Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-11

ding and channelling machines they
are hoisted out of the quarries by inn
mense derricks, capable of lifting
blocks of eighteen and twenty tons
weight. These derricks are equipped
with enormous cables and pulleys,
and are run by steam engines. This
finishes the quarrying process. Let
us now follow the rough blocks of
marble into the marble mill, where
they are to be sawed, polished and
manufactured into the different forms
OF building, ornamental and ceme-
terry work for which marble is used.
If the marble is not to be used OF
shipped in block, the first process is
to saw it to the desired size and
shape. The greater part of these
immense blocks of stone coming
from the quarry are sawed into slabs
of a few inches in width, for ceme-
terry work, tiling, paneling, etc. The
method of doing this is almost mar
vellous in its simplicity. The blocks
are mounted upon stagings UNDER
meath gangs of steel saws-or mere
strips of steel, for they are not SER
rated, but plain On both edges.
These saws, few inches apart from
each other are hung on sweeps, trav-
elling back and forth horizontally,
by steam power, and are raised
slightly at every revolution of the
crank. Water is kept trickling over
the top of the block, and washes
continual stream of sand from a bin
above the saws. The sand, worked
by the saws on the stone, scours out
a groove, into which it is constantly
washed by the trickling water, the
saws admitting it as they are raised by
revolutions of the crank. The saws
are automatically fed down at a uni
form speed by screws. Thus the
securing goes on until the block is
cut into the required sections. It
then finds its way to the rubbing bed,
which consists of a large circular
cast-iron plate, from nine to twelve
feet In diameter, revolving rapidly in
a horizontal plane. Sand and water
are fed over the top of this bed, and
the marble being laid upon it and
confined by strong frame, is rapidly
brought to true and smooth sur
face, and the edges carefully squared
up. The block or slab is then taken
to the moulding machine, where
mouldings of any required shape
are rapidly cut by machinery,
the tool being a swiftly revolving
scalIoped disk of steel. Then comes
the polishing of the edges, which is
done by hand, the uneven surface
rendering machinery impracticable :;
after which the large polishing ma
chimes, moved back and forth by
machinery like gigantic scrub BRUSH
es, polish the faces with emery, pro-
ducing high gloss. The plain piec-
es are then ready for boxing and
shipment. ,,-e
Every large marble mill has de-
partment devoted entirely to ceme-
terry work and it is here that the
most skilled workmen are required,
and the finest work done. The pro-
cess of saving marble for cemetery
work is the same as that already de-
scribed, except that heavy single
saws are used to cut the large blocks
which are used in monumental work.
These large blocks are swung by
cranes upon specially prepared rub
bing beds, where they are smoothed
to the last finish. They
are then taken to the finishing room,
where the mouldings too fine to cut
by machinery are cut by hand. All
the rounded work has to be polished
by hand. Conventional forms of
circular work, like urns, shafts, etc.,
are turned IN lathes, but all the finer
work, all the statuary,
the lettering and elegant carving
have to be done by hand. 1t is re-
markable to watch the professional
stone-cutter, and see with what taste,
accuracy and skill he chips out the
beautiful forms of monumental work
with his steel tools and mallet. 1t
requires no mean artistic ability to
execute some of the statuary which
is required for monumental work.
The process is not merely mechanical,
but necessitates the same qualifica-
tions which the sculptor possesses.
Statuary work in marble is produced
in this city, which is worthy the name
of fine art.
Burlington is rapidly coming to be
known as one of the most prominent
centres in New En-
gland, and not the least celebrated
of her manufactures is her work in
marble. This industry is growing
more and more important every year;
for our marble dealers have not only
to supply the considerable demand
of our city and vicinity, but have i'm
mense orders to fill from all parts of
the country, and even from other
countries. The future of the mar
BILE business in Vermont is exceed
ingly promising, and we are conf
dent in expressing the conviction
that this industry Is destined to rank
among the three or four great COM
mercial interests for which the city of
Burlington is famous throughout the