Litchfield enquirer., 1873-07-24
THE RoxBuRY QUARRY.

On Saturday we paid visit to the old
 Mine Hill quarry in Chalybes, nows being
 vigorously worked by 9 company compos-. ed of Dr. Buel of this place, Messrs.
 Mitchell of Washington, Mower of Box
 bury, and Hawley of Newtown. It is on
 the top of the mountain about half . mile
 west of the station. The distance is to be
 shortened to third of mile by laying a
 spur track from point short distance
 north of the depot, the grading for which
 has already commenced From the end
 of the proposed spur the road ascends
 about 400 feet in distance of about 2, 900, to the quarry, a new road having been
 made over part of the distance. A good deal of work has already been done clear ing the ground of brush and wood, build ing blacksmith shop. constructing ap- proaches to the quarry, and clearing the same of earth and surface stone. A consid- erable quantity of stone has been quar- ried, also, and prepared for the market. |
 The quarry as now developed is some two or three hundred feet in length, rising by natural platforms to the night of about fifty feet. with width of perhaps a. hun- dred feel. The way in which nature has prepared this mass of rock to the quarry mans hand is really wonderful. Horizon tai seams run through 1t in planes parallel with each other at distances varying from a few inches to two or three feet, making as smooth and even surfaces as can be cut w1th the chisei.s Numerous ''cut offs p run in planes generally perpendicular to the seams, at distances from each other varying from less than a foot to near an hundred feet, dividing the mass accurate ly into blocks of various sizes. In quar- rying, the natural seams usually furnish the required upper and lower faces of the blocks, which are split with wedges to the required width. In case the natural seams are too far apart the stone cleayes readily and evenly to the required thick ness. The seams are more frequent to- wards the top of the quarry, ,and the stene improves in quality the further the work
 The stone quarried is of fair quality, not adapted to the incest work, but cut tingreadily into steps, ,under,pinfiing stone, and suitable for building purposes where cheapness and solidity are required. No better or cheaper stone for such sidewalks as line Broadway could be imagined. The chief advantage of this quarry lies in the fact that stone can be taken put of any thickness, and of any size, at very lit tie expense. When the spur track is fin ished, and conveniences for loading are arranged, blocks of any size and shape can be esily taken down the hill to the track, transported ,thenee oyer 2 down grade (most of the way) tosN Norwalk where they will be shipped to New York by wa ter. Whatever advantage other quarries may have in being nearer water transporta- tion it is thought will be laoTe than ooun- terbalaneed by the cheapness with which stone can bequarried at Roxbury. Should this expectation be realized, the enterprise cannot but prove asseat success; and the Shepaug and Danbury railroads can eer- tainly afford every facility for the fair tri- I al of an experiment which promises them no end of tonnage. The company now working the quarry are investing capital hberally and apparently iudiciouslyy,, ;. and will soon no doubt begin to reap the just reward of -errCt1Fe: ta i't.' sHt F'---