St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-11-13

big blast often throws out but a small
sized rock. With small hand instruments
the free asbestos is "cobbed" off, sorted
and shipped in bags and boxes.
At the Vermont Asbestos Co. mine this
is the present condition: The proper is
thoroughly staked out ready for exten-
sve operations another year, when the
necessary heavy and expensive machin-
cry is put in. Judge Tucker has found
that at a depth of 20 feet the strata be-
gin to prove uniform in trend and are
about three,fourths of an inch thick,
yielding silky fibre. Long asbestos fibre
is used for any textile purpose that cot
ton, wool and silk are used, naturally
the long silky fibre is worth dispropor-
tiOnately more than short, coarse fibre,
although the latter is equally good for
any but textile purposes, and there is every
indication of the fibre proving longer as
the mines are worked deeper. At a
depth OF fifty feet the fibre is one and one
half inches long and as fine and silky as
three or four inch fibre in other mines.
The New England Asbestos Mining
and Milling Co. has large capital, and
long experience in placing, developing
and working mines and although but
short time in the field have begun extern
slve operations. They have already
built road three, quarters OF mile long
from the main road to their mine Of 800
acres, over which all their hauling is
done; IA horses are now worked, and
space OF 100 feet wide has been cleared
each side of the road to let in sun and
prevent snow drifts. This cut timber is
used for fuel Tor the boilers. In ALL about
ten acres have been cleared on the prop
erty.
A reservoir has been built to store
water against u possible time OF need.
One boarding house with acommoda-
tons for over so men, each having bed
to himself; a store. with rooms for 35
more men in connection; a house for the
manager, and Offices have been built ;
also blacksmith shop, powder house
horse barn and saw mill. At present 80
men are employed.
There is in process of construction an
asbestos mill 1O5 feet 6 inches long, 40
feet wide and over so feet high, with an
ell 40 by 40 feet for engine and boiler
house. The capacity of this mill will be
500 tons of rock per day. 1t is four sto
ries high, aud the product OF the mine
will be carried into the top OF the build
ing falling into the great stone crushers
passing from one to another, then into
set of Cornish rolls, pass revolving
screens and shaker screens, then to the
cyclones" separating the fibre from the
bedrock, when the asbestos will be ready
for sorting, on slowly moving beds, grad
ing and shipment. This is the process
bri, fly, many of the processes OF course
remaining a secret from the general pub
lie The large engine has boilers from
400 to 500 horse power and when the
mill is completed will be the greatest
asbestos plant on this continent.
If the mill runs but 400 tons per day,
100 tons less than its capacity, and the
mine yields but ten per cent which is half
its present test, and the product is sold
for $40 per ton, very low price, the net
profits over all expenses will be nearly
$1,000 per day. Really the profits will
be more than twice that sum because it
now yields 20 per cent OF asbestos in
stead of ten per cent as estimated, with
every probability of a much greater
WELD as the mine is worked deeper. This
is better than a gold mine.
Prof. Kemp OF the chair OF geology, in
Columbia College, has just visited the
properties to write up an account for the
state report and he declares the situa,
ton and layout of the mine as magnih
| ~ La L., 80, ha H.
Bell of London, Mr.. Martin of New
York, Mr.. Brown of Boston, Mr.. Smith
of Thetford, Canada, and many Other
Government and mining experts agree
with and more than sustain Prof, Kemp's
report.
The future depends not only on grea
energy and large investments in heav,
mining machinery, but upon the building
OF railway from these mines to Hyd
Park on the Boston & Maine Railroad
The generous offer OF the Boston & Main
must be backed by town and privat
capital to put a road through. Tt
midland Railway" has been surveye
and every one who has the interests
these mines at heart hopes it will /
, built and operated next year AS to til
| future of this great industry we quot
from the report of Superintendent Ma
, thew Ptnhale, mining expert to the pre-
, ident and directors OF the New Euglan
Asbestos Mining and Milling Co: "Yo
have great nine OF asbestos here in tn
: mountain, of which at present we ca
see no end. The great stope rises ava
) up ahead of our works, climbing HUI
dreds and perhaps thousands of fe
ahead of us, so that any calculate
/ would sink into insignifcance when yC
- look at the great body of asbestos 70,
to be mined and milled from your pro
erty. You have a great mine here &c
S tlemen, that not only You as a compai
f will be proud of, but the people OF t
United States will rejoice that you pc
S scss." Lillian WRIGHT
: Westhld, Vt.