Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-05-26

a
in the manufacture Of slate, while others are en-
ployed in extending the openings already made,
laying broad and deep the base for future pro-
ductiycness
The slate is removed from the quarry in large
blocks by means Of drills and erow-bars, and, IN
sorne cases By blasting. These blocks split in
TO pieces Of size convenient for removal by hand,
and wheeled TO tho buildings where the further pro
cesses Of manufacture are carried forward to COM
plcton. Another set Of hands, armed with malleis,
and chisels from twelve 10 sixteen inches in length
very thin and Of an exceedingly enc spring temper,
divide and subdivile these pieces until they are ry-
en- into slabs Of thcultimate thickness required
The slate thus prepared, passes into the hands Of
the cutters who reduce ii to the form and size
quirel for the market and for roofing.
The process Of cutting slate BY hand, which was
formerly prac,ccd at these quarrics, and the only
one now in use elsewhere, Is tedious and dfcultre-
quiring considerable practice and skill The bert
cutters arc Wclchmcn, who have been bred TO the
business IN their native country; but these diff
hcult to obtain and more difficult to keep, They
not only exact great wages, hut, like most other
imported tradesmcn, the supply Of whose services
is greatly unequal to the demand, frequently in
dulge in thoiuxury Of strike to the great incon-
,cnicnce and manifest injury Of their employers
The Guiliord company having been frequent suffer
crs In this way, one Of their number undertook to
devise suitable machinery for cutting slate, and
thus render the proprieiors independent Of such
prcclrious help. With true Yankee enterprise and
skill he fully succeeded, aud welehmcn are now no
longer Indispensable ia the manufacture Of slate
Asa KrvEs, Esq, Of this village invented ma
chine Cor the above purpose, and which patent
cd January ?, 1866. The advantages Of this ma
chine over handwriting are manifold. We quote
from the proprietor's circular
I. II saves from half 10 two-tlriris Of the cx-
pcnse Of hand cutting.
3 The slate are cut with straight. parallel sides.
square corners and uniform bcsel, and when laid,
make much more close and beautiful roof
3. This machine renders the slate manufacturer
entirely Independent Of the frequent 'sfrikss' and
gross eraetioas Of foreign slate cutters, for any
raw hand will make good slate ON these machines,
with few hours experience
4. II is a saving Of tine MATERIAL "ior II the
"slate, 10 process Of trimming, bears upon level
Iiest, the unevenness Of the slate will occasion Il
'ficqucntly t0 break aud waste the material; but
Sin this machine the slate, however uneven, is
falways in contact with the circular Dog wheel, ut
'the point where Il receives the blow of the ham
''mcr or cutter, and thereby the frequent breaking
''of the slate Is avoided.
J "PATESrErs CLAIs.--Th- combination Of The
Ter ~ hammers on ihr ny uie, with the circular dog
"in dirrci with which each successive portion
oi the slate fcsis 10 the blows of the eoef,
"whlc the slate u led uP BY carriage on the Ways
The New England Mining and Quarrying Com
pany have had for months past; tifieen Of these
machines in successful use, operated wholly by COM
mon Irish lAborers aud, finding them fully 10 an
swcr their expectations, and capable Of doing all
TINT IS climci for them by the patentee, have en-
tirsly abandoned al li4nd-euuing To illustrate
the advantages derived from their use II is only
necessary to state that the Company are now cut
ting, with these machines, about fly squares Of
Slate per day, and the hands employed can be read
ily hired for about one half the per diem demanded
Jy Welchmen. The motive power employed by the
company Is derived from two steam engines, one Of
~ aud the other Of 6 horse power These engines
are 80 constructed, being set on wheels with the
working machinery above the beilsr.s 'iectAsity or
ee rem2Iel iaay dictate.
The slate manufactured by this company is ca
AHA11ah@hh'eNA7f
and Connecticut, where it is greatly preferred to
any other in the market. As prominent indus
trial pursuit in this vicinity cannot but rejoce
at its present prosperity aud ultimate prospects.
There Is singular and in many respects a re-
markable feature presented at the quarries, and
one deserving the attention Of all interested in geo.
logical Investigations. On the top Of the slate for
nation east Of the road, for distance Of ten rods
from North to South, and with nearly semi-eircu-
lar bottom fy feet below the surface in it, great
Is; DEPTH the slate presents the remarkable appear
anee OF having been crushed over, by force act
ing from above towards the West In this space
the laminn are so broken and separated that they
are mostly worthless for manufacture. The dip,
instead Of taking westerly direction inclinss to
the East at an angle Of from go TO 20 dcg.-thus
bringing the strata At nearly right angles with that
Of thee quarry. What great force could accomplish
this singular rcsu, when Il coui have been ef-
. f-ctei Is more than we can determine