The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-12-05
Capt. Chester Harding, a
Washington Engineer
VISITS BARRE QUARRIES
For Purposes Of Examining Barre Gran
ite With a View to It's Adoption For
Washington District Building.

| Recently the question was raised in
/ Congress regarding the capacity Of the
kgranite quarries at Bethel and whether il
was probable sufficient amount OF stone
could be secured from them for the con
stIuction of the new union railroad depot
the Pennsylvania railroad is to erect in
Washington, D. G. The District Commits
sioneTs Of Washington have authority to
determine whether the material proposed
/ is fit for the purpose and can be secured
/ In sufficient quantities, and in conformity
with resolution Of Congress the commits
sioners sent to Vermont Captain Chester
/ Harding, one Of the engineer officers 0f
the district to inspect aud report on the
| Bethel quaEries Captain Harding arFiv-
ed at Montpelier on Wednesday evening
and Thursday visited the quarries at Beth
| el
There is also soon 10 be constructed iii
Washington another public building to be
known as the district building This will
also probably be 0f granite, and the COM
missioners are anxious to secure good
stone for this purpose.
In view Of this, aud also that it might
be decided that the qnarries at Bethel
were not SO located as TO enable them to
get out four carloads of stock day for
the next four hundred days as required
for the railroad depot, some OF our ener-
getic local quarryaen extended an invita-.
tion 70 the inspector to visit the Barre
Quarries, and Captain Harding was In
stfueted to do SO by District Commission
er Maciarland Of the District Of Columbia.
Captain Harding came to Barre yesterday
morning 90 special train furnished By
the Wells River and Barre railroads and
with a number Of the leading quarry own
ers Of Montpelier and Barre, after a short
visit to the cutting plant Of Jones Broth
ers 90, at North Barre, be proceeded to
the auarrtes on Milestone Hill
0a this bill Captain Harding was
shown the qaaFrles of Jones Brothers.
Netmofe a. Morse CD. II. Il. smith |
IS CO., the Boutwell, quarries ana the
thasa Of Milne, Ciarihew Il Gray. II was
explained to him that at the Jones Bros
Qnarries 10000 feet Of stock can be quar-
ried in month, at the Wetmorse Il Morse
quarTies he WIS shown how stone of any
size OF dimension could be quaTrled, at |
the quarrles of 3. +. Smith Il Co. be was |
shown the workings 0f all the most recent |
appliances for getting out stock, the large /
air eompress0rs which require 200-h0Fse /
power boiler to operate 1t and which |
makes 1000 cubic feet Of compressed air /
in q minute, the great opportunity for
| getting out stock as fast as called for, and |
was told that the capacity per month was
10000 cubic feet. at the Boutwell, quarries /
he was shown the difference between a |
boulder and sheet quarry. When the |
party reached this quarry the men were
all ready to set blast and the company |
| witnessed the bi0wingolf ofapieee Of stone |
that it was estimated weighed 5000 tons |
and averaged Is feet ii thickness. After
4 visit to the quarry Of Milne, larihew & |
| Gray the party returned to Barre and took |
1 dinner.
After dinner Capt Harding, with a
number Of quarry owners, was driven to |
! the quarrles Of the Barre White Granite |
company on Gobble Hill Here lie was
shown white stock as white as any vet
quarried IN this country and ID such quan-
titles as TO meet the requirements of any
/ building It WAS also shown to him that
there was here as well al on Milestone
Hill an unlimited supply, and that II could
/ be qnarriea In quantities and fast enough
to meet any demand.
On the return from Cobble Hiil the par.
| tn made short visit TO the Nincitia club
rooms while waiting for a train and while
here the granite men expressed to Captain
Harding their appreciation Of hts coming
70 Barre; be Is the first government Official
who has ever visited Barre to look into tie
granite industry, and they hoped he would
make q favorable report on what he found
] ,Nas IfaS sge5t L
1 the quarrles of Barre had been a revela-
ti0n to him. He said there was no ques-
! ti0n as to the amount oil granite or the
means, ability and people to meet All de-
mands for IL, aud he was very fav0rably
| impressed with 1t
The Union Railroad depot. which Is to
be erected in Washington calls for 440. 900
cubic feet Of cut granite Ii the report TO
Washington should BE chat the quarries
at Bethel did not possess proper facilities
for getting out this stone as needed, Barre
should see TO IL that the contract comes
here. The District building which the
District of Columbia Is to erect the COM
ing season will call for $50, 1000 cubic feet |
of cut granite and the commissioners will |
be ready for bids Ia about month. Barre
should most surely secure this contract
In this connection, the following ex-
tracts from a letter from Senator w. r. /
Dillingham; TO the Barre White Granite |
4 CO., will be Of interest:
SIT appears that the Pennsylvania Il r. |
Co. has submitted plans for the new depot
building with q proposition to use the
white Bethel granite IN its construction.
These plans have to be approved by the
commissioners Of the district. Some Qnes-
ti0n has been raised regarding the capae-
Il ity Of the quarry at Bethel and to ascer-
tain whether It Is probable that a sufil-
elent amount OF this stone can be secured