Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-05-05
FIRST EDITION..
Delaware KaoiIn.

OUR FINER CLAf-THE OPERATIONS OF TIE KAOLLN
WORKS ON THE W. & NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF TONS OF MATERIAL FoR cRocKERY AND PoR-
oELkIN.
The soil of Delaware was designed by Nature
for Agricultural purposes. Her alluvial soil,
clean, clear and unobstructed, receives the pillow
kindly, and upon her bosom, from extremity to
extremity the blushes OF the peach flowers glow
with conscious beauty. II 1t had not been for
| the negotiations between the Duke OF York,
Lord Baltimore, and William Penn, by which,
ultimately, the Northern boun1ay OF the State
was cut into Pennsylvania, by the circular sweep
of an enormous pair of oompanses, one foot of
which is pegged down at New CASTLE, we should
have had very little mineral wealth, indeed.
Sussex county has some "bog" iron ore, but the
crop has ceased to repay working, while at
Iron Hill" near the Maryland line, and just
South of the terminus Of the circular boundary,
there is also some fine iron ore, in considerable
quantities.
But probably our best mineral is Kaolin. Just
now, IL is turning out q big thing. The Hook
essin Valley, and its neighboring localities abound
with it, and the opening of the Wilmington 4
Western Railroad will bring thousands Of tons
| into market, this year. Kaoin, readers
may not all know, is fine clay such as the better
class of people are made of-a peg or two above
| the common order. The dictionary will inform
you that 1t is deconposed felspar, and this will
oblge you to turn over to F, to find out what
/ felspar ID. Our Delaware Kaon lis largely used
in the potteries at Trenton, and for fire bricks,
&C., &c.
The main deposits of the clay stretch along
strip OF country probably two miles long and
three-fourths of mile wide, from the summit of
hill near Auburn, on Red Clay Creek, to the
summit of another hill Just over into Chester
county. Within these limits, large quantities
lie, at a depth of from six to twelve feet, and
smaller veins run off in all directions. .sometimes
creeping out on the surface, forming quick
sand holes, and If upon the hilsideH is liable to
be washed out and the course of the vein traced
by deep gulies. This clay is not confined to low
lands, but is as near the surface on hill top as
in valley. Persons travelling along the W.
W. r. r., are made aware of the existence of this
clay by the white veins which permeate the deep
cuts, and where much decomposcd, large holes
like limekilns are washed in the embankments
From time to time during the last thirty years,
holes have been dug. and the clay brought up
by windlasses, and used in the small potteries in
existence. One of the oldest and most respected
citizen of Wilmington, now residing at the cor
ner of Seventh and Washington streets, thirty
years ago carried ON small pottery in the West
ern part of our city and got the most Of his clay
from the place where the Diamond State kaolin
Company is now located.
recent visit of a representative OF the
Wilmington Daily COMMERCIAL, found these Ka-
olin Manufacturing Establishments on the Della
ware side of the line in full operation. In COM
pany with Mr.. Joseph s. Heald who resides in
the immediate vicinity, we first visited the works
OF Hamilton Graham, who, though residing i'll
.Coatesville, where he is engaged in the coal and
lumber business, owns here very valuable
tract Of land containing seventy-fve acres, upon
which are vast deposits of kaolin. We found Mr..
H. busily engaged in experimenting the digging
and hoisting OF clay by means of a derrick from
pit thirty feet deep. The removal of the re-
/ fuse earth, disclosed large embankment in
which were thousands of tons of pure white
clay. This clay Mr. II. was shipping to Tren-
ton in o crude state atsprces ranging from 81 to
| 80 per ton, according to quality. His shipments
range at the present time from 95 to 40 tons per
| day, and the laboring force employed ID about
| is hands The clay shipped by Mr.. Graham is
| put through a washing process, aud the various
grades utilized. The flint pebbles
| which abundanty abound are crushed
and used in the compositions OF which
| porcelain is manufactured; the coarser sand is
| used for building purposes; the third grade OF
finer sand is made into fire brick, and the fourth
| grade is the pure 'Kaolln" clay, OF which the
| finest ware is made
Only few rods distant from Mr.. Hamiltons
quarries, are the Diamond State Works" which
/ are by far the largest in the Kaolin region.
These works have for some time past been car
/ ried on by Trucks Il Parker Of Philadephia.
/ charter was granted at the late session of the
| Legislature, and the company is now being en-
/ larRed and its operations will be developed to
i their utmost capacity. Unlike the works OF MIR.
Graham, the clay is here manufactured by the
most elaborate and expensive machinery. The
i flint and sand, up to the present time, have not
| been utilized, but we are informed the company
are about making arrangements for shipping
| their sand to Trenton, Philadelphia, and other
cities, to be used for paving building, balasting
Il and other purposes for which it is we'll adapted.
Through the kindness of Capt. W p. CoInbe,
/ we were shown through the extensive works,
and the m0dus operandj of the manufacturing
Il process fully explained The debris taken from
i the pits has formed huge mounds 80 to 40 feet
| high, upon which are erected washers, enclosed
| in extensive frameworka, and in which arc re.
| yolving cylinders with spikes. which batter and
| break the Jumps of clay into small particles.
From large water tank, on top Of the mound,
nf xvnt fIa YNtta
| weather, and from a stream running through
| the works in dry seasons, constant stream is
poured into the washers and in a thick liquid
state passes out into long trough, which con-
| veys the clay several hundred yards distant and
| empties it into other troughs andvats, prepared
to receive it. The clay, in this long journey, is
divested of the heavier particles OF flint and
sand. which settle to the bottom, and nothing
but the finest particles of clay reach the remote
watts. The clay is then, by means of both steam
| and hydraulic pumps, forced through pipes from
the watts into large presses, in which are placed
strong bags, made of duck. When these bags
| are full, the various presses are opened and the
clay removed in large cakes and laid away upon
| shelves ready for shipment.
The machinery in these works is driven by a
$50 horse power engine: Long shafts extend
over the whole works, wherever machinery can
be used to an advantage The clay in pre-
pared state commands from 5l4 to SIG per ton,
and s not only sent to Trenton, but to all parts
of the United States Trucks IL Parker employ
from 5O to 60 hands.
Near to Hockessn station, are the works of
Israel Lacey, of Bordentown, New Jersey, TO r
merry Lacey, Fish & 90. Mr.. Lacey also manu-
features the clay before marketing, the same
process being in operation here as at the Dia-
mond State Works, and he is now employing
about 10 hands.
1t is the expectation of these manufacturers
in short tune to entirely drive the foreign clay,
(mostly from Great Britain.) out of the Ameri-
eau Market the American clay selling at 80 or
$40 per ton below that of British clay, and now
being pronounced not only equal to it, but in
many respects superior.
For the shipment of these extens i've deposits,
the construction of the Wilmington Western
and a very large quantity of this freight is now
being carried on its trains.
1