Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-06
MINING FOR STONE.
The OId-Fashioned Quarry VIII Soon Be
no More-Chesper to Tunnel for 1t.

the Thirteenth Wards new metnOu 10
in practice of conducting one OF the
oldest industries of Western Pennsylva-
MIA. When the white man made MS
appearance in the forests OF Western
Pennsylvania his first work was to cur
down trees and build house OF logs.
AS civilization advanced he improved
on this style and from the lodges CT
rock on the hillsides quaried stone ana
erected better dwellings. Ever since
the business of quarrying stone has
been one Of the most opportant OF this
section of the State, and each year the
demand has been growing greater.
OF late this demand, from the great
strides PttsburE has been taking, has
become enormous. The finer grades OF
stone for the larger class Of structures
have, of course, been brought from
other places, but the QuarrieS in aud
around Plttsburg must still supply the
stone for the foundation walls for all the
buildings. This has been because the
local stone is the cheaper. As result
OF this constant demand the Quarries OF
Pittsburg are rapidly disappearing
The work has been confined to the face
stone along the sides Of the hills, and
comparatively little could be taken out
from one place. As the work would
progress the earth above, or the strip
ping, as it is called, would increase to
such a.thickness that the expense OF re-
moving it to get out more stone would
not be warranted by the returns. In
this way quarry after quarry has been
worked out and now almost all the
stone easily gotten at has gone. Be-
sides houses are covering the hilltops
and available locations are becoming
fewer.
To continue the supply new plan OF
conducting this old business has been
adopted, and Pittsburg is the first and
only place in this country where stone
is mined. Into the hill above Soho
street a tunnel has been bored and
now, 125 feet beneath the surface, men
are blasting out the stone. The quarry,
or mine, belongs to Mr.. John w. Jones.
For two years he has been mining
stone in this manner, and has taken
out many thousands Of perches, demon
strating the success OF a method that
was at first secuted by quarrymen. de
has wrought revolution in the stone
business, and how it was brought about
is interesting.
Mr.. Jones's quarry was first surface
one. The business was profitable, but
as the depth OF stripping increased, so
did the expense, and it became appar-
ent finally that he must go under the
stripping or abandon the quarry. Old
quarrymen' said it would be impossible
to mine the stone and told him to go
elsewhere. The heavy blasting, they
said, would bring down the hill, and
anyhow, it would be too difficult to get
out the stone. Mr.. Jones, however,
chung TO his idea and could not see why
if coal could be mined, stone could not
be also. At last, after cautiously feel
ing his way by experiments, he secured
experienced men and drove his mine I'M
der the hill. New emergencies had to be
met here, but they were all overcome.
Among the troubles he encountered was
an old notion OF drilers and quarrymen
that the greater the effect desired the
more powder should be used. Heavy
charges were rammed home, the fuse
lighted, the warning cry, lire" given,
and the men would run long distances
to get out Of the way Of the shower Of
falling fragments of rock. Some, of
course, ran as far as possible in order to
be longer getting back TO work. Many
damage suits for broken windows and
broken heads were occasioned by this
mode, but it was long adhered to.
Underground, however, it would not
work, and here Mr.. Jones put into prac-
tice a little principle Of gunnery. A
little powder was placed in hole that
had been drilled deep into the stone,
and the fuse was adjusted. A space OF
about six inches was left between the
powder and the clay tamped In above.
The clay put in first was tamped light
ly, but that at the mouth Of the hole
was rammed hard. The result was that
when the powder ignited the six inches
of space allowed the gases to accumu
late and the force was expended in
rending asunder rather than driving
out the clay. The report would be low
and muflled o hat placed over the hole
would scarcely be moved, but great
masses of rock would roll out ready TO
broken up with sledges. By this plan
OF leaving a space between the powder
and the projectile the heaviest cannon
could be shivered to pieces.
Mining had not progressed far when
its many advantages over the old plan
were apparent. Ths stone was close
sandstone and the further in the work
men went the better they found the
stone. The vein grew thicker and the
stone more uniform in grain, color and
quality. Beside the mine can be worked
all seasons of the year, because it is
free from frost, and the workmen are
protected from sun, rain and cold.
The work is not dangerous for the
workmen, because the thick layer of
Jealous" as it Is termed, between the
stone and clay, makes roof tough and
strong enough TO hold up the earthly
matter above. Huge stone pillars help
to support 1t, and since the place has
been opened not an inch Of settlement
has been observed. Only one man has
been hurt in the place and he had his
leg broken by stone rolling on 1t as a
result of his own careleSsneSs.
A great hole in the hill has been made
and it has become an attraction for
sightseers. Several classes from the
High School have been through IL in
search of geological specimens. A door
large enough to admit team and wag
on opens into the face of the hill which
shows perpendicular of rs feet. Ten
feet in brings you into vast chamber,
from which. by the light Of the gasoline
lamps, can be seen similar chambers
branching out in all directions, with the
roof supported by great pillars uf stone.
A half dozen of these immense rooms,
which are from 80 to 40 feet square,
,l-o - onapfng into tha hill oO0 teet