Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14

building material travels sequentially by
electric crane to the planer, diamond. drill cir
cular saw or carborllndum saw, as the case
may be, in its process of preparation for tenn
pie use. The diamond saws are Of special In
terest to all who see them in operation. The
largest Is capactated to handle mighty hunks
of limestone as big as feet 10 inches in cross
section and 10 feet long. Each of these crcu-
lar saws has 100 teeth. The teeth, in turn,
accommodate from one to three black dia-
monds" apiece as abrasive agencies in the cut
ting process. Water is sprayed mechanically
over the rock during the saving process to con-
troll frctional heat. It costs $2.340 to supply
one of these circular rock saws with black dia-
monds. These gems" harnessed as tools are
serviceable for three months All of which in
dictates that rock saving is an expensive al
though essential activity in Gothic temple con-
struction. The carborundum saws, as you
might imagine, have teeth made Of corborun-
dunn.
Each stone as received at the mill is marked
with a special Identification number by which
it is subsequently known. "A progress or report
card of that particular s,one is made out and
accompanies it in its journey through the plant
A technical drawing Of the stone, citing its
specifications, manner Of cutting or molding
and eventual disposition In the cathedral, are
the highlights Of this unique record.
The stone mill, working at full capacity, can
convert As tons Of raw material into plain or
sculptured building blocks and decorations for
use in the cathedral daily. This production
program involves day and night operation with
two shifts Of skilled stone cutters. AS the five
types Of stone mentioned previously in this
article are finished, they are transported by
motor truck to the cathedral site. There adept
master masons by the aid Of elevators, HOSTS,
cranes and derricks jockey the pieces into
proper position-perhaps some 10 stories above
terra firma. These individual pieces fit together
in the durable fabric Of the cathedral just as
the pawns of play dovetail in a juvenile puzzle
game. Thus, after undergoing nine drafting
and mechanical operations, the nodded stone
is anchored securely in solid masonry where
perpetuity may see 1t for generations.
BY the time the stupendous task Of supply
ing the several hundred thousand stones for the
cathedral is completed, the stone mill will have
accumulated q collection OF zinc patterns larger
than the sum total Of names in the Washing
ton telephone directory. An actual full size
working drawing IS provided by the architect
for each temple stone. From these drawings
zinc patterns are prepared at the stone mill for
each Of the 10000 nodded stones.
Rough blocks Of limestone are also cut by
the use Of swiftly revolving wire Of steel which
digs Its way through the mass Of solid rock
as efficiently as knife is used In severing your
pound Of cream cheese from the original piece.
or delicacy-as the case may demand-the cleo
triied planes which shave and smooth lime
stone as though 1t were modeler's clay.
The graceful curves of the special stones used
in the beautiful arches of this modern temple Of
Christianity are shaped by aid of an adjustable
planer actuated by electricity which cuts from
a four-foot radius to straight line. Pneu-
matte chisels and small electrified hand tools
are employed In the more delicate stone cut
ting operations. They defy the fight of time
by enabling modern stone cutters to accom-
plish in half hours what the ancient pounded
and cut at for days.
Despite that the equivalent of small noun
tains Of limestone rock have already been cut
and set in masonry, many, many times as much
similar work remains to be begun and poten-
TALLY completed The foundations, crypt
chapels, apse and choir of the Washington
Cathedral are now finished structurally Cur
rent construction is centralized on the nave
crypt and paSsageways and the children's chapel
at the intersection Of the south aisle of the choir
and the south tranSept are also under way. To
predict when the cathedral will be finished
would be nothing more than wild speculation
at this time. Those beautiful walls of masonry
with their architectural embellishments will rise
in future years as rapidly as may be and Wash
ingtons most spectacular production Of art and
utility stone will be set down in building his
tory as a champion con-'-'-oation