Evening journal., 1890-09-26
LAST EDITION
cAMpsN,s CITY COUNCIL.
The Street and Highway Departments
Visit the Brandywtne QHarries.

Visit the Brandywine QHarrtes.
The Street Committee and the High
way Department of the City Council OF
Camden, N. j., are the guests of the
Brandywine Granite Company. The
visitors reached this city on the 8. 90
o'clock train over the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad and landed at the Della
ware avenue station. Colonel
Milo w. Locke, superinten-
dent; William NJ Field, vice
president, and Fl. NJ. Barksdale, secretary
and treasurer of the Erandywine Granite
Company, met tue Camden visitors and
escorted them to cabs. The rain did not
prevent the coming of large delegation,
and the dampness did not interfere with
the arrangements
TheCamden visitors are DR.. William B.
E. Miller, chairman of the Street Com
mittee, aud the following members OF
that committee: James NJ. Lane. M +.
Twins, E. B. Roberts, Charles 7. Howell,
Charles q. Sharp: City Surveyor Levi E.
Farnham, Assistant City Surveyor Will
liam P, Osler, Supervisor of Streets and
Highways, John Blowe, City Clerk, T. P.
Varney, Contractor Frank 3. Sweeten.
The party went co the Upper Brandy.
wine quarries on the Brandywine creek,
Just above the Riddle Cotton Mills The
shed where the onecutters were at
work was first inspected, and then the
big quarries were visited. Colonel
Locke and Mr.. Barksdale explained the
methods Of working the stone and the
interesting facts concerning the capacity
of the plant and the popularity Of the
strata formation.
The quarries have been operated for
eight years The granite is in demand
everywhere and the company has all the
work it can do. The visit was not pre-
liminary to awarding contract, for the
Brandywine Granite Company had al
ready received the Job of furnishing
blocks for Camden streets, but was
merely sight seeing trip on the COM
pany's invitation.
Camden's Council consists of twenty
eight members, three from each of the
nine wards and one at large. Three of
the twenty eight are Democrats.
The members of the delegation were
very much interested in what they saw
at ths quarry The two heavy cables by
which stone weighing up to fifteen tons
is carried across the creek 1870 feet
above the water, surprised them, espe
cially, as test showed in the ease with
which heavy blocks were handled
One of the cables has been in use for
eight years 1t is two inches thick and
is held on one side by dead man." or
a tree, and on the other side by a
boulder. When the company had the
Breakwater contract that cable lifted
500 tons of stone day.
Brandvwine Granite weighs IT'S pounds
to the cubic foot, 4, 735 pounds, or two
long ton, to the cubic yard. The weight
Of block 40 feet long, four feet wide
and two feet thick can easily be esti-
mated. Some of the long stones that have
been worked out. on the north side
quarry. have been drawn across the creek
by the two cables.
The granite is gotten out by blasting
and by drilling and is made into Belgian
blocks, and rubble stone, besides the
blocks. The Belgian blocks are made by
breaking she big stones in certain way.
The quarry has the boulder formation
and the strata are easily defined. A bed
will start at q point and the stone win
follow IL as far back as the quarry Is
worked. Mr. Barksdale says
that the supply is practically
inexhaustible. Bonlders extend on the
service as the way back to Mount Salem
Church on the Highlands nearly mile,
and the rock is unlimited in depth
AAD Will gHIy 70 INV anu snip
ping blocks FLOR the foundation to the
Walnut street bridge, Philadelphia, and
to the BreEkwater at Lewes.
Much Of the granite is shipped by rail
to the company's wharf on the Christiana
river, where it Is loaded on barges. A
barge will h I'D 1,400, 900 pounds of
stone.
Sweeten & Son will pave the Camden
streets and they will get the stone from
the Brandywine Granite Company Bel
gian block and select rubble stone will be
used. The Council of Camden, has granted
them an extention of time because the
Wilmington Company cannot supply the
stone until its contraets.with Whining
ton are filed.
After seeing everything that could be
seen in rainy weather the party returned
to this city and took dinner at j. S. Will
liss restaurant, opposite the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore railroad
station. The menu was elaborate
This afternoons program includes a ride
on the river .on the steamer Christine.
Several Wilmington city officials here
joined the party. The Camden council
men will return home this evening.