62 TKANSACTIONS OF THE [NOV. 23, 



buililiiig stones used in tliis city. It certainl}^ stains vei7 quickly 

 and badly and cannot stand the weather. Any one can see this 

 who will carefully examine any of it that has been exposed a 

 year or two. Among the finest exterior Avork in New York is 

 that on the front of the Hon. S. J. Tilden's house in Gramercy 

 Park, where the princi[)al part of the exquisitely carved stone is 

 this same red sandstone. Tiie discoloration and decay ;ire very 

 marked. In some places the costly carving is rapidly disappear- 

 ing, a salt a[)pears in many spots which is said to be due to the 

 stone having been wetted by sea-water. Its extreme })orosity, 

 more than that of some kind of brick, is against its being able, 

 unpi'otected, to withstand the attacks of this vci-y trying climate. 



The blue Wiioniiiuj stone, from Pennsylvania, is a very hard 

 substantial stone, less absorbent, and consequently less liable to 

 decay than the former stones; but even this is damaged where in 

 contact with brickwork, the salts of the lime and brickwork be- 

 ing carried into and through the stone and so corroding away its 

 surface. 



The light-colored Ohio and ISTova Scotia sandstones are good, 

 sound, hard stones, but owing to their delicate color they show 

 the weather stains and become very unsightly, and are some- 

 times almost covered with a green vegetable growth. A large 

 quantity of Dorchester stone was used in Central Park, 

 especially on what is called the ^'Terrace" at the north end 

 of the Mall. Here, a few years ago, an enormous amount 

 of money was expended in executing a great deal of fine sculp- 

 ture, but, alas! its beauty is rapidly fading away. Some portions 

 are almost obliterated, and there is scarcely any that is not seri- 

 ously damaged. 



There are many buildings here constructed of marble of vari- 

 ous kinds. It stains badly, and perishes moi'e readily than is 

 generally supposed. The old building of the Mutual Life In- 

 surance Company on the coi'uer of Broadway and Liberty street 

 was cleaned this summer. It was in a very bad state, and the 

 stone near the top vei-y much decayed. Some pieces of it here 

 exhibited s])eak for themselves. 1 could dig into it in places a 

 half an inch with my ))ocket knife. I have taken fragments of 

 marble from old buildings in this city, and rubbed them into 

 dust in my iiand. You will observe that this piece of marble 

 from the upper portion of the " Stewart building," obtained 

 when the building was being altered two years ago, has quite 

 perished. 



Limestone, Oolites, etc., are not much used in New York, but 

 where they have been, tiiey show stains on their white surfaces, 

 and abundant evidences of decay. 



Granite is undoubtedly the strongest and most durable of 



