New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-14
DRESSING STONE BY STEAM We paid a

/
dressing Company" situated on the East Rivel
between 2sih and 29.h streets, and covering forty
fevtn lots. The stone (nainly Brown, from tht
foitiand quarries, Mddletown CONN., is hoist
"a oy stsampower directly from the vessel in which
il ,r'achss our City, lowered upon a tram-soad
ard ora IN into the shop, where il is fastened upon
appropriate beds or carriages and so drawn grad
ually under the cutters, which, In the most APP
proved machines are four, revolving in circle,
and cutting away the stone 10 the depth of an
inch Tor more If requiret) at the rate Of aoou.
t~o cubic feet per minute. We saw one face
Of large block of stone, (six feet By three)
SO cut smooth by of these machines in tea min
uies, with three men attending 1t would have been
hard work for two good cutters to do the sane
BY hand In half Gay. The cost Of sharpening tools
Tor cutting by hand is about cent per square foot,
while the cost OF making and sharpening for the
dressng.machine is only about one-fourth as much.
There are six machines employed in the Empire
Works, and the number will doubtless be Increased
to twenty thirty within short time, as the de-
mand for dressed buildng-stOne is practically IN
limited Each machine will dress from 300 TO Duo
feet per day. according to the width OF the BLOCKS
After dressing. the stone is very speedily pohshed
ard finished off by different machine, in which the
chips or dust made by cutting is used as securing
sand
Two hundred men are employed in the Empire
Works, most of them fancy and ornamental stone
cutting, to which no machine is yet adapted. 1t IS
quite likely therefore, that the aggregate OF labor
employee in stone cutting will even be increased by
the employment Of machinery in the business, though
so ere at was the hostility olthe stonecutlers its In
PRODUCTION tTounugu III apprehension TraS Nv
etroy their business that the propre!ors were obliged
to engage fifty workmen i'll France and bring them
over at heavy expense and thirty six of these broke
their contract and left directly. They soon came
back however, and have ever since worked for the
Company, and the President of the first stone.cut-
ters' meeting held to denounce the machine is now
at work in the yard and such is the celebrity with
which business is dispatched here, that load Of
stone which left the quarry in Connecticut on satur-
day night was, on the following Tuesday, in good
part delivered at the Park, polished and ready
to be used in the construction Of the new Court
House We fearned, incidentally, that the Empire
Works are very profitable to the stockholders.
g These Works have already considerably cheap
ened cut stone In our g. and are destined to rem
der its use still more general. Marble and other
hard fine grained stone may soon be rendered as
cheap by it as Granite or Brown Stone lately was
for though the difference in cutting BY hand is
great in cutting by steam it is not material. Thus
more labor will be employed IN stone-cutting than
hitherto because more can afford to build OF
stone and many who could hitherto afford 10 ouilu
only of the toughest and cheaPes. stone Will hereaf-
ter the finest and most cosby, causing ne quar-
ries to be opened and old ones 10 De worked Win
greater energy. We suggest TO those VINO contein-
plate building, visit to the Empire WORKS aforesaid.
OPERA AT NIBLo's. -Thc troupe at Nib
los closed their present season last evening with
Maria di Rohan. II is one Of the most famous OF
Donizettis operas and very frequently sung But
il is destitute of much musical merit, although 1t
offers fine opportunity of displaying the voice. 1t
was written for Ronconi, the baritone, and he has
been very successful in it, II was easy therefore,
to predicate BADIALI's triumph in the part. He gave
himself to it with great spirit and put himself COM
pletely en- rapport with the audience. BETTiNi
shared the honors and sang with feeling his aria In
the opening of the second act But we are always
sorry to see an artist coldescend to the miserable
conventional phrase so constantly introduced by
poor singers, at the end Of an air and so sure 10
bring down the applause those only whose applause
is least valuable. How often the effect OF tender
and romantic melody is utterly destroyed by this
barbarism. Like humming bee. the air floats in
with drop Of honey its lip, but stings as II MES
sisnor. BosIo always the lady, peases rs mucn IN
this mart although il has little musical fascinaron
There is 10 yedrai carino 10 make 1t memoraOie-ho
del;eous melody which fingers and fingers. But the
role is especially good for BosIo, because II is sim
nly hat OF an ardent and devoted woman. Inc chei
characters of the opera serd In generaf are aueaoy
6eures in Imagination as Lere2ia ana NoTn'a' anu
they inpcratiyely require peculiar personal impress
sion short blonde could hardly satisfy as Lncrs-
y,a however we'll she sang.
sfapora WHITING surprised us in the costume oil a
mage shadowF was she by the side oil bETriNi'
She sang Gab1etta composed for her by Ard'i 10
the satisfaction of the audience. The house was
crowded. and gave good earnest 10 the retiring
troupe of the welcome that awaits their return Bon
ilassn
As7Oa,PLAcE OPERA. Robert lie Df76te
WAS rene sted last evening" and admirably performed
to crowded house. No modern opera better rspays
frequent hearing There are Io slurs in 1t, but a
scruplous 6nish which is delightful to hear after
the slip shod manner Of the Italian opera 1t is for
this &c ason that SALv is so good init. The elaoora
ton of the music is like that Of his voice Nothing
can be finer in it. kind than hts frs! address to the
| chorus Rlpstri Cavalier in tho first scene. The
elesance of his delivery of this shows the complete
artist II puts the hearer at ease for the remainder
of the opera. singer who does that so well will do
the best he can Go, in all the rest or the richness o.
| treatment, variety of theme and constant musical
interest in this act it is impossible to say too much
| The treatment challenges almost too much atten
ton vet rev ards it well. The few bars OF s.rinset
| and wind instruments when Alice urges Raimbam
TO leave her with Robert, delicious song without
words of the most tender entreaty-ihe refraii
! being" Leave me and trust me"
| SrErrAYoNE is an admirable Alice. Her actor
throughout the opera is simple and tranquil, as be
comes the part, rising into majesty in the last scene
The choruses especially those in the first act, whci
are so skfuly wrought, and modulased with science
and effect so remarkable are very carefully and sue
| cessf,illy sung They indicate good training. W.
were sorry to see that Signor MAgINi, who has sc
u.nv admirable elements for his part, and rendeu