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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ated by an engine, while the other end carrying a hook reaches 

 down into the quarry. When the winding drum is released, the 

 trawler runs down the cable, and, when it is at the nearest point 

 to the object to be removed from the quarry, the drum is stopped 

 for a moment and the weight of the slack hoisting cable, hang- 

 ing between the traveler and the mast, automatically locks the 

 traveler on the stationary cable at that point. Then the drum 

 is released again and the end of the hoisting cable descends into 

 the quarry and is attached to the load to be removed. A bell 

 wire runs from the quarry to the engine house, so that the move- 

 ments of the winding drum can be controlled by the quarry men. 

 The load rises till it strikes a lever attached to the traveler, 

 which, when moved upward, releases the clamp that locks the 

 traveler to the stationary cable, and the traveler and load move 

 up the cable to the dumping point near the mast. The waste 

 rock is thrown on the dump, which forms an enormous pile about 

 the mast, and the workable slate is loaded into hand cars and 

 pushed to the trimming shed, where it is split by hand into slabs 

 of the required thickness for roofing slates. These slabs are 

 trimmed to the proper sizes by a foot power machine, which con- 

 sists of a pair of revolving blades resembling the blades of a 

 lawn mower. Another type of trimming machine resembles a 

 great pair of shears, of which one blade is stationary and the 

 other is moved by foot power. 



The slates are trimmed to certain definite sizes, as large a size 

 as is possible being made from each slab. Since the larger 

 sizes are more difficult to procure, they command a much higher 

 price than the smaller ones. 



In this quarry (no. 5) the best methods are employed, and be- 

 sides the roofing material much mill stock is quarried for tiles. 

 These are cut at a water power mill operated by Mr Hall at 

 Truthville, 2J miles south of his quarries, {see plate 29) where he 

 also grinds refuse red and green slate to make the red and olive 

 slate flours, used in the manufacture of oilcloths and also as pig- 

 ments. 



