The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. PUBLISHED EVERT TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND Saturday Morning. Thursday, December 29, 1887. BUILDING STONE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 85, 29 December 1887, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. PUBLISHED EVERT TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND Saturday Morning.

Thursday, December 29, 1887. BUILDING STONE.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country's, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

A growing feeling exists in New Zealand towns to adopt stone or brick for buildings in lieu of wood. The frequency of fires, the rapidity with which wooden buildings are destroyed when once seized by flames and the heavy charges made for insurances ail tend to increase that feeling. The subject was brought prominently under the notice of the Napier people by the destructive fire that occurred there about twelve months ago, when in less than two hours, in the broad daylight, over /"io.ooo worth of property was destroyed and left a smouldering mass o‘ ruins. In a large portion of the town it is now compulsory to build of stone or brick. Hitherto the stone used has been imported from Oamaru. This building material by no means holds a high place in public favor in Napier. The architects are unanimous in condemning it. There, as in other places, tne complaint appears to be that in exposed situations the stone will not stand the weather. Owing to its porous nature it becomes discolored, moss-grown and dirty in appearance. The prospect, therefore, of obtaining an excellent building stone so near at hand as Gisborne—a stone pronounced by experts to become harder and rather improve than otherwise by exposure—naturally attracted the attention of those concerned in the building trade. A few weeks ago Mr Gannon took sample* of stone to Napier from hi* quarry on Whataupoko No. 7. The result of the visit was that Mr Waterworth, a practical stonemason of long experience in connection with quarry work, was deputed to make a persona! examination of the locality from whence the samples were procured. A close inspection was made and particulars generally ascertained, so a* to determine the quality, and probable quantity, of stone available and the facilities afforded for shipping the article to other ports. On Friday las Mr Waterworth’s report came to hand The report cannot be otherwise than eminently satisfactory to the district. As to the quantity of stone, that is inexhaustible. The facilities for shipping are almost all that could be desired. The proposed tramway line through the Mangapapa No. 8 block to the rive 7 side, one mile, is all the distance the stone need be carried to enable it to be placed on board vessels of sufficient tonnage to supply the Hawke’s Bay and Auckland markets for some time to come. Mr Waterworth is thoroughly satisfied as to the suitability of the stone for building purposes, and he points out that it will improve in color and increase in hardness by exposure to the weather. The following (dated at Napier) is the report “ The atone can be procured in any size blocks that may be wanted for building purpoeea. It will work very freely, and there will ba no difficulty in retaining a fine edge, and I think the weather will have little or no effect on it. There should be a ready market for it in this province, and it will be consumed here in preference to tbe Omaru stone* being as it is closer in the grain, and will always retain the same color, and not grow moss as does the Oamaru stone. It will improve in appearance, and another advantage it will stand a greater strain than the Oamaru I may state that it will not bs worked a s cheaply as the Oamaru, bat that will be counter-balanced by being able to get it in its raw state at a less cost than the Oamaru, landed at any port in this island. There being so little difficulty in quarrying or shipping at Gisborne, the expense would be very light indeed, as you have a face of over 100 feet to ommence operation* on at little or no cost-

After getting into the quarry I think you will come across a layer of stone harder in every respect than that which is seen at the present time. I saw several pieces of thia stone, but not having sufficient time to prorpect I was unable to find where the stone originated. L shcdild advice you to tunnel into the spur at a low level, and I think you should tap it at a very ehort distance. It is almost in every respect different from the other layers. It is' a freestone, and free from lime, and would make a first class stone for monumental work, flags, steps, etc., on account of hardness.” _. T The above opinion is entirely borne out by many competent persons who hate examined the quarry, among whoth is one of the most experienced and successful contractors in connection witji stone work in New Zealand. That a most valuable industry is at our doors awaiting development cannot be gainsaid. Whatever will tend to develope the resources of the district we cannot but hail with satisfaction. Instead of the heavy outflow of capital for impo ted timber that has so long prevailed a genuine prospect is now opened up that a large amount of that capital will be retained in our midst, < whilst the steady export of building stone to the different ports in New Zealand as well as to the other colonies should ere long become an accomplished fact, and an item of no inconsiderable magnitude in its bearing on the general prosperity of the district.