Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-24
From the Free Press
The BeIden's Falls Marble Works
A VISIT TO THE MARBLE wORKs-HOw A
CONTINUED DROPPING WEARS THE
STONE.

A few days since we made stay OF
several hours at the works of the Belden &
Falls Company, some description of which
may not be uninteresting to our readers.
BELDEN's FALLS
is romantic and in summer a beautiful
spot, about ten miles south from Yer
gennes, where the Otter Creek, there
forming the dividing line between the
towns of New Haven and Wey bridge,
plunges down cliff to meet New Haven
river, and then on to pour into the waters
of Lake Champlain. The river at the
main falls is divided by an island, and the
two branches, foaming down the rocks
meet below and tumble together down a
rapid. The branches are not wide, but
the two make a very pretty fall, and the
place has been one of great resort for ex-
cursions and picnics. The name was
given by or from Mr.. Belden who
owned a large property there, sixty or
more years ago, and erected q grist-mill
and started quite a settlement; which,
however, after his death was soon out
stripped by Middlebury and Vergennes
and speedily ran down, so that scarce n
vestige of his buildings now remain. He
lies buried with sixteen of his descendants
on knoll west of the river. One of his
heirs, an cid man of ninety, still owns
one of the largest farms in the county.
The nearest railroad station in Brooks
Vile, half mile north on the Rutland
Railroad, at which place your reporter
stopped, aud preferring a short cut to d
long way round, took the track on foot
behind the train: and crossing New
Haven river a few rods further on the
timbers of the railroad bridge, nearly one
hundred feet above the water, soon saw
the new trestle work of the Belden's Falls
Railroad, as it curved in from the south.
east to reach the bile works.
Belden's Falls. having a descent of six
ty or seventy feet, furnish an unfailiug
water power, and one ample to drive all
the marble mills in the State and several
capitalists, who proposed to invest in the
marble business some years ago. were not
slow to see its advantages. Therefore
they purchased sixty acres, including the
falls, and in 1868 procured an act of in
corporation from the Legislature of Yer
mont, under title of the
BELDEN's FALLS MARBLE COMPANY,
with capital of $4,000. Sir Alexan.
der Gait of Montreal, formerly Prime
Minister of the Dominion, is President
and the largest individual stakeholder
and about one-third in all, of the capital
was put in by Canadian gentlemen the
rest coming from Portland, Maine, and
Addison and Chittenden counties in this
State. The Bclden's Falls Railroad Com.
pany was also incorporated the same
year, whose object was to build road
from the Falls to the principI quarries
four miles or more away. The two com.
panies last year were united by the
Legislature, under the title of the former
company. Meanwhile surveys were made
and plans drawn, and last August the
work of constructing was commenced.
| The contracts were taken by B. s. Mich
OILS b Co, proprietors of the Pioneer shops
in this city and embrace not only tn,
mills from foundation to roof, but The
dams and the nee !ssary excavation of t
canal one hundred aud fifty feet long and
some places twenty feet Deep a rock fun,
in fact, to conduct the water from the
dam to the water wheel. These dams ar,
solidly constructed, are across each of tn,
branches above mentioned, and give ;
head of thirty feet of water. From tn,
end of the canal, a huge wooden tube o
seven feet diameter conducts the waite
down upon the wheel, which is TURBINE
of two hundred and fifty horse power, o
the we'll known Tyler pattern, and bull
at Claremont. New Hampshire. Tn
wheel-house, a small square wooden build
ing about twenty-five feet in height
stands in a ravine between the river banl
and the level on which theEmill is placed
The wheel is seventy feet below and fou
hundred and fifty feet distant from tn
shafting which it is to drive, and how tn,
power could be transmitted might at frs
thought appear uncomfortable. But il
} fact it is simple enough.
The huge upright shaft of the swift,
whirling turbine turns by powerful gear
ing horizontal shaft above, at one end o
which and outside the building, is hug,
wheel of fourteen feet diameter, making
ninety turns minute. The pheriphery
&