston, n. Y. The Empire State Is
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 a high polish.
The stone of Medina, Albion and Lockport
is 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.
The Ohio limestones are quite the equal
of any in America, aud are favorites i'm Gin
cinnati. Cleveland and Columbus. A most
valuable property OF the Ohio limestones
is their power OF resisting fire, quality
shared by the limestones OF northern Indi-
ana 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 colorcd building stones than
the English or any other northern people,
a fact that was noted 40 years ago by a
titled English visitor TO this country who,
in letter 10 British periodical, drew Q
parallel between the cheerful aspect pre-
sented by American facades and the somber
appearance of the English fronts, to the de-
| cided disadvantage OF the elatter.-Philadel-
| phia North American.