The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
STONE CARVING MACHINERY !.
How Elaborate Decorations Are
GhtseIed with Newly Invent-
ed Pneumatic FooR.

Mr.. Charles Barnapd in a compreheu-
sive article on ''The Industrial Reyo-
luton of the PoweF-Tool,n gives this
picture of the work, not yet fully COM
pleted, on the new appellate court
house, Madison square, New York city:
THE marble-carver can, for a short
time, give 80 blows a minute with his
wooden mallet on his chisel; his aver
age speed is probably less. With 4
pneumatic hammer he can strike 200,
1000, 5000 or 5000 blows in one minute,
without the slightest exertion on his
part. He can regulate the number of
blows in each minute at viii. His fly.
ing hammer fits any form of chisel
used in his art 1t win enable him to
do any work he can do by hand, aud
many things that it would be impos-
sible without his nervous little hami-
mer, His hand, eye and mind are now
free to give their whole attention and
skillto guiding the chisel. All the labor
(one-half of the total labor) of strik.
ing the blow on the chisel is released
Just that amount of mental and
physical energy is released to work In
the real art, which is the guiding Of
the tool:
IAN example of the economy thus af-
forded is found in the elaborate ex-
terror decorations of the appellate
court lately erected on Madison square,
New York city. The building is Of
steel frame with white marble facing.
AS required by law a massive timber
stage, or platform, was erected over
the sidewalks, and on this the stone.
bricks, steel beams, and other materi-
al were deposited while being prepared
for the steam derrick that lifted each
piece into place. The blocks of marble
arrived already squared, shaped and
fitted, so that the work of the builder
consisted merely in putting them in
place in the wall. All the blocks that
were to be decorated, capitals, lintels,
panels, sides of windows, in fact every
block that was to carry any part of the
ornamental work, was left rough, and
was set in the wall just as it came from
the marble yard. AS the walls were
eRected, a wooden staging was placed
rN-AO4I NAANAA4 AGA yAAE COANEAlEnCE VI
marble-workers On the platform
stood a small shed, sheltering a IL.
horse power gas engine operating an
air compressor. From the compressor
wrOught-iron pipes extended all over
the staging. At intervals there were
little hydrants to which rubber hose
could be easily attached. Here we
have the disposition of power clearly
illustrated. The gas engine using
street gas has a distinct advantage
over the steam engine, as its fuel is
brought in a pipe instead of a cart, and
it has no ashes to annoy the passers
below. In fact, were it not for the
barking Of its exhaust pipe one would
never imagine that a power plant was
at work overhead. At one time 18 mar
BILE workers were employed on the
building. Each one had beside him a
plaster copy of the decoration he was
to reproduce in the marble. His light
steel hammer with it's swiftly flying
ehisel cut the marble easily, surely.
evenly. Rose and leaf, Intel, curVing
line, flowing tracery, and Towering
capital grew as if by magic under his
hand. The beautiful forms of the pat
tern, or model, appeared with an in.
credible speed. The chips few in a fine
shower of white dust under the light.
ning-lile hammer. The long, flexible
hose enabled the workman to stand in
any position and hold the tool at any
angle, and its tireless energy relieved
him from everything except the skilled
work of guiding the tools. He could
stop in an instant and change the tool
in less than a minute. The workman is
no longer a skilled laborer; he is an art.
isan, with a new tool that relieves him
from all labor. Century.