Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-22
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

TRUE PRoGREss. we took occa-
sion 10 chat with the Stars readers upon
theme far more TO our taste, and, we trust, 10
theirs, than politics, of which they have been
surfeited, Restricted, and surfeited again, du-
ring the past winter. The theme to which we
refer is as important to our country's future as
70 the material interest of all our readers-the
progress of the times in the useful arts, which
can be best illustrated by Individual exam-
ples-by showing the stepsof its march, as it
were, in connection with this, that or the other
branch of general business. Whitney, in in
venting the cotton-gin, did more for the future
of his country, than can yet be realized by our
countrymen, though all are aware that the
result Of his invention has already been the
addition Of perhaps many hundreds of mil
lions to its available wealth. The inventors
and protectors Of various other machines have
thousands of them, benefited society after the
same fashion. Even the little apparatus for
regulating the draft in furnaces of steam en-
gines, in enabling those using them to dispense
with perhaps quarter of the fuel necessary to
generate given amount Of steam, and in at the
same time decreasing the wear Deterioration
of the boiler and furnace from frequent and
sudden changes of temperature, must prove of
great benefit to the future Of society.
So, also, in the case of Salisbury s new inven
ton for preparing the clay or other plastic
material, and moulding bricks, tiles, drain
pipe, cOrnices &c, &C., briefly noticed in Sat
urday's Star. For the results it produces it is
wonderfully simple, and evidently requires not
more than fourth of the power to drive it re-
quisite to work any machine now in general
use for making brick from dry clay In Sails
bury's, the clay is used almost just as taken
from the bank. The only preparation needed
is to have it about so wet that one may knead
it with the fingers In that state thrown into
the hopper fine or in Jumps, it is there first
rolled at unequal velOcities and gradually drawn
into recess, where it undergoes thorough
manipulation, or rather kneading. 1t il then
coated (by the arrangement of the machine)
on large cylinder, and undergoes again most
thorough pulverization, by which all the air is
perfectly worked out. Then. as coated. il
passes through another series of manipulations.
1t is after all this refinement separated from the
main cylinder by most ingenious arrangement
for scraping or squeezing it off, and is thrust
into the molds or dies, where it is given the
desired shape.
As complicated and varied as are the pro-
cesscs it undergOeS, they do not occupy half a
minute from the moment the material is placed
in the hopper until it makes its appearance
from the mold or die a finished brick, pipe.
tile, or cOrnicc, requiring, ordinarily, no sun
drying ere being burned Mr. Salisbury holds
that one of these machines, costing 5000, driven
by ten-horse power engine, will turn out
1000 bricks per diem; and. from the working
OF his model with the power of u single man at
the wheel, we see no reason whatever TO doubt
the fact. The model thus driven delivered
finished pipe of an inch bore far better annealed
than we ever before saw earthen pipe, at the
rate OF perhaps four feet per minute The
bricks, pipe, &C., exhibited by him as having
been made by the machine are much heavier
than other bricks and pipe of the same size,
which is evidence that it does its work more
thoroughly than by other methods of producing
like results. This is great desideratum, mas
much as it involves greater substantially
of the buildings, drains, &c, constructed of
materials made by it-a fact in which society
has as great interest as in the superior economy
with which it accOmplishes its ends. 1t is of
peculiar interest from the fact that it necessarily
produces its effect only by and through science,
with which it is arranged. Thus. no power
whatever is thrown away in overcoming friction
among its parts, each of which are so arranged
as to produce n wonderful result from the ap-
plication Of the power or force required to
work it.
We are very curious to see the full sized ma
chine at work among us, because sincerely be-
lieving that it is capable Of accomplishing all
its inventor claims for it. If So, it will very
soon revOlutionize the methods now i'm vogue
for making brick, and will cause glazed earthen
water piping TO be generally used in place of
piping of more costly materials; while costing
nothing in comparison the pipe land even
brick as delivered from its die being as smooth
(polished) and apparently as thoroughly an
nealed as material when nodded to be burned
for porcelain ware. But we may not grow
prosy upon such "A theme.