The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-27
AN INDIANA INDUSTRY
BEDFORD STONE BEING SHIPPED TO
ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
An Interesting Fuel Test ON the Big
FOur-The Clover Leaf Experiencing
No Trouble from the boycott.

The recent excursion over the Monon Of
the Western Society of Engineers. its mem
bership to the number of 10 visiting the
Bedford stone quarries and the Louisville
Cement Company's plant, bids fair to be a
very important event for these industries,
especially the Bedford stone quarries. One
of the party has written and printed a
lengthy article concerning the trip in which
he says of these stone quarries that great
deal of care was used in giving the ex-
cursionists complete information to the
manner of quarrying the stone, running
it through the mills where it is turned,
pIaned and otherwise shaped for use the
method of shipping from the different quar-
res so as to reach railroads in the district,
and other valuable information. The ex-
perience Of thirty years use of the stone
taken from the Bedford quarries has so
thoroughly established its reputation for
durability that the demand for it is increas-
ing in widely separated sections of the
country, The stone is so readily and
cheaply quarried that 1t can meet the
competition of many stones heretofore used
in other sections, but which are harder to
handle and more expensive to work up.
The Bedford stone is extensively used in
railway structures, such stations and
bridges, in public buildings and residences,
depot buildings, tunnel facings, and sub
ways for parks and bouevards in many of
the large cities, and in fact all parts of
the country east of the Rocky mountains,
and the railroad companies are getting the
benefit of freight represented in transport
ing this material. These quarries are
tapped Immediately by the Monon road and
are reached over the Bedford Belt road in
connection with the Baltimore Ohio
Southwestern, Evansville & Richmond
Panhandle, Big Four and other lines and
so that the railroad companies generally
should be especially interested from a
transportation standpoint in the further de-
velopment of these valuable quarries.
The Cost of Fuel.
Master Mechanic Mckee, of the Big
Four shops at Nation, recently read
paper before a number of superintendent
of motive power and master mechanics on
the economy of locomotive supplies Among
other things he said: 1.-The motive power
department is charged with the expense of
keeping the equipment of the road in
serviceable condition, and in addition to
this they are virtually held responsible for
a part Of the expense which has to be
assumed by the transportation department,
and which consists of the fuel oil and
waste, ETC., which is furnished for use on
our engines. The expense for fuel Is the
most important item, as 1t represents at
least one third of the cost to operate
locomotive. and on some roads more. BY
handling the expense for fuel with ngures
and tons which represent a years work, II
cannot but impress the officials of any road
with the Importance OF adopting such
measures as will reduce this expense down
to a minimum, as saving in this direction
will serve to increase the earnings or both
the passenger and traffic departments.
This question has been given close at
tention the past year on the st. Louis di-
vision of the Big Four and strong effort
has been made to secure results when
would be apparent in dollars and cents
The following comparison was made from
actual figures, showing ccal used dur ng he
years from July /, 1892, to July 1, 1888, and
from July l, 1895, to July l. 1885,
-1S92-1S93.--
Pounds consumed per loaded freight
Pounds consumed per loaded passenger
-1S95-1S96.-
Pounds consumed per loaded freight
car, mile :............. Az
Pound consumed per loaded passenger
car, mile $4,000 ~
Value of coal saved. freight ........ $23 Al 80
Value of coal saved passenger. 9S5o.S9
Value of coal saved, total ........r.. 80, 32S.zO