5p) ANNUAL REPORT 
is used. If sand is used with cement, it separates and settles, filling and. 
blocking the channels, and preventing the cement from reaching the lower 
cavities in the masonry. The result is that the lower portion of the 
masonry has many unfilled voids, then comes a layer having the interstices 
filled with sand and the top layer is filled with neat or nearly neat cement 
grout. 
Nearly forty years ago a commission of Government Engineers of 
whom Major R. E. Lee was one, built a wall and carefully grouted it with 
sand and cement grout. When the wall was torn down the results claimed 
by Mr. McAlpine were substantiated. | 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
For many years in Europe, and for the last few years in this country, 
the use of cement mortar for ornamental work such as ceiling and wall 
panels, capitals, gargoyles, bases, stucco work, mosaic and tile work has 
been rapidly increasing. Such work is as lasting as cut stone, and far 
cheaper, because cast iron or wooden molds can be used over and over 
again in producing panel work or duplicate parts. Molding sand is also 
used for the forms. 
Portland cement castings are much more durable than many of the 
building stones, and are much easier repaired in case of damage. Fire 
practically makes no impression upon them, while most natural stones 
would be completely destroyed by the combined effects of fire and water. 
The mortar for this class of work should be composed of one part 
Portland cement and two parts of sand graded in size of grains, so that 
the voids in the sand would be proportionately small, and an even grain re- 
sult in the artificial stone thus manufactured 
The Stevens Cast-Stone Company, of Chicago, manufacture an arti- 
ficial stone called Litholite, illustrations of which will furnish an idea of 
what can be done in cement casting. One form of this stone is made by 
crushing any natural stone to granular form, mixing it with Portland 
cement and as explained by Mr. Stevens himself, 
“by mixing materials so thin that we are able to run it through a rubber hose 
into the molds, we have produced a stone that meets the approval of architects 
and builders. Now, if we had no way of getting rid of this surplus water, 
we could not produce a first-class article, but we cast it in a porous mold, 
allowing the surplus water to be absorbed into the mold before initial set 
takes place. To produce a perfect crystallization, the stone should have 
more water as soon as the initial set has taken place. This is supplied 
through the porous mold, but at no time does the cement receive more water 
than is required for a perfect crystallization. Induration by absorption through 
a porous mold was so novel and new that we were cited to no patents with 
which we interfered.” 
“One of the worst problems has been to overcome the hair checking 
from appearing in cement work. To the best of our knowledge there are 
several causes for this hair checking. One cause is fresh cement, especially 
