Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-06-28
LOWELL ASBESTOS.

very interesting and important state
ments regarding the asbestos regions
of Lowell by J. S. Diller, a govern
ment authority. This material, com.
ing as it does from government sources
is very encouraging. Mr.. Diller
says that there are four modes of
occurrence" of asbestos and that so
far as known the most important by
far is the mode in which the Lowell
deposits occur, that is, as found in
"cross-fber veins of chrysotile in ser
pentine derived from peridotite, a
deep-seated igneous rock To the
layman this is not too ineligible but
to speak palmer by modes of occur
renee" is meant the kind of rock with
which the asbestos is found associat-
ed. Quoting from this report we
read:
1.-The asbestos of the Lowell region
of Vermont is so far as known
one of the most important deposits in
the United States, and much of it's in
terest arises from the fact that, 4
it is in the same belt and associat-
ed with the same rocks that occur in
the large asbestos mines of Thetford
and Black Lake, Canada.
Asbestos was discovered in the
Lowell region by Zodock Thompson,
who stated in 1924 that
"a range of serpentine passes through
al 81
now LoWelD in a northeasterly direc-
ton and through the corner Of West
field to Troy. The serpentne is FAC
companied with beautiful precious
serpentine and an abundance of very
fine asbestos and amianthuS.
Near the center of the township
where the serpentine forms another
bluff, Serpentine Hill, asbestos is
plenty
Asbestos was practically rediscov-
cred and brought to public attention
in 1899 by a French Canadian lumber
man of Thetford, in the employ of
Judge NJ. E. Tucker, who recognized
its economic Importance and developed
prospect near the foot of a promi-
nent bluff of peridotite largely altered
to serpentine at the east base of Bel
videre Mountain, where, at Chryso-
tile, the Lowell Lumber & Asbestos
Co. is now mining and milling ashes
tos.
''In 1900 B. B. Blake called attention
to asbestos on the western border of
the same mass of serpentine nearly
two miles from the Tucker property,
and the following year the New Eng
land Asbestos Mining & Milling Com
pany erected a large mill fully
equipped with modern machinery for
winning the asbestos from the serpen-
tine. The mill began operations on
the Blake property in May, 1902. 1t
ran only about six months and has
since been closed.
There are four important localities
OF asbestos in Vermont connected
with the serpentine in the Lowell re-
gion. These localities were outline d
and described from a petrographic
point of view by V. F. Marsters and
have lately been considered more fully
in their economic aspect by C. H.
Richardson of the Geological Survey of
Vermont. under the direction of G. H.
Perkins, State geologist The first
locality. is two miles north.
east of Lowell village. The second is
northwest of Lowell, in the vicinity
of Westfield, and the third and fourth
are southwest Of Lowell, near Mount
Belvidere-one at the old mill of the
New England ASBESTOS Company anc
the other, by far the most important
at Chrysotile.
ALI these localities except the sec
ond have been examined by the writer
but-in less detail than by either Mars
tiers or Richardson, whose valuable
reports give full information. TIL,
locality two miles northeast of Low
ell is on the farm of G. F. Kelley.
was prospected in number of pit
some years ago by M. E. Tucker, O.
Hyde Park, who owns the minera
right. The rock locally contains nu
erous SIN II cross fiber veins and som
, of slip fiber in serpentine derive
from Divine. Richardson, who ex
amined this locality recently, regard
it as sufficiently encouraging to war
rant the erection of an asbestos mil
and the development of the property.
1.-The second locality is described b.
Richardson as situated on the north
east side of the Round Mountain are
in Lowell and Westfeld. The belt i
several miles in length and a mile i
width. Locally it contains a consid
cradle quantity of slip-fber and cross
fiber asbestos. which in certain spec
mems amounts to as much as Is pc
cent of the mass. The topog raphi
situation of this outcrop is especial