Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-08-22
IMPROVED BRICK MAKING.

Emproted Pressed. Brck- aiaking,--T sub
iect of the subjoined Letter Is one with which
we Editors cannot be supposed to be familiar
Rut we can and do vouch that the Letter is from
. very respectable source, and that its state
ments may be implicitly relied upon.-Nat. Int.
GENTLEMEN: As your readers are all interest
al in every substantial Improvement which
totss Mace in our country, have taken the IL
herty 10 send you such information as possess,
,v;,S respect to a discovery ia the art Of manu-
f,ct,r;co brick which has been recently intro
Snoe 10 the notice of the public.
company cfpubic- spirited individuals in the
town of Mount Vernon, Ohio, have, after seri-
rs of experiments, carried on for the last three
,aars. finally succeeded in manufacturing the
ysTv hest quality of brick from dry clay. They
have a mess now in operation which makes ten
thousand bricks in eight hours; and these of a
nnaIitv far superior 10 those made in the usual
1nnode By this new process the labor and haz-
ard of drying is obviated, and the press can be
worked in all kinds of weather The bricks are
taken directly from the press to the kiln, and are
when set, ready for burning.
u l. thonght by those who have carefully eX-
,r,ned the subject that this new mode of ma
nnTacturinp an important building material, has
an ,dvantaqe over the former process amount
;ng m forty per cent. We will suppose, howev-
49, that the saving to the public is only trenty-
e. ner cent. and that there are only sixteen
Jyhousand brick houses built annually in the si-
ties towns. aud villages Of the United States,-
Supposing the average amount OF bricks IN each
bonSe tn be $4,000, and the average price to be
e. ner thousand. Even this would produce an
ANIMAL saving Of eight hundred thousand dol
lars But this is probably less than one halt the &C
,naI saving which would result tn the communl-
~ from general use of the machine IN question.
'rhe circumstance which gives this improve
mont a peculiar claim upon the attention OF the
people at large, is durability and beauty OF the
bnilding material which il brings into use. The
brick have been sbjected to all the usual tests,
and are found to be capable of resisting the &C
RON of frost, water and 6re to-a much greater
extent than those made from mortar in the nsu-
al way. Add to this, the smooth and perfect
surface which they present, when laid into wall,
and il must be admitted that little more can be
desired in this branch Of Improvement.
The persons who have spent so much time and
money in perfecting this highly useful machine
certainly deserve well of the public; and when
the benefits resulting from their discovery shall
become known. ,hey will no doubt receive
generous patronage. they have not be-
ieve, yet obtained patent, but have taken the
NECESSARY steps 10 secure one The names OF
the persons who are said tO be entitled TO the
pateat, are n Sawyer, E. Hardness. and 5. G.
Freelove | would, were sufficiently acQuain-
ted with the science OF mechanics, give you
deScription Ofthe machinery, bymeanS Of which
such desirable ems are attained: nut not being
learned in those matters. have only attempted
10 give you the results.
nave seen the press or engine in operation,
and the bricks cast from it both before and af-
ter their being laid into a wall. They possess,
to the fullest extent, the two most desirable
qualities which can belong TO building materi-
ais, viz strength and beauty.
A FRIEND OF REFORM.
Mount Vernon, (Ohio, HjTiy %, 1894.