Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-05-30
The North Carolina
Graniie Corporal len.

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Little do the people OF North
Carolina realize that one OF the
greatest granite quarries in the
whole country is located a little
west OF the center OF the State.
Many still think OF New England
when granite is suggested. Only
a few weeks agoone OF the states
largest newspapers-a pape e r
that essays to inform the people
lin an editorial description Of q
new building just erected by that
paper stated that thepillars were
from the famous Barre quarries
and that the Intel over the en-
trance weighed six or eight tons.
This latter fact-six or eight tons
stone-seemed enormous to the
writer. So well an informed news
paper should have been aware
that almost daily shipments Of
larger pieces of stone are m a d e
from this State. The fact is, the
Eastern quarries are not even
competitors of some Southern
quarries in the matter of produ-
cling stone of large dimensions.
The pedestal for the Washington
monument recently erected at the
Brooklyn end OF one of the great
b ri G es connecting with New
York City contains one stone
from the famous Mt. Airy quar-
ries that is IL feet 7 inches by 5
feet 8 inches by 9 feet 2 inches
and it was necessary to core this
stone in order to reduce t h e
weight to the capacity OF the lar
gest equipment furnished by the
railroads-the 100, 900 fbbs. ca-
pacity car.
The North Carolina Granite
Corporation has been steadily de-
veloping it's plant and adding to
it's facilities for the production Of
both rough ana finished stock.
Today, it has one of the very
best equipped quarries in the en-
tire country, and it's cutting
plant is the equal Of any in t h e
United States in equipment. The
most modern appliance known
to stone producers are here in
use.
Power for all departments is
generated at a central station.
Here are established two great
Heine Wate-tube boilers, each OF
210 horse power. These boilers
drive the giant air compressor
which has a capacity OF 1000
feet Of free air per minute. This
compressed air is conducted by
a six-ihch pipe line rnnning the
entire length Of the quarries.
Lead lines distribute the c o m
pressed air to all parts Of t h e
quarries where it is utilized by
the pneumatic tools for drilling
the lifted" stone into required
sizes. Compressed air is also used
for lifting great areas OF stone
and making it available. This
"lifting" process has been descri-
bed frequently Of late and being
OF such unique character has at
tracted worldwide reputation.
This process is only applicable to
quarries of largthorizontal areas
and in solid mass. 1t can be readi
ly seen what an immense advan-
tages this process affords by lift
ing heavy area of granite OF def
mite thickness and making t h e
whole available to surface drill
ing.
The largest stone that could
dossible be wanted for any con-
struction could be easily produ-
ced here. These quarries have
never found it necessary to turn
down an order for any stone be-
cause OF it's size. If the railroads
should increase their carrying
beyond the maximum of
10000 pounds, the North Caro-
lima Granite Corporation would
be ready, without notice, to fur
disk e;nolo ctonos nm ~ A. =,