The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-09
Che Rutlana 1ailu Globe,
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1876
vermont Marble.


Vermont marble is the best aud most
known of all American marbles. 1t is seen
from one end Of the country to the other.
The deposit extends the entire length of
the State west of the Green Mountains,
and into Massachusetts, on the south;a very
good marble for building purposes being
found in that State.
Beginning at the southern end of the de-
post, there are quarries at Manchester,
Dorset and Dandy, all worked but not par
ticularly noted. Then come those at West
Rutland, the most famous in the State.
There are eleven prominent quarrics
here, all belonging TO the same deposit and
now working. These quarries vary in
depth from one hundred to two hundred
and fifty feet. They are black, frightful
looking holes, from which it seems incon-
grupus that monuments dazzling the eye
with their splendor, should come Look
ing down into the smoke blackencd depths,
where the men look like dwarfs, with
drills clashing and ropes creaking, and the
light from the machines flashing over all,
the sight is wierdly interesting.
Let us go down and see the manner of
working.
Until 1868 the marble was all cut by
hand, slow, tedious process. Then Geo.
j. Wardwel invented "Steam Stone
Channeling Machine" the most improved
of which will do the work of from twenty
to twenty-five men. These machines run
on movable track, varying in width from
four to six feet. The cutting part Of the
machine consists of two heavy cases of
steel drills, one on each side, so that two
channels are cut at the same time The
drills are bars of steel an inch square, and
ten feet long; six or eight of them are put
in a case, and the cases are raised about a
foot from the bed of marble and then
dropped onto it, The blows ane very rapid
and the machine moves forward little
with each blow. The machine goes back
and forth over the same ground till a chan
mel of any required depth, generally from
five to six feet, is cut.
| There are also machines called "sidehil-
lers,' which have drills on one side only.
These drills are so regulated by a screw
that they will cut an obliquc channel as
well as perpendicular one "Sidehilers'
are much used for tunnelling.
After the floor is cut over one way,
cross cuts are put in, making blocks of any
required length. A small block, called
Likely block is cut around on all sides;
then wedges arc driven into one of these
channels and the block is crowded till il
separates from the bed. A hole is drilled
in the top of the block, an iron bar is drlv-
en- into this hole, the top is bent over, a
| chain fastened to 1t and the block raised Dy
a derrick.
Then a small machine called " gadder'
is set into this hole. "Gadders" are run
by steam, and bore holes about eight in.
ches apart under the bottom of block.
Each gadder has but one drill, or auger,
which is diamond pointed and hollow, so
that water is forced through it to soften the
marble. This auger revolves as a wood
auger does and cuts very rapidly, boring q
hole six feet in about three minutes. After
the holes are bored, two half round pieces
of iron are put in each hole and wedges
driven between them till the block cracks
off, Then it is raised from the quarry
with derrick, and taken to the mill.
In the mills blocks are placed under
gangs" to be sawed. Gangs are heavy
frames, about twelve feet long and 81,
wide, the sides being of wood and the end
cast iron iron plates, called saws, an eight
of an inch thick and three inches wide
are run lengthwise through the gang. Saw
are set at such distances apart as the slzt
of the piece to be obtained may require
thus if slabs an inch thick are wanted, the
saws are set an inch apart. The saws
must also be exactly parallel with each
other, or the gang will not run.
Fine sand is put on top of the blocks
over which water drips, and the gang il
set in motion. AS fast as the saws make
a channel in the marble, the fine sand run:
in and hastens the cutting. The gang
are hung on screws which are so regulated
as to lower them as fast as the marble il
sawed.
Monuments, nantes, etc., are rub
bed down, first with fine sand, then will
pumice stone, and last with lutty of tin
and then are polished with a powder as {
stove is polished. This is properly another
branch of the business, and is done in mar
BILE shops all over the country.
North of the West Rutland quarries, are
those at Sutherland Falls; the Eureka,
columbian and Switzerland Falls.
The Sutherland Falls quarry has the great
est natural advantages of any in the state
1t is situated half mile from the FALL
which supply water power for saving thu
marble. Within thirty rods of the mills il
an immense deposit of saving sand, where
as many mills haul it for miles.
A compressed air power has beer
put in here, the only one in the state, i
not in New England. The compressor il
worked by water power, and consists O
two large OFFENDERS, in which work piston'
forcing the air into chamber beneath.
From this chamber the air is carried in an
eight inch pipe to the quarries half mile
distant. Here two inch pipe supplies the
stationary engine in the shops and the rest
is taken into the quarry, where rubber
pipes connect with each of the cutters and
gadders before described. The condensed
air is used in the same way as steam. II
requires the equivalent of one hundred
horse power to condense the air and the
machine can produce nearly sixty per cent.
of this power. The total cost of the ma
chine is twenty thousand dollars and II
saves in fuel alone six thousand year
a n Eall