The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-12-29
And Was Instantly Killed at
North Grafton, Mass.
A LEADING GRANITE MAN
Victim Of Accident on Boston & Albany
r. R., Late Yesterday, Was President
of the Webb Construction Conn
pany of Worcester, Mass.

Worcester, Mass, Dec. % While re-
turning from business visit to Boston
yesterday afternoon, George Deland Webb
Of this city, president of the Webb Granite
and Construction company and one OF
the leading granite men OF New Eng
land, fell from the Boston & Albany
train in North Grafton and was in
stantly killed Mr. Webb was not well
Tuesday night, but wentfto Boston yes
terday morning 1t is supposed that he
was taken with a faint spell and that
he went to the rear platform OF his ear,
which was the last one on the train, to
get more air.
In his fall he plunged 60 feet down
an embankment, and after the train had
been stopped and run back the pas
sengers found the body. There was q
fracture at the base OF the skull. His
body was brought to this city. Charles
r Webb was at the station to meet his
father. and when he saw the body on
the stretcher and recognized it as that
OF his father he collapsed. The under
taking rooms, where the body was TAX
en-. are those OF Waldo L. Sessions, who
was Mr.. Webb's son-in-law. Mr.. Ses-
sions had been notified that a body was
coming, but he was given a great shock
when he learned il was that OF his
father.in-law.
Mr.. Webb was born in Barre, Mass,
April Is, 1854, and as young man
started in the granite business. He came
to Worcester in 1873 and began business
4 1 Ia NHfpaagfpr In
/ 1879 he opened a quarry at what is
known as Milestone hill Then he gradu-
4 ally branched out until he was the own
er OF quarries in Fitzwilliam and Marl-
boro. u. H., aud at Milford in this state
/ In 1891 he organized the Webb Gran
/ lite 4 CONSTRUCTION company, OF which
/ he was president and manager. His
/ building operations extended over the
+ entire country Among the buildings
constructed by his company are the
/ Back Bay station in Boston, the Somer'
set hotel OF Boston. the Worcester eoun.
4 ty courthouse. the courthouse at Clese-
/ land the Holy Cross college additions
and large number Of churches, He
also furnished large part Of the granite
used in the construction Of the new
.
/ He employed nearly 500 men at hi'
/ various quarries and works Recently
he organized the Webb Granite Saw com
pany, for the purpose of manufacturing
a granite saw. the patent Of which h
purchased and which is said 10 be Z
remarkable invention
/ In 1875 he was married to Miss ABBY
Holman Barnard of New York. who sur
wives him, He is also survived by Z
brother, John. and five children-,Iohn
Charles F.. who was in business viii
him. and three daughters. Marie, wifi,
Of Waldo f. Sessions; Maud wife o
William r Thompson Of New York; anC
Jennie, wife OF Harry II. Sherman, VIII,
was in business with Mr.. Webb.
Mr.. Webb was prominent membe
of the Masonic fraternities, including
Worcester County oommsndery, K. T
a member OF the Worcester club. th
Exchange club OF Boston, and he was tn
retiring president OF the Commonwealth
club. Besides his home in Worcester, h
owned beautiful summer residence a
Fitzwilliam, \. H.
Mr.. Webb was well known in Barre
particularly among the granite mer
The granite saw invention which is men
toned in the above dispatch was tn
design OF two Northfield young mer
Roy Chase and Amos Lanier, who sol
the invention to Mr.. Webb about yea
ago. Barre friends Of MIR. Webb wer
notified by telegraph this morning.