THE JOB OF THE FOREMAN

Success of a quarry largely depended upon the experience and judgment of the foreman or superintendent who directed the blasting and splitting. Without his intelligent control, suitable stone, favorable natural conditions, adequate capital, equipment, and labor are of little avail. The selection of the place for blasting, the size and shape of the hole, the selection of the powder, and the size of the charge are all matters requiring careful consideration. The thickness of the sheet, the proximity of joints, the vitreousness of the stone, its rift and grain structure, the physical laws governing the action of explosives, and the direction in which the quarryman desires to split the mass are all factors in each problem. Courtesy of the Becket Land Trust and Historical.

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