The Washington herald., 1909-05-30

Guthrie. Okla. May 29.-No one who
has studied the trend Of the times can
doubt thai the coming building material
for the Southwest is Portland cement
Manv persons now in middle life win live
TO see the day when a now wooden house
in this part Of the country VIII be a
rarity
II Southern Kansas. where conditions
OF manufacture are ideal. including an
abundance OF cheap fuel and easily
worked material. Portland cement IS
manufactured al a reported cost Of %
cents barrel. and the plants have been
disposing Of their output al prices vary
ing from $50 10 s. a barrel. and in many
instances have been months behind with
their orders. Il is an obvious fact that
the laws OF supply and demand win not
permit such conditions to continue Al
ready new mills are being erected, and It
is altogether probable that within few
months the price Of Portland cement VIII
again approach normal
Process Not Complex.
The process OF manufacture Of Port
land cement Is not complex Nothing Is
needed in the way Of raw material but
shaIe. limestone, and fuel Almost any
kind Of shaIe or limestone may be Util-
lied. provided certain injurious ingredi-
ents. notably iron and magneSia, are not
present in large amounts. The limestone
and shaIe are ground fine, mixed in the
proper proportions. burned 70 a ciinRer.
and ground Tie chief difficulty in the
establishment OF a Portland cement plant
Is not IN the location Of raw material
but the great initial cost Of the plant. II
Is usually estimated that the amount OF
money necessary 10 equip looo- barrel
plant is between S40o.00o and $5o00o6. the
amount depending upon the type Of plant
ard the location.
There is perhaps no part Of the United
States where more building Is in prospect
within the next few years than in Okla
homa. With Statehood a great impetus
has been given 20 al kinds Of develop
ment Not only are there a number OF
public buildings. asylUmS. penitentiaries.
and schools 20 be erected. the location OF
which = 20 be decided by the legislature
no4Y In session, but all sorts of build
ings business and residence, are 10 be
built The cities are growing rapidly
TIE matter Of development
Cement VIII Be Used.
While il is true that a considerable
number Of these buildings viii be erect
ed Of brick and stone, there can be no
doubt that Portland cement viii enter
very largely into the various structures
There are comparatively few bridges IN
Oklahoma As counties are organized
thousands Of new bridges must be built,
and there is a constantly growing ten
dencv. among engineers and contractors
10 use Portland cement for bridge con-
srruction-
Il Is a matter Of congratulsti0n that
Oklahoma has deposits Of Portland &C.
a,ent rock that never can be exhausted.
coupled with vast deposits OF fuel in
cludinC coal oil. and gas Limestone Oc-
ours in practically all parts OF Oklahoma
except the central and northwestern sec
tons There are et least six widely
separated regions in the new state where
limestone occurs il quantity In the fol-
lowing paragraphs shall discuss briefly
the character and stratigraphy Of the
limestone and shale beds in the various
regions and the occurrence Of fuel which
viii be most suitable for the maluf2c-
tUre of Portland cement
Northern Oklahoma Region
The rocks OF Northern Oklahoma con
sist largely Of alternating layers OF shale,
sandstone, and limestone Of the Pennsyl-
vanian and PermiaE age. There are in
his region about twenty Iedges Of lime
stone. varying in thickness from ten tc
forty feet. which strike slightly west OF
south from the Kansas line about as fai
as the Arkansas River. where they grad
ualIv thin out and disappear The shales
which are interstratified with the lime
stones. are suitable for the manufacture
OF Portland cement. Two veins of work
able coal cross this region from north q
south. and the region occupies the hear
OF the Oklahoma oil field. The amount
os natural gas already in sight Is sUfn
Gent 20 last for many years Numerou:
wells yielding 5,G00 COO 20 I0,o0o0 COO cubi'
feet daily have been shut in. and Hum
Der Of wells are reported TO Weld al IN
way I'D 10 So.e00090 cubic feet.
The Ozark Mountains
The northeastern part OF Oklahoma i
occupied by a series OF rocks. largel!
limestone and shale. which includes Ih'
southwestern extension Of the Ozarl
Mountains OF Missouri There are tw'
prominent Iedges OF limestone. known a
the Boone and the Pitkin. interstratiie'
with shale. Practically all the limeston
and shsle might be used for the manu-
facture o. Portland cement.
All the fuel. either coal oil. or gas
used for manufacturing purposes ins tn
region must come from twenty 20 hft,
miles 10 the west There is plenty o
water and several competing lines o
railways.
Atoka-HartshOrne Region
There is ledge OF limestone 80 fee
thick. standing on edge. which outcrop
Ior nearly 10 miles. extending from tn
eastern end Of the Arbuckle Mountains
rear Warpanucka, past Atoka and alonl
the northern side Of the Ouachita Noun
tains. Passing not far from Hartshorne
reaching nearly 10 the Arkansas line
There are beds Of clay and shale bot
above and below the limestone. Throug
lts entire outerop the limestone ledge /
paralleled by two veins Of coal each fou
feet thick Natural gas viii probably b
found IN the region north and nOTthwes
OF the limestone. Several lines Of rail-
road intersect the ledge.
Red River Region.
There is a region III Southeastern Okla
hcns lying between the south edge o
the Arbuckle and Ouachita Mountain
and Red River that contains ledges O
limestone and Portland cement The roc
IS practically the same in quality as tha
now being used at Dallas. Tex. tn
limestone ledges are from ten 10 fort
feet thick and are usually rather soft
10 fuel has been so far found IL the re
gi0a, so that coal would have 10 be haule
f-Un the Lehigh-s -sIcAlester district Q