Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-30
A BIG ENTERPRISE.
Sewer and Water-Pipe Works
Being Constructed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS.
A Village of Over Five Hundred
People to Spring Into Exist
ence Suddenly.

Inside of sixty days or, at the most,
ninety days, there will be in operation
within couple miles of the southern
limits of the city, one of the most import
ant industries and facto ries in California,
and the greatest addition Los Angeles
has had for many years. The erection
of the buildings of the California Sewer
Pipe Company on the site selected near
Vernon, marks an era in the industrial
progress of this city in which the citizens
may we'll take pride. Not so very many
months ago the discovery OF clay suitable
for the manufacture of sewer pipe and
many other articles, was made at Elsi-
more, and works on a small scale were
erected at that point. Pipe of such ex-
cellence was produced that it became
evident that a larger and more extensive
factory was needed, and after an incor-
poration had been effected, site for
these works was selected at point on
the Santa Fe railroad, just
south of the city, where forty
acres of land was obtained, and
here there is force of about fifty men
vigorously pushing ahead the construc-
ton of the buildings, which as stated,
will be finished in about sixty days. A
delay was experienced this summer in
the erection OF the works, while the COM
pany was waiting the construction of
switch from the Santa Fe tract, but this
delay probably aided in the erections Of
the works in remarkably quick time, for
machinery arrived in the mean time and
is now on the ground. About two weeks
ago the foundations of the works were
commenced and yesterday the frame
work of the huge structure was in place
and most of the flooring was laid.
THE BUILDINGS.
The main building is to be in the shape
of a Greek cross and is 220 feet long one
way and 22O feet the other. This build
ing will be divided into several compart-
ments, to be known as the dry pan
room, wet pan room, press room, and
three drying rooms. The dimensions of
these rooms are as follows: Dry pan
room, 30x40 feet; wet pan room, 40x 10
feet press room, 40x40 feet, and drying
rooms 11Ox4O feet each. The arrange
ment of these is perfect, for the purposes
for which they were designated. The
dry pan room is situated nearest to the
track from which the clays will be un-
loaded from cars. Here the clays will
be prepared for the process which they
are to undergo in the wet pan room ad-
Joining. When the clays have been
manipulated in this room they will be
passed into the press room where two
powerful steam presses will be placed,
one for pipe and the other for fine brick.
As fast as the press has completed its
work the pipe will be taken into the dry
ing rooms, which have been admirably
arranged. The press room is situated in
the center of the building and three ends
of the cross which intersect at
this point will be used entirely for
this part of the process. The drying
of the moulded clay is a most important
part of the process. The pipe must not
be dried too quickly or it will crack, and
the proper arrangement of the drafts was
one which required much study.
THE DRYING ROOMS.
The flooring of the drying rooms is laid
with half-inch spaces between each
board to permit of drying drafts, and un-
derneath this will be series of steam
pipes so that no matter what the weather
is outside the drying can 60 on uninter-
ruptedly. The sides of the drying rooms
contain large number Of windows and
aperatures which can be opened or closed
at will, and the roof is arranged with
moveaple stats which will also serve the
Same purpose. As soon as the buildings
are completed another track will be laid
at the left side of the building so that,
literally speaking, the crude clay will 60
in at one end of the building
and will go out at the other
ready for the market, although there is
still another process through which the
pipe must pass before it is ready for use.
This is the burning process by which
the clay is transformed into sewer or
water pipe with surfaces of glass, and
capable of resisting wear and tear for
twenty or more years without showing
signs OF disintegration. On each side of
the left arm of the cross are six down
draft kilns with perforated bottoms.
Each of these circular shaped kilns will
be 20 feet in diameter, and in each of
them will be eight fire holes. Every two
kilns will have sixty-foot smoke stack.
Each kiln will require in construction
10000 hard burned brick for the outside
surface, and Is, 900 fire brick for inside
lining. and the erection of each smoke.
stack will consume $1,000 hard burned
brick and 5000 fire brick, for these are to
he lined as we'll as the kilns. These
.kilns will be filed and emptied three
times month and the capacity OF the
works will be on an average Of one mile
of six-incn pipe per day.
THE ENGINE AND MACHINERY.
The engine room is situated directly to
the rear of the wet and dry pan rooms,
aud it's walls are of brick substantially
built. 1t is 36x40 feet in size, and when
completed will be model for conven-
fence. 1t will contain Buckeye Corliss
engine of 230.horse power, for which
concrete foundations are now being laid.
Besides this powerful engine two still
boilers will be placed in position, and
connecting with the engine will be an
electric machine for lighting the build.
ing and neighborhood. Water for use
here as well as elsewhere will be oh.
tanned from well which is being bored
Immediately to the rear. This we'll il
now down S5 feet and will be sent
down to depth Of 100 feet
when a flow of 1000 gallons an
hour will be obtained. The boring
is now going on in the bed of an ole
river, and the water is of the fines
quality. Connected with the we'll viii
be two steam pumps, which will supply
the whole works. The machinery in The
hnildjno will be 30 arranged as to take