Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-07-11
ODD USE FOR cAsYoN'BALLs.
They Take the Place OF Steel Wedges IL
Stone Quarries. r

H. : V
They Take the Place Of steel wedges in
Stone Quarries. ~.
Boston Globe.
"Cannon balls for blasting!''
This sign, hung In conspicuous
place before the door OF a store on
A atlantic avenue, led reporter inside
and started bit Of questioning upon
the subject, @
The PROF rietor said: last fall
when the United States Goyernn'ent
sod all of the old cannon balls and
solid shot which for so many years
were piled in pyramids along the main
street of the Navy Yard at Oharlestowu
We purchased lot OF them, with little
thought of converting them into any
thing besides pig iron. But a few
weeks after we had stored them ! over.
heard quarry owner complaining Of
the slowness ard uncertainty, Of the old
system of steel weighing used in getting
out huge blocks Of granite, and after
bit of thought suggested the use OF
cannon balls in the plnce of the steel
wedges. We sent about 20 of various
sizes and weights out to his quarry,
and after the first trial he hurried q
team in here With a note that read;
Tried the cannon balls. They are
it. Send 80 more. Have thrown the
steel wedges away.
1.-THE experience of this man led us
to send the cannon balls and solid shot
to other quarry operators, and within
the past month the orders have been
coming in SO thick,y We can scarcely
fill them from the stock on hand.
.'Tte method used in getting out
great cubes or monoliths from the
granite and marble quarries has been
to drive steel wedges along the line of
the lower portion Of the split made by
blast until the great chunk OF stone
topples over on its face. lt
ut required deal of time and u
number OF men with big IRON sledges
and steel wedges to separate these
cubes from the quarry wall from which
they had been star ted by tho blast
1.-THE method now pursued with the
cannon balls is to start the block OF
stone away by light blast and then
beta cen the quarry face and the block
several Of the smaller solid shot, usually
the four-inch sort, are dropped down
into the aperture. Two men with
crowbars give the block little shnke,
and the instant the block moves in
the slightest manner forward the shot
take up their purchase on the space
made, when the large cannon balls,
some measuring IA or 10 inches and
weighing 200 OF 800 pounds, are dropped
into the top OF the gap. Now, the
slightest outward jar by levers on the
big stone sends the heavy cannon balls
dropping downward of their own
weight until, with an easy forward
motion, the cube goes over on its face.
'These shot do away with any driv-
ing. or necessity their great weight
in proportion to their size forces them
downward, and their form prevents any
chance Of backward setting of the
| block
These cannon balls are also used ne
rollers, as they take up and go over
the inequalities of the QUARRY surface
and can be rolled In any direction
without resisting, thus doing away
with the cold style wooden rollers.
They are also used to smother
heavy clear ing-out blasts. Heavy rope
mats are thrown over the surface where
the blast has been set, and these cannon
balls are thrown on the mats. y