DESCRIPTION OF SANDSTONE QUARRIES 



405 



vents it becoming smooth and slippery as some of our granites, 

 our slates and our limestones, when so used in walks. It is strong, 

 and is not apt to get broken. But owing to the many thin beds 

 and the use of too thin stones, sidewalks often become un- 

 sightly and bad because of breaks, a fault common to all flag- 

 stone when laid in such thin beds or blocks. 



"For use in houses and business buildings Hudson river blue- 

 stone is having an increasing market. It is admirably adapted 

 for lintels, window-caps, sills, doorsteps, water-tables, etc., 

 with brick, both because of its strength and its durability. 

 None of our sandstones from other districts, and not 

 even our best granites are as strong to resist transverse 

 pressure or strain. Tests (comparative) show that it is fully three 

 times as strong, in this way of resistance, as granite, marble, 

 Ohio sandstone and Connecticut and New Jersey brownstones. 

 To resist compression it is not much superior to these sand- 

 stones, and not equal to the best granites. Its strength against 

 transverse strains fits it for lintels, sills, caps and water-tables 

 especially." 



Oxford, Chenango County. — The F. G. Clarke Bluestone Com- 

 pany, successor of F. G. Clarke & Son, has the large quarry on 

 the northwest of the village, and in the hillside west of the Che- 

 nango river. 



The strata are horizontal and thin at the top ; below the thick- 

 bedded " liver rock " is found, from which blocks of large size are 

 cut. The stone is blue, fine-grained and homogeneous in texture. 

 Its specific gravity is 2.71 I, and its weight per cubic foot is 168.9 

 pounds. The absorbed water was found to be 1.11 per cent. It 

 was not materially affected by the freezing and thawing tests. 

 At a high temperature, 1,200°-1,400° F., the color was changed 

 to dull red, and the stone was checked badly. 



A partial analysis showed the presence of 3.46 per cent, and 

 0.16 per cent, of ferrous acid and ferric acid respectively. A 

 crushing test of the strength of this stone, made in 1884, showed 

 a resistance of 13,472 pounds to the square inch. 



Architects and builders object to this stone in common with 

 other bluestone, for work in which there is much carving and 

 fine tooling, on account of its hardness and the greater expense 



