The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-07
THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE.
BURNING BRICK BY THE Use OF
CRUDE PETROLEUM.
One ofthe Largest Brick Yards ot Nom.
Phis is Using Crude on with Pertcc,
Success nv Fuel for Heating Its
Dry Kiins and In Burn.
mag Brick.

The experience OF ages has shown thai
OF all the material from which il con.
siructed the various buildings of the world.
brick surpasses all others in resisting fire
Hood, frost and the tooth of time. I'm,
PEELED by that fact recently made n visit
to the brickyards OF Memphis, and found
much 10 instruct anyone. There were
some things at the yards of John Cubbins,
at the extreme northern end OF Second
street, that particularly interested me.
Here were eight acres Of ground in use;
there were four kilns OF 100000 capacity
each, and one of 100000, giving yearly
output OF something over 1000. 900 brick,
business grown up from the one started
by him at the south end Of Vance street
IN 1913, with the then large output of
10000 day-afterward putting in Mar
tin soft mud machine, the first one in
Memphis. Mr.. Cubbins has always, as
he is now, been the first one to introduce
valuable ideas into his business life. lie
now employs fifty men, with all the mod
ern machinery, iron tramways, dry kilns,
drying sheds, etc There is a Martin soft
mud machine with capacity of 10000 a
day, fine soft clay brick and rs good as
any made anywhere by that process. But
his pet is stiff clay, Chambers machine,
with a capacity OF 5000 an hour. One
of the very best brick machines ever in /.
vented, and wonderful piece of plain.
simple mechanism. The clay is hauled
some 200 yards over a tramway from the
bank on side-dump cars holding ono and
one-half yards, the only cars OF the kind
in the South, dumped into crusher and
thoroughly pulverized; from there it is
dropped on 10 nm elevator and carried 10 n
pug mill, where the proper moisture is
added, and IL is carefully plugged or
kneaded, rs woman kneads dough for
bread; thence dropped into the Chambers
machine, where it is cut aud tortured by
a set oil knives, and then forced or pressed
through die in proper shape and size for
a brick, In continuous bar OF clay This
bar is automatically sanded in the most
perfect and even manner with pure mold
ing sand as II leaves the machine, then
cut into perfect bricks by an automatic re-
volying cutoff, which is run by the bar Of
clay, and cuts mathemntically square and
true, more 70 than IL possible bv hand.
then turned on its edge by means OF an
inclined belt ready for lifting and placing
on palleitcs or trucks and carried TO racks
for drying; here they remain about
six days, and are then placed
in the kilns and burned. In bad
weather dry kilns are used; there are two
OF these, holding 1900 each, drying
ready for burning in twenty.iour hours.
These brick rs they come from the Cham
burs machine are Of perfect shape, the
sides automatically exact, the angles
true and sharp, solid, compact aud strong.
perfectly sanded, and almost ~ firm and
hard as the ordinary soft mud brick h
when burned; when placed in the driving
shed they are compact and solid enough
10 be baked eight bricks high. These
brick are burned by the use OF crude pc
lroleum, new process just introduced by
Mr.. Cubbins, and the only place in the
South where this fuel IL used. The effect
Of his new fuel is evident TO any brick.
layer or contractor, In the quality aud APP
peafance OF the brick, they are OF deep
red color, the same tint throughout, and
with a clear ringing sound when struck.
The oil II brought in tankcls 10 the
sidetraCk, loo feet from the works, piped
in two and half inch pipe, and forced
by pump into a tank holding 10000 gal.
ons; from thorsit lows by gravity TO the
kilns; Jet OF steam Is introduced with
The oil into the burners, aud the burning
oil Is forced by the steam in q spray OF fro
all through the arch, giving a per.
ectlY uniform heat, with no yaria.
ion, except as II II gradually
M the burning advances. being
under perfect control. and regulated TO any
legree OF heat required. thus burning the
'ntire kiln uniformly, aud with no glazing
" blackening. every brick Is burned Just
like and oi uniform and equal strength
md endurance. the heat works automatic
ally aud perfectly, there Is no smell,
mokc or SCOT, no ashes or cinders 30 clear
way, and no sioker or fireman required,
nothing but 10 turn on the oil aud steam
md light Il, aud regulate the pressure ~
equirtd. The dry-kiins are heated by The |
ano fuel used in the same manner, dry
ng the brick thoroughly and equally. II |
cquires no scientific knowledge TO see how |
ar superior brick made by this machine.
nd burned by this fuel, must be 10 ali |
ithcfs. II Il the most perfect fuel over In. |
reduced into the South. and must come |
nto general use. Mr.. Cubbins Is entitled |
o great credit for bringing IL into notice. |
The machinery IL run bv a iiiy-hOne |
,owcr engine. Mr.. Cubbins most cor |
Iially welcomes all visitors, explains the |
working Of the machinery aud iuel. aud |
answers all questions. The |
resent kilns will be- burned by Tuesday |
nd the iics turned of, but ten days |
hereafter another kiln will be lighted. |
'ir. Cubbins, while admitting that the A. |
yrians and Babylonans Of four thousand |
ears ago used petroleum for burning their
tricks, thus securing the enduring quail. !
les which have preserved them 20 the |
resent. and those Of the old Greeks. and
Romans, and that The ancient Peruvian,
iad some secret process by which they
made the beat bricks the world has ever
cen, still claims that his bricks burned
With crude oil will last n long n tho Mis-.
issippi River will run ia front OF Mem.
,his. KALAKAuA.
CLEAN STREETS AT LAST.
;apt. KIT Deffroy supplies n Long Folt