The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-05-24
Enhancement.

| The Pioneer Fire Proof Construction Com
pany formerly Ottawa Tile Co.. are making
another large addition to their works in this
city by the erection of a new drying building
Immediately west of the present plant, and
| formerly part of it. The new building is
4SylSS #. 1t built of their patent hollow
tile, and when completed will give the com
pany the largest drying capacity of any sim
liar works in the U. s., having $1,000 square
feet. No new machinery will be put in ex-
cept another steam press, the present boilers
and grinding pans being deemed sufficient.
The escape steam will be used to heat the
new building. Between the two buildings
will be erected four new kilns, making 10 in
use, built of native fire brick from Brickton
works, Williams & Hess alone furnishing
about 100000.
The expense attending these improvements
has been very great Part of the land had to
be re claimed, and waste way from Weiss "
VOLTS water wheel arched over, the kilns be-
ing built also over an old tail race, Probably
S14. 600 or $4,000 will be necessary to COM
pete the improvements.
With two steam presses the capacity of the
works will be about doubled, which will be
100 tons of manufactured ware daily when
necessary They expect to consume this year
&c, 900 tons of fire clay, to burn which will re-
quire from $1,000 10 $4,000 tons of coal.
To secure regular and never failing sup
ply of coal the company has purchased half
interest in a Streator mine-the River Bank,
we believe. To facilitate the hauling of clay
they propose to construct, under the permis-
sion granted by recent city ordinance,
tramway from the works to their clay pits
east of town, which will enable them to get
their clay speedily and in all kinds of weather
and conditions of roads. The company feel
indebted to the city, they tell us, for the good
will expressed by the granting of the right of
way, and it is their intention to lay the track
at once in such a manner as to cause as little
inconvenience as possible. 1t will be great
advantage to the east side in saving OF wear
and tear of streets Considering the condi-
ton of the streets the past year the advantage
to the city of the tramway will be appreciated
when il is understood that hereafter twice the
number of teams would be required to deliver
clay to their works!
The company are now erecting at 10th ana
Clark streets, Chicago, an Office building OF
their own of their hollow tile, so planned that
no two sides are alike. The exterior is re-
lieyed by neat courses OF terra Gotta. The
building is 24x4S it,, two stories and basement
high, in the Queen Anne style Close TO this
office they have secured plot OF ground
l25xl4O IT,. which will be used as yard for
storing their ware. 1t will have switches
from the c. B. & Q. and Rock Island rail-
roads, so that ware will be shipped from here
direct to their own yards.
This company is one of the largest in the
west, and doing more fire-prooting in the west
probably than any other two or three firms
combined. That the system finds favor and
IS growing into greater demand daily is evil
denced by the recent engagements, two ex-
ensiye ones within three years. The works,