ox TiTK rsK OF s It )M-: i\ ( 1 1 I i:s 291 



and the "Jiul^c" hiiiKliiiL;' in lilih avc-niic, arc some exam- 

 ples of such comhinations of ^raniu; with other stone or 

 hrick. The I nitccl SiaU-s government and the c;il\- [)uldic 

 building's are nearl\- all ol dressed i^ranittj. 1 he piers, 

 towers and a{)[)r()aches oi ihe New \'ork and Ih'ookKn 

 bridge, of llii^h hrid^c. and of the W^ashington bridge over 

 the Ilarlem, and hrid'-'e work ^'eneralU', are of eranite, 

 largely from .Maine (juarries. For decorali\e work the 

 Nova Scotia and the Red Beach. Maine, gi'anites are used 

 to some extent. I'or interior ornamentation the gray Aber- 

 deen and the red Peterhead (Scotch) granites ha\'e been in 

 fa\'or. ()f the state (juarries the "International Scotch 

 granite." a red \aricty from (jrindstone island, [efferson 

 coimt}', and the gra\' Au Sable granite, from Essex count)-, 

 are l^eing introduced, tlu' hrst as an ornamental stone, the 

 latter for general construction. The lighter-colored \a- 

 rieties are now preferred for fronts to the dark-colored, as 

 the latter become dinii^v-lookin!^ with asfe. A favorite com- 

 bination is the light-gra\'. porphyritic granite of Milford, 

 Massachusetts, with the red sandstones from East Long- 

 meadow, in the same state. 



Granite has not been exposed to the weathering effects 

 of the atmosphere in an\' of the buildings of the cit\' long- 

 enough to )'ield an\' data as to its [)rol)able limit of endur- 

 ance. The oldest granite structtires are not )-et seventy 

 years old. and the stone in them shows scarceK' an\' sii^-ns 

 of disintegration, and none aftecting seriously its strength. 



Gneiss 



The gneiss rock outcrops on the island and in West- 

 chester county, furnish a large quaiitit\- of common building- 

 stone. The stone is obtained iiKunK- in street irradino- and 

 in excavatino- for foundations. It is used for rubblework 

 in inner walls, for fillino^ in behind ashlar work and for 

 foundations of buildings. For retaining walls and heavy 



