Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-11
Charging and Drawing the Kiln.


Passing to and fro are q number OF
lapnty young fellows carrying trays and
boards fall Of ware to the kiln-rOoms
where groups Of men are arransip g
them III curious clay boxes, called
"secgars." They arc Charging the
kiln. that is 20 say, packing it with ware
for burning. Tie cup seggars are shall
low, holding but one row of cups, which
must stand eacL on its bottom, or foot,
for burning; the plate seggars are deep
enough to hold q dozan or more, every
plate being supported from underneath
its rim by three clay pins projecting
from the sides OF the seggar.
Look inside the great kiln that towers
fifty feet into the air; it is almost
"charged." One above another, reach
ing nearly to the inner roof, the seggars
are piled in slender columns, with
small spaces between each column for
the passage of flame and smoke.
The crevices of the clay boxes are
carefully sealed with bands OF fire clay,
for the lnerest touch Of sulphurous gas
or smoke would tarnish the bright white
ware.
The last column ia now piled within
the kiln, the great iron door closed and
luted round with clay, and every crew
ice stopped. 1t is already evening,
with shadows deepening into night; tho
fires are started in the surrounding fur
naces; they crackle and roar, the smoke
of their burning issuing in volumes
rom the top.
One by one the lights that have been
fitting to and fro are extinguished, the
workmen are all leaving save two, who,
from time to time, during the night,
will feed the fiery furnace mouths that
already begin to cast their glare across
the darkness.
We have followed the crude material
to its first burning, one of the most i'm
portant stages of the manufacture, for
On its success largely depends the after
character of the ware. The biscuit
must be fired just 50 as to obtain its
full contraction, else the glaze, however
perfect in proportion, will inevitably
crack, or "craze.'
The preparation OF the glaze is quite
rs important, for it is composed of ma
terias subject to great contraction,
namely, quartz felispar, Paris white,
box. and little lead.
Yutpe, with the exception of the lat
ter article, are "fritted" or raelted in
an oven till they run like molasses;
thoy then harden, aud are crushed and
ground in water. Having lost much
OF their contractility, they are now
ready to coat the ware, and will fuse
aud harden on the biscuit without
"crazipg."
Once more it Is moroing, and we visit
another pottery, arriving in time to wit
ness one of the most stirring events OF
the day, the drawing of the kiln"
Fifty hours the great dragon mouths
of the furnaces ut its base have been
belching flames and heated gases into
its sealed interior; forty hours ago they
ceased, the fires dying ont in ashes.
Tue massive door is open; mounted on
ladders within are several young men
handing down seggars to their compan-
ions below, who pass them outside to
the men on the platform near the kiln
steps. The ware is turned ont, exquis.
itely white and brilliantly polished.
Pilos and piles of dishes and strings
Of cups are delivered to little COM
pany OF lads, who hustle off with them
to the group OF girls standing in the
doorway of the room yonder, from
which there soon proceeds o musical
click click, click click, for the ware
rings like the bells on the tower of
Nankin.
The ware is now ready for enameling
or painting overglaZe.- Miss L. E.
Fryatt, in Harpers Magazine.