S T O ( 859 ) S T O

STOCKS for building ships , (chantier ,Fr.) certain places, on the sides of riversor up creeks, which are< appropriated tothe construction of vessels, &c.

Elm Stocks, the naves of wheels forfield carnages are so called in the ord-nance service.

STOMPER, Fr. to sketch out a de-sign, or to draw with colours that havebeen pounded into dust. Instead of thepencil or crayon, a roll of paper which isdipt into the coloured dust, serves to puton the different colours.

STONES, in military architecture,may be distinguished into two sorts;that is, into hard and soft: hard stoneis that which is exposed to the openair, such as rocks, and which lies looseupon the surface of the earth : the softstone is that which is found in quarries,and under ground. It is undoubtedlytrue, that the hardest stones make themost durable works ; but as there isseldom a sufficient quantity to buildthe whole fortification, the best serve inthe facings of the building, in the found-ations, and where the works are exposedto the violence of the waves.

The stones of some quarries are verysoft, and easily worked, when first cutout; but when exposed for some timeto the open air, become very hard anddurable.

As there is undoubtedly a kind ofsap in stones, as well us in timber, bywhich the same sort of stone, taken outof the same quarry, at one season, willmoulder away in a few winters, but,when dug out in another season, will re-sist the weather for many agus; stonesshquid always be dug in the spring, thatthey may have time to dry before thecold weather comes in ; for the heat ofthe sun will extract the greatest part ofthe moisture, which otherwise expandsin frosty weather, and causes the stoneto splinter, although it be otherwise hardand good.

As stones lie in the quarries in hori-zontal beds or strata, (that -is, theycleave in that direction,) and have like-wise a breaking vein, which is perpen-dicular to the former; both these direc-tions must be observed in cleaving, aswell as in raising them out of their beds.Stones that will not easily cleave, mustbe blown up by gunpowder.

Marble is of various sorts and colours;the most beautiful of which is importedfrom abroad. The marble found in

England is mostly blackish, and so veryhard and difficult to polish, that verylittle use is made of it, except to burnand make lime.

Fire-S tone comes from Ileygate,and serves chiefly for chimnies, hearths,ovens, furnaces, and stones; being adry, porous, gritty stone, which bearsthe heat without breaking: on accountof this quality, it is called fire-stone.

Purbeck- Stone is a hard, greyishstone, and serves chiefly for paving,coping of walls, and for all such otheruses where strength is required; it be-ing the most hard and durable stone,except the Plymouth marble. It isfound on Purbeck island.

Rflg-STONE is of a bluish colour, andcommonly used in paving; but there isa stone called Kentish rag , that is veryuseful in building: it splits very easily,and yet is very hard.

Free- Stone, more generally called'Portland-stone : it is a fine whitish stone,without any veins. This stone is verysoft when it comes out of the quarry, iseasy to be worked, and becomes very hardin time. Hence it is very lit for militaryworks.

Alabaster is a clear whitish stone, notunlike coarse marble. It is plentiful insome parts of Italy : but there is noneto be found in England. It is to be hadin great abundance in Scotland , andmakes the very best lime.

IVhin, or Aberdeen ichin , is of a greyishcolour, intermixed with veins, not unhkocoarse marble. This stone is fittest ofany for military works : because it with-stands the weather, and the violence ofthe waves, better than any stone foundin England.

Russian Stone, commonly called As­ bestos . Cloth , which is proof againstfire, may be fabricated out of this stone,when decomposed. It is indigenous toRussia .

Keep- Stone, center stone in a chimneypiece.

Kcj/-Stone of an arch is the middlestone of an arch to bind the sweep of thoarch together.

Stone -shot. The ancient bombardswere sometimes very large, and chieflydischarged stone halls of a monstroussize. There is an order extant in llymer,from King Henry V. to the clerk of theordnance, and John Bonet, a mason ofMaidstone , to cut 7000 stone-shot* inthe quarries there.

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