Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-02-24
THE HEIMBACH SLATE QUAR-
RTES

RES.
The following interesting article on
the Heimbach Slate Quarries we take
from the Slatington pa. news of last
week.
These quarries were the first discov-
cred in America, and are being worked
by the capital and energy of our own CT
sizens, who not content with the great
improvements now being made in this
city, have gone abroad to invest their
money and develop the resources of our
country. Our people are not slow tax
ing advantage of golden opportuni-
ties" no matter where they are pre-
sented.
sit was not many years ago that the
boundless wealth and resources of the
Lehigh Valley were unknown to men.
In fact, the valley itself was wild and
desolate. Thirty years ago no one
dreamed that under its soil lay hidden
a mineral so valuable, and susceptible
of being converted into so many USE
full objects as slate is at present Al
most every quarry has an interesting
history of its own but in this respect
the Heimbach quarries seem to be fore
most
In the year 1874, two Welshmen,
William Robert and Nelson Labar,
happened to be travelling in this re-
gion of country. They left Easton by
the old stage route with the intenten-
ton of visiting Mauch Chunk. What
the object of their visit was, or wheth-
er it had any reference to the develop
ment Of our mineral resources, it is not
in our power to say. When these
Welshmen had reached a point two
miles northeast of the Lehigh & Sus-
quehanna Railroad Depot, at Walnut
port, they discovered some pieces Of
stone standing against the barn of Mr..
Peter Heimbach, Sr. They immedi-
ately recognized in these stones close
resemblance to that mineral which
made their native Wales famous, and
further inspection proved their conjec-
ture to be correct. These stones We're
of the best and finest quality of slate.
Upon inquiry these Welshmen soon as
certained from Mr.. Heimbach where
he obtained the stones, and immedi-
ately made further investigation into
the matter. They proceeded down the
brook, which ran close by Mr.. Helm
bach's barn, and very large outcrop-
pings of slate were seen on every hand.
They were now fully convinced that
the mineral abounded in great plenty.
They Immediately secured lease up
on the property, from Mr.. John Benin
ger, and sought to devise the means by
which the slate could be developed and
a quarry opened. In the spring of 1916
they opened a quarry little further
down the brook than those located
which are now being worked by the
Heimbach Slate Mining and Manufac-
turing Company, and which is also at
present owned by this company. This
was the first quarry opened in this re-
gion of country. In August of the
same year, quarry No. l, of the Helm
bach Slate Company was opened by
John Benninger and Daniel Gable, and
by them operated until 1864. when it
was worked by Davis, Coward and Ben
ninger In 1866 Mr.. John Shaffer
bought the quarry and some extra land
for the Heimbach Slate Company.
quarry No. l. This quarry is $40
feet long, by about 100 feet wide, and
contains an almost inexhaustable bed
of the best quality of roofing and
school States The surface bed or vein
Of roofing slate is four feet ON the split;
the following two, % feet, clear of rib
on or rock ; the remaining beds range
from two to eight feet on the split.
The entire depth of these beds is fully
400 feet. The original quarry was
opened in the hill, but is now also
worked ON the flat, where there is but
two feet of soil to remove when good
states appear. This quarry also con-
tains four beds of first quality school
states, ranging from 215 to Z feet on
the split.
quarry No. Q. This quarry is 1870
feet long by about 80 wide, and al
though located near quarry No l, and
The slate of the same quality, the beds
ire quite differently located. The sur