Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-05-09


$500; blush from S175 to $500 I he
above figures are approximate but may
not be in each case exact. as the figures
here are all given in Italian denomina-
tions-marble being sold at so many
francs per 1,000 cubic inches, or per GU
bic metre-and in the reduction to
American denominations, small frae-
tiOnal differences may appear Prices
at the quarries are a little less-the
above being the prices at the city, two
or three miles from the quarries after
the duty or tax is paid-and at the rail-
road station at LavenZe, three miles, or
at the sea, four miles distant, prices may
be little more. The colored and vari-
agated marbles are quarried only in
small quantities and their prices vary ac-
cording to the demand. The famous
onyx of Ami TEX Balek from the provine
of OrinO, Africa. sells for about $25. 90
per cubic foot for the first quality.
The city of Carrara imposes tax of
40 cents to $100 per ton for marble in
blocks as it is brought from the quarries.
Worked marble, sawed or polished, 10
to 20 cents per load for each pair of
horses or oxen. Marble used in the
studios or saving mills within the city
limits are exempt from tax. Last year
the marble production of Carrara, Sere-
veZia and Wassa amounted to something
over 1906 tons, valued at more than
0,500,00O francs. go, 100000. Ia
other parts of Italy the value of marble
and other stones Quarried amounted to
about 100000 francs. (S2, 500, 000).
TRANSPORTATION.
After the marble is quarrIed long
pieces of wood, for runners, are bound
on the under side of the block similar
ones, though shorter, are placed on the
ground, across the road, over which the
heavy mass is to pa"s. WOrkmen with
iron bars and levers move the block
along till it arrives at the wagon road.
One of the wOrkmen, who is seated on
the top of the block, passes the short
sticks, as they are handed to him, from
the back end of the block to the front
after the load has passed over them
rubbing the side that is to come in con-
tact with the runner with something
that appears like cold tallOw. Blocks
that are quarried on the steep mountain
side are controlled III their descent by
large ropes, like immense ship cables,
one end of which is attached to the
block and the other wound around posts
firmly set in the ground or rock. The
ropes are held by wOrkmen who relax
them sufficiently to allow the block to
descend as fast as it can 90 with safety.
Sometimes the ropes give way and the
marble mass goes laundering on sweep
ing everything that comes in its way.
After the blocks have reached the road
they are loaded on wagons and drawn
by oxen to the saw mills, railroad sta
ton or sea-landing. At Carrara there
are employed in the transportation ser
vice $50 men, 300 pairs of oxen, 1875
four-wheeled and $50 twO-wheeled
trucks. At other places a prOportionate
number are employed.
MACHINERY.
Blocks that are too large to be moved
from the quarries, or too large for the
saving machines are divided by hand
saws. Pliny says that the art of divid-
ing marble was invented by CalliniacO,
author of the golden lamp made for the
goddess Minerva.
The hand-saw was invented about 600
years before the christian era by
Grccian by the name of Bisa of EaXos,
to whom monument was erected. The
same saw was in use in Pliny's time,
and probably it Is the same as the one
used in the quarTics Of Italy to-day
About one-half Of the marble quarricd is
sawed into slabs or small blocks, while
here, at Carrara, there are ~ saving
mills. with 200 machines. or gangs. some
of which have IS many As At saws and
"a polishing machines. At Serevezia
L.
and 20 polishing machines. At Wassa
there are 10 mills with rs machines and
10 polishing machines. The best saving
machines in Use here are copied from
American machines. The largest ma
chine that I have seen will saw a block
Is feet lonr and S feet high Larger
blocks must be sawed bv hand The
motive power is water. Of which there is
a good supply.
,,,y,-rr. TARIFF
- c..
vi Ihc I9O'VOo Vi IIlote IONS % MAJ
DE iuaFIleo ann 'aiIS a. ~ o1d ara
zla ana " -" aoou' lv''.VoJ 'oiis d 81 a
ported ne prime. pa iiiaIhel9 'i n INC
lmltd states III anu + I4'iCI' Der
gum: holland SPAN ana RUSSIA
small quantities are sthi 10 the oouIh
~ h.'iI' 49, - - -
= ne n''''' '9'''''9 - ''' 80 3l'' pun
chaS''.
D"flh% cur ciNh "d' tie MAJ ole com
mere" W II ltaiy was ihNGh {. diminished Us,
bu. me c.'ange IN me mica states
tariff has IN loilt+. ulNaslfo,ls :. I" Itaiy;
In 1861 tlt IHl'td states IdTliI imposed
tax 81 a'out 'hict cents per cuoic
foot ana 20 per cent an '"t'''e'". on IN me
statHary marpl": On Neihed or n "r'llhaT!
mafoir c1A,c ir i'l,'' ai',s ~ per C'.il'
~ t""|f|'' ~ ''lI 4" 80, r. ma : III
Tor sawed iha.l.t'E- III i0pP 1".'S'' '9
.,.i g.. 49,. fl. ,,,,.,.-
olhe' C"GLi'' i ,''e a,'(',+nS Inst tn
iai H"l,, ii ToId nori ,,' - l,ioct
ploii',l' i,} 80 ar
I" Solu taA vi 1' 80 IN. 80 1o
staIuaIy' tfe M WEI VI ~ " ei , d, Us ~
Pc! cen: /. nv Ul, ,;t y, Ill sa,ad
ls,s, Jrt9, ce5L oo nut l,lal nit ga Sd" "a
siaoS OF pl.cAS' 81 pei SI,,I ioI, an
% per cent az t:,'Dre"t al " an >li,,