Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-06

in thickness, and containing 900 cubic feet.
This is cut into any desired form by cutting
narrow trenches, and driving i'll wedges Us
before. Those which our correspondent
saw raised out of the quarry We're about the
dimensions of a cord OF wood. They are
lifted from the quarry by means of the
'~.TRAvELER.'
This consists of Il kind of carriage, con-
structed Of massive beams, which span the
quarry being some 50 or 60 feet in length,
and strongly braced by rods and bolts, like
bridge timber. Each end rests upon trucks,
which are supported by a railing, along
which they move, back ward or forward the
whole resting upon a kind of trestle work,
which extends from one end of the quarry
TO the O'hcr, a distance, as before stated, of
about $50 yards. TIE traveller Is moved up
and down the quarry by a small engine
mounted upon it. Upon it is also another
small, short carriage, which is driven across
the quarry. from one end TO the other. Sus-
pended from the carriage is a massive hook,
supported by a wire rope, which passes over
three lurge pulleys just underneath the small
carriage, and under three corresponding
ones just above the large hook. One end of
the rope is wound upon a cylinder. attached
to the engine. By the arrangement of the
pulley, great mechanical force is obtained ;
and. at the same time, the six lengths of
rope which support the hook, give great
streL 9Th. When L stone Is to he raised, the
traveller moves to the proper place and
stops. Another touch OF the engineer brings
the small carriage supporting the hook Gi-
rectly over the stone to be raised. Still all
other touch of the magic hand, and the rope
unwinds from the cylinder, and the hook
lowers. A massive chain is then placed
around the stone and fastened to the hook.
The engineers han is ready; he touches an
other note, and the cylinder revolves, wind
ing up the rope until the stone is raised to
the desired height. The traveller then
travels oil with its burden to another part of
the quarry ,depositing IT. upon the und or
car. The use OF steam in quarrying is much
superior to the old method. 1t is easier.
faster and safer in most respects. The War
rensburg and Cincinnati quarries still use the
derrick and pick instead of the trencher and
traveller. The stone is a most beautiful sand
stone. easily worked, and Is most excellent
for building purposes. IL is shipped to va
rlous parts of the west, Cincinnati, st. Louis
and other places.
TRANSFORMATION.
A switch from the Mo. Pacific now runs
from the suburbs Of town to the quarries.
Most of the stone is loaded for shipment at
the quarries. Some, however, is still con-
veyed to the Warrensburg depot on wagons
drawn by from u to eight horses or mules,
an Industry which gave employment to many
men AMI teams, but which the construction
OF the switch has nearly destroyed.
COMPOSITION.
Application of murlatic acid to a pieca of
the stone shows the presence of considerable
of lime in It,. This has been held
In solution by the water which percolated
the mass while yet in u sand state ;
and was probably the principal agent in the
hardening process. The walls Of the quarry
show scarcely u single flaw or seam; proving
the deposit of sand was very pure, and
free from earth or vegetable matter.
PHIL