Mr. Napier on Sandstones used for Building. 013 



Mr. Thomas Dawson and Mr. Matthew Bell were' requested to audit 

 the Treasurer's Accounts before the opening of nest session. 



The Librarian laid on the table a copy of Memoirs of the Literary 

 and Philosophical Society of Manchester, presented by the Society. 

 Thanks voted. 



Mr. W. J. Macquorn Rankine described a contrivance named " A 

 Eailway-Train-Signal-Rope-Slack Gatherer." 



Mr. James R. Napier read a paper "On the Saving of Fuel in Fur- 

 naces.'' 



The following paper was read: — 



XLI. — Remarks upon Sandstones used for Building, &c. 

 By Mr. J. Napier, Chemist, Partick. 



There are few but will have observed, while walking along our newly- 

 formed streets, that many of the buildings that have been erected within 

 these ten or fifteen years, have stones in them, especially on the ashlar 

 fronts, that are rapidly corroding and destroying materially the beauty 

 and appearance of the structure. There will also be observed that 

 this decay or corrosion is very general under projections, or in such 

 circumstances as keep them entirely in the shade. 



A few months ago, having occasion to superintend some erections in 

 the neighbourhood, curiosity led me to inquire of the practical men 

 whether it were not possible to detect stones that were liable to 

 corrode previous to being put into a prominent part of a building, and 

 so save the heart-burnings a proprietor must feel on finding that here 

 and there upon the front wall, and many times on expensively-wrought 

 work, are certain stones or parts of a stone that begin to moulder ere 

 his house is tenanted. But my inquiries led to the conclusion that 

 nothing could be done nor any good reason given as to the cause of the 

 decay, although not a few assured me they could tell by the mexQ feel 

 whether a stone would last or not ; but this means of testing, I was 

 told, could not be communicated to any person not practically acquainted 

 with the trade, and was seldom put into practice in erecting houses. 

 Such were the circumstances that suggested the idea of endeavouring to 

 find if a chemical examination would assist in determining the cause, and 

 lead to any remedy. In this inquiry I have experienced much the want 

 of data for comparison. Although making analyses of stones from all tho 

 various quarries about, I could not find specimens of tried stones, of 

 stones that had been in building.s and exposed, and the quality either 

 good or bad determined: hence my investigations are ftir from satisfac- 

 tory, but I am thus bringing it forward in the present unfinished state as 

 a call upon builders or architects to send mo .specimens of known qualities, 

 80 that tlie experiments may be more thoroughly carried out, and see if 

 it is within the range of chemical or mechanical testing. 



Sandstones are of considerable variety both in tho size of the grains 



Vol. IIL— No. 5. 5 



