New York State Education Department 



New York State Museum 



John M. Clarke Director 



Bulletin lOO 

 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 14 



FIRE TESTS 



SOME NEW YORK BUILDING STONES 



W. E. McCOURT 



INTRODUCTORY NOTE 



The recent extensive conflagrations in some of our large cities 

 have made more urgent than ever a demand for definite knowl- 

 edge of the capacity of various construction stones for resistance 

 to fire. Little has been done in the investigation of refractori- 

 ness of building stones and it is probable that the occasional recorded 

 tests have been based on series too incomplete and on samples 

 too small for reliable coordination of results. 



With the purpose of acquiring some definite information regard- 

 ing the fire-resisting qualities of certain New York building stones. 

 Prof. Heinrich Ries has, at my request, initiated and superin- 

 tended the investigation here given, the details of the work having 

 been carried out by Mr W. E. McCourt. 



The types of building stones on which the work is based have 

 been selected as representative of those produced in this State 

 and all have been assembled specially for these investigations. 

 A few examples also have been tested which are not now used 

 for structural purposes. 



The work has been done carefully and thoroughly and the result 

 arrived at should prove of value to engineers, architects and fire 

 insurance underwriters. 



John M. Clarke 



State Geologist 



