The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-01-18
LIME FROM MARBLE
Tons Of Stones Converted by Vermont
Marble Companv.

l
| Marble was first discovered in West
Rutland VT, in 1885. An attempt
was made at that time to burn it and
make lime The efforts in that direc-
| ton were unsuccessful and the lime
| industry gave way to quarrying.
| Drilling and blasting were used to
get the marble out. until the Ward
| we'll channeling machine was invent
| ed in 1868. That machine consisted
| OF five chisels raised and dropped by
hand the force being sufficient to
| channel through the marble.
1t will then be readily understood
that at these quarries there is large
accumulation of blocks and small
| pieces of marble unsuitable for monu-
mental or building material. There
are in one pile eight thousand pieces
Of marble heretofore looked upon as
waste or of little value. Recently,
however, there has been erected in
West Rutland modern plant for the
purpose Of manufacturing. from these
blocks, quick lime. hydrated lime and
| two grades of agricultural lime.
Blocks of marble weighing several
| LOuS dlC kdhCh iiOiAA PiatiOAh WIS
and placed In jaw crusher located in
the end OF this modern mill, where
they are broken into pieces about z
inches in thickness. These small
pieces are then placed in gyrator
crusher from which they enter a roll
crusher. After these crushing oper
atoms the material Is placed In the
cool end of slowly revolving kiln
| 100 feet long, and s feet in diameter,
} in which it is subjected to a tempera-
ture of 1000 degrees Centigrade. This
expels the carbonic acid, leaving
oxide Of lime.
| AS the material leaves the
rotary kiln by gravity 1t passes to a
revolving cylinder 5 feet In diameter
and 50 feet long, located under the
rotary kiln, where 1t is cooled, delly-
cred to an elevator, screened. and
placed In large tanks. In this condi-
ton it is known as quick lime. 1t re-
sembles lump form of quick lime,
but in a powdered form which is more
readily mixed with other substances
and possesses better keeping quail
tics than quick lime in Jumps. From
IuG idHkS IL EOtH tuiOuFH OH avn
and series of cylinders where 1t is
mixed with a quantity OF water. The
material comes from the cylinders in
the form CT white focculent powder;
and for the purpose of eliminating
any course particles, 1t Is then passed
through an air separator from which
II goes directly TO the bags The pro-
duct in this condition Is known as
hydrated lime. This is used for all
purposes in the building trade and for
nearly all chemical processes where
quick lime is used. Hydrated lime
has many advantages over quick lime
by reason of its purity and uniform
ity.
For agricultural purposes the
crushed limestone Is delivered by ele-
vators to a pulverizing mill and re,
duced to fine powder, the degree of
fineness depending upon the process
| used This product Is known as
crushed limestone. The taillngs re-
sulting are used for fertilizing to bet
ter advantage than the crushed lime
stone. as they contain a small proper
tion OF free lime.
ne LOT tut VI ny
drafted lime in bags has capacity OF
two thousand tons. The buildings
are made OF steel with corrugated
iron roof and sides. Each machine
throughout the plant is driven with
individual motors. the power being
furnished by hydroelectric stations
and the heat being supplied to the ro-
tary kiln by means OF producer gas
which is manufactured In an adjoin-
ing building specially equipped for
the purpose.
A large quantity of marble, before
| the introduction of the rotary kiln,
could not be successfully converted
into lime by heat because the mass OF
hot marble when falling in vertical
kiln would stop the cracks between
the stone and interfere with the prop
er draft in the kilns. This condition
has been studied and Is now complete
| ly obyiated by the use OF the rotary
kiln.
| This quarry is one OF great and
continuous chain of marble concerns
! which are successfully operated at
Rutland, Proctor and at other points
along the western slope of the Green
Mountain range in Vermont. The
scope OF the industry has become of
such magnitude that the aggregates.
both as to production and value. run
| into compelling figures. 1t is not the
least important OF Vermont's indus
trial operations.
The Vermont marble quarries, be-
sides yielding a world-known product,
| have served as foundation upon
which was builded the fortunes of sew
eral generations of men, one of whom
achieved national distinction.