News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-10-09
ASBESTOS IN VERMONT.
An Interesting Romance Connected With It's Dis
cOVery.

DeStOS. only one OF them IS Known
to the scientific world by that name,
while the other is called chrysatile.
These minerals look somewhat alike
and are both usually found assGciaG-
ed with serpentine rock. Chrysarile
is the more valuable because its fbers
are fine and silky, do not break when
the rock is crushed and can be woven
into almost any fabric that can be
made of silk, cotton or wooden tibers.
This cannot be said of true asbestos
as it's fiber iscOarse and brittle; yet it
has commercial value as an ingredi-
ent of tireproof paints, for backing in
fireproof safes, for boiler covering,
and heat insulation of all kinds. It's
use as a wall plaster is interesting.
The crushed rock associated with the
asbestos furnishes the sand, while
the asbestos threads take the place
of hair. A plaster is thus formed
that is fire proof, a non-conductor of
heat, and so tough that nails can be
driven into it as into wood without
making it crumble.
Shl y SbOlC 10 O. lhlDCI OLE uO
only place on the American continent
where it has been found heretofore in
paying quantities, is in Thetford,
Canada. Here are two mines about
five miles apart, known as the Black
Lake and Thetford mines. These
mines are not large and they already
give signs of failing. The total pro-
duction of asbestos in the United
States in 1S99amounted to less than
700 tons, worth less than $15, 900;
while the fiber imported into the
country in that year, mostly from
Canada, cost over 100000.
There are two fiber bearing lodges
inLowell. The one first discovered is
on lumber land owned by Hon. M. E.
Tucker of Hardwick. 1t is on the
first tier of lots along the Eden and
Lowell line and near thesouthwestern
corner of the town. Mr.. Tucker has
owned this land more than twenty
years, and for the past eight years he
has operated steam saw and dress
ing mill on this property. This mill
is located near the headwaters of a
branch of the Missisquoi River, which
flows almost straighUnorth from this
place to the railroad village of North
Troy, eighteen miles distance. On
each side, east and west of the mill,
are magnificent mountains Belvidere
Mountain on the west and Hadley
Mountain to the east. Both these
mountains are heavily wooded with
spruce. The fiber deposit is found in
the foothills of Belvluere Mountain.
1t begins some sixty rods west of the
steam mill and extends in south
westerly direction diagonally across
two lots OF Mr.. fuckers land and ex-
tends across the Eden line, where two
companies are developing mines. Six
years ago a woodchopper picked UP
piece of fiber bearing rock Oh this
land; but he has not yet been able to
locate the place where he found it
even with the incentive of a large Ie
ward. Although prospecting in the
woods is uphill work, Mr.. Tucker
scanned his numerous rocks very care
fully in the hope of finding some ledge
similar to the woodchopper's speci
men. Success crowned his efforts il
November, 1899. Avein of chrysatil
with fiber less than one-third of al
inch in length was seen cropping on
on the face of the ledge. Since then
clearing OF about two acres has beef
madenear by and a large base of rocI
exposed. The liberal use of dvnamit
shows the rock to be full of seams @
various widths, crossing and recross
ing each other at all angles and oc
cupying a great part of the substanc
of the rock. This ledge appears to b
fifty rods wide and mile long, tn
greater part of which is on Mr.. Tuck
er's land.
Agood road, less than two hundre
rods long, leads from the highway t.
a level spot at the foot of the ledge
Here a seventy.fve horse power r.
ducing plant will be put in. The prc
cess of extraction is simple. Th
veins containing fiber are 'cobbled
off by hand from heterogeneous ofroc
made by blasting. The choice piece
are put into boxes or bags and sen
to market. But not all the seams ar
exposed on the brokenrock. For tina
reason the rock is crushed and th
fiber sorted out by hand from SLOW
ly moving table. This is again crust
ed and the fiber separated by blowe
or "cyclone." Associated with til
fiber In the seams is found consider
able quantity of chrome iron, whic
is taken out and sent to the manufa,
turers of Bessemer steel. There al
other by-products.
The fiber thus taken from the lede
is ready for market. 1t is wort
from $40 to $3.50 per ton, accordin
to the length and fineness of til
threads. AS the rock runs about l
per cent of fiber generally, with an il
crease to % per cent in some place
1T can be ssen that fiber bearing Ian
is valuable.
The veins are accounted for in tn
way: Motion rock was thrown to I'll
surface. AS it cooled it first BEGAN
solid rock. After further cooling
was broken by shrinking, maxim
seams of various sizes and position
Then while the rock is still very he
the aahnatOa Or nhruco tila Gtsuod 49,