The Washington herald., 1909-08-01
SELLS MUCH GRANITE
Fine Product Comes from the
Mount Airy Quarries.
PLANT WORKED SINCE 1889
Stone In Many Fine BuiIdings-FOrms
Cemetery Gate at Lancaster, Pa,
and ComPoses Some Statues at Get
tyHburE-Used in the Dry Dock
at Newport News, Va.

one OF the noted granite quarries Of
the country is situated near Mount Airy,
y c.. in Surrey County. near the Vir-
ginia line The granite at this point is
exposed and is worked by special proc
esses with great success and profit TO the
owners.
The quarries at Mount Airy are under
the control OF the North Carolina Granite
Company and the product has been ex-
tensively used for many years IN some OF
the best buildings erected IN the United
States 1t has entered into the con-
strucuon OF buildings In Philadelphia,
Baltimore. and Washington. Il was the
material chosen TO mako the ornamental
gate at the cemetery at Lancaster. Pa.
and it figures IN some Of the statues on
the battlefield at Gettysburg.
Worked Since 1883.
The Mount Airy quarries have been
worked almost continuously since 1SS9.
In that year what was known as the
Mount Airy Granite Company was
organized and began operations on
the outcrop Of stone northeast or
ment was made in July. 1880. IN 1855 the
the town. The first shipment was
made in July, 1850. In 1928 the
quarries were leased 20 Thomas Wood
rofre & Sons and were operated by them
until 1904 In that year the North Caro-
lima Granite Company was formed, bought
the property, and has since operated the
plants. Of which there are three, and
during the history OF this company the
machinery OF the quarries has been much
improved and the output greatly ez-
panded.
To show the growth of the industry In
these Quarries. Il may be stated that IN
1880 the entire shipments for the year
were 135 carloads. In 1895 the shipments
amounted 10 S3f carloads. In 1900 they
had grown 10 ] lib carloads. in 1896 ship
ments were 1850 carloads. and in 1905
they were, in round figures, 1900 carloads
Lies In Long Ridge.
The vein OF granite at me Mount Airy
quarries is exposed in a long ridge At
the top, where II was exposed 20 the
weather for ages, the stone Is much dis
integrated. The stone is taken out by
commencing at a depressed portion Of
the ridge and working inward toward the
crest. The vein as worked is about thirty
feet in thickness and a considerable por-
ton Of the ridge has been stripped TO this
depth 10 make up the millions OF tons
Of granite which have been shipped to
various parts Of the country since 1859.
The rock IS light gray nearly white.
biolite granite. II has a strong medium
texture and contains no staining or in
furious materials. The uniformity OF color
makes the stone excellent material for
building stone. and II is used extensively
for carving and ornamental purposes. Ac-
coTding TO tests applied at the United
States navy yard here In Washington,
the stone crushes with an applied weight
Of 0,000 pounds. 1t was employed by the
government in the construction OF the
dry dock al Newport News, and forms
the stone work OF the fOrtifications at
Fort Caswell. on the Cape Fear River.
Cleavage by Compressed AIR.
The process mainly used in cleaving the
stone at the quarries is 70 drill a hole
70 the depth required by the stone to be
taken out In this hole is discharged a
small load Of dynamite. which starts the
cleavage. Years ago the cleavage was
effected by firing successive discharges
OF giant powder in a line OF holes drilled
along the line OF cleavage desired. This.
however. was supplanted by the use Of
water forced in by pump. which ef-
fected the proper cleavage TO any length