Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1917-01-24
S1.OOO.OOO LOWELL
ASBESTOS DEVELOPMENT.
Continued from Page One)

theless, men of Mr.. Gallagher's cour-
age still believed and risked but were
unable to win against the many odds.
During 1916, however, things began
to happen and the Omitted States
| Chrysotile Asbestos Company" a
million dollar corporation with head
| quarters at ITO Broadway, New York
city, took over the property and in
October began plans on very large
scale to put the mines and mills In
condition for profitable operation:
This company has unlimited capital
and is managed by experienced men.
| Neither it is part of the asbestos
| trust Already the company has felt
| the squeeze" of the trust but won
! out in a suit and are fearlessly going
| ahead with plans of great magnitude.
In October, last, there came to
| Chrysoville a Swiss, by name of
| John Ferla, vice president and man.
ager of the United States Chrysoville
Asbestos Company. He is said to
own controlling interest in the COM
pany. A superintendent, mechanical
engineer and other men also came and
construction, clearing of land, re-
modelling and improving existing
buildings began. Since then, 40 to rs
men have been employed and are be-
ing employed there today, and will be
employed until everything is ready
for mining and shipping operations
when several hundred men will be
employed. This time will not come
for at least another year as the plans
call for the expenditure of $500, 100000
before wheel is turned.
The largest building project is the
| erection of the mill and crusher build
building. The cement foundations
are now being put in and the building
will be 185x285 feet and four stories
high. This building replaces the for
mer mill which was large building
but has been completely torn down.
In the main building, will be COM
plete machine and woodworking shop.
A sawmill is also part Of the plan
and a Diesel engine of capacity to
create 1000 horse power of electrical
energy is to be installed. This en-
CINE will be the largest, it is said, of
its kind in the east. Crude oil will be
burned for creating steam to drive
the dynamo. The fly wheel of the ma
chine weighs 80 tons and comes in
two sections weighing Is tons each.
(Since information for the above
statement was given the Monitor,
state papers announce that "the Cen
trail Power corporation of Vermont
has made a contract with New York
people for the furnishing of electrical
energy for the purpose of developing
the asbestos fields at Lowell. 1t is
the intention to have the plant ready
for operation and the company pro-
poses to have electrical energy ready
for delivery on May 1, 1917. Energy
will be furnished from the improved
plant at Stevens Mills, subject to the
direction of the public service COM
mission of the State of Vermont.")
A part of the program includes
huge tractors of the caterpillar type
for transportation and one of these
machines will arrive in the spring for
the purpose of transporting the fly
wheel of the engine above mentioned.
The tractor will have load capacity
of Is tons.
An office building three stories high
with basement will be erected and
16 dwelling houses for the use of
families will be built this summer in
addition to the nine houses already
there. Every building is to be mod
ern in it's heating and plumbing ap-
pointments. Frank Paddleford of
Barton, has completed this winter a
ing alone Of between $4,000 and $4,000
and this appears to be but begin
ming of the work for this company
Another branch of operations is the
| clearing of 100 acres of mountain
| land. This contract is let to the
Warner Brothers of Lowell. The
timber will be worked in their own
mill and shops for the erection of
buildings this season. A reservoir
has been constructed on the mountain
| above the group of buildings for fire
protection and this is fed by noun
tain streams. Hydrants are conven-
iently located about the place and the
sprinkler system will be put into the
mill and office
1t will be of interest to know
more about asbestos and by turning
to an encyclopedia we read:
Asbestos, one of the most remark
able substances found in nature. 1t
is a peculiar species of the horn
blende family of minerals. Its COM
position is chiefly silica, magnesia,
alumina, and ferrous oxide, and there
fore understandable, hence it's name.
The fibres formed by the chemical
combination above given, are perfect
ly smooth and in this respect are diff
ferent from all other known fibres.
Paradoxically it is the link which
completes the chain between the veg
etable and mineral kingdoms, and is
in fact meteorological vegetable
possessing the curious properties
found in both, for it is at once
fibrous and crystalline, elastic and
brittle, heavy as rock in it's crude
state, yet as light as thistledown
when treated mechanically. Added to
this, it's fibres, soft, white, and deli
cate, have, by their inherent quality
of indestructibility withstood the ac-
ton of the elements since the world
began; and through all the countless
ages, during which the hardest rocks
surrounding it have been reduced,
this meteorological mystery has re-
manned intact, having successfully
resisted the assaults of fire, acids,