BUILDING STONE. 607 
In Washington county strata of sandstone belonging to the upper 
series of Coal Measures are quarried for the production of building 
stone and grindstones in the heavy ledges along the Ohio river hills. 
The most important quarries are located near Marietta and Constitution. 
The arrangement of the different sandstone strata, with their alternate 
shales, coals, and fire-clays, is as follows : 
Ca viyg SANTO Keeceesisicccosiecsconscsccswenessscessesss vaseccinss 30 feet. 
IBIWevshalen cccsssscccccsccescscred foam eitnetieasec aise eaccleek csins sales 9 feet. 
Heavy sand-rock extensively quarried for grind- 
ISLOM ER eraser ereecore tere Wacrd caeasene sceceraeretines see’: 25 feet. 
Sardis halen seca sncntsesccusascsscccoeshciectsccenceecencscese cies 20 feet. 
Heavy sand-rock quarried in places.............0.ssceeseee 36 feet. 
Shale, somewhat ferrugimous............... ceecscecseeceeeee 4 feet. 
CoalPPETODSOMSISCAMMG te. cctee sass ess.eeccccseteccsocsecensrencess 1 foot to 6 inches. 
IMiesCllay GWAC! SLMENE <cc09 4000000000060000006000 beneeicestese sc A feet. 
lar bervialmtOKOMIOMMIVie rca sassctece dncce'se sve seecossnecccnuek ees 42 feet. (a) 
The quarries near Marietta and Constitution are all, except Mr. T. 
B. Townsend’s, worked in the grindstone stratum, and produce, besides’ 
grindstones, material for all general building purposes. The building 
stone is used principally at Marietta and at various points along the 
Ohio river. In different portions of the stratum there are sufficient 
varieties of texture to furnish all kinds of grits used for wet grinding, 
and the grindstones are shipped to all manufacturing points in the 
United States. The rock splits readily in the direction of the stratifi- 
cation. The advantages offered for the transportation of the product 
by the proximity of the quarries to the Ohio river greatly aid their de- 
velopment. 
The quarry of Mr. Townsend is located on the Muskingum river, 
and is devoted to the production of a material mainly for ‘bridge-build- 
ing purposes, and some for general purposes of construction. The 
section exposed in this quarry exhibits 65 feet of sand-rock, which 
becomes still heavier as the quarry progresses into the hill. It consists 
of layers from 43 to 18 feet in thickness. In the lower portion of the 
quarry the material is rather finer in texture and superior in quality 
to that in the upper portion. The quarry was opened for the special 
purpose of obtaining stone for the ice harbor, now in process of con- 
struction at Marietta ; but it also furnishes material for other structures. 
(a) Geological Survey of Ohio, Vol. II, p. 472; “Report of Second District,’ by E. B. Andrews. 
