Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-16
THE NEW BOOM BEGUN
The California Sewer Pipe
Company's Plant.
THE MACHINERY IN MOTION
A New Era Inaugurated in Los
Angeles of Great Importance
to This Section.

W 1ulS DCCtlOu.
The managers Of the new sewer pipe
actory at Vernon. having their works
eady to operate, selected yesterday for
he formal opening of the concern. Last
week numerous invitations were sent out
o the citizens of Los Angeles announcing
he interesting fact, and at 80 yester-
lay large number of citizens, including
he officers and other stockholders of the
members of the press, of the
Board OF Trade and Chamber OF Com
merce had assembled at the Santa Fe
depot, at the foot of First street. At
that hour the excursion train of four
cars, well filled, pulled out, and after
half an hours run the site Of the factory
in the heart Of Vernon was reached. The
works are half mile west of the point
where the Ballona branch crosses the
8. P. San Pedro line on Alameda street.
The site is the old forty-acre vine
yard tract of D. M. McGarry,
and is north of the road
which runs along north of Henry Martz
ranch where the Chinese have their
vegetable gardens. Here, alongside the
Santa Fe track with spur running right
into the works the new buildings have
been erected. These are in the shape of
maltese cross, in the west arm of
which the boiler, engines and mixing
machine are placed. In the center is
the press which forms the clay into
various shapes by means of dies. The
three other arms are used for drying the
pipe, as it comes from the dies. The
extreme length of the buildings is 240
feet one way by 220 feet the other. 1t is
40 feet wide. The structure is a one
story affair. substantially built and
neatly finished. As one looks at it he
is impressed with the advantage manu-
facturers in this climate enjoy over those
in cold regions in the matter of cost of
buildings. The Sewer Pipe Company has
structure admirably suited to their
needs in all respects, but it has not cost
a 1.-THE of what would be necessary for
such an enterprise in country where
the winters are severe. Outside of the
buildings where the arms cross are the
ovens in which the pipe is baked. They
are arranged in groups Of four, and one
smokestack answers for four ovens. The
plan of the works is admirably arranged
to save labor and expedite the work.
The boilers, two in number, are sew
enty horsepower each, and they are
heated by means of furnaces in which
crude petroleum is burned. The engine
is 125 horse power as used now. 1t may
be forced to render service of 200 horse
power.
The clay, which comes from Elsinore
is dumped from the cars so that it Car
easily be transferred to the machine
which works it into homogeneous mass
like red putty, it being first mixed
with clean sand in the propol
rions of three parts clay to
one Of sand. From this mixing machine
it is carried by means of a belt as grair
is carried in an elevator to the press
The dies are SO arranged under the press
that the pipe when made is lowered onto
theslower floor. From the dies it is car.
ried on peculiar trucks out on to the fool
of the building, where 1t is placed to dry
Then it is transferred to the ovens to be
baked. In the ovens crude petroleum is
also used. The factory as it now stands
has capacity for turning out 1000 feet
of six-inch pipe day, or 5000 feet oi
eight-inch pipe. Its cost as it now stands
ready for work is $12S,000. 1t will EN-.
ploy 200 men, and has a contract tc
supply 5000 worth of sewer pipe TO,
Fresno City.
Upon the arrival of the train and when
the visitors had assembled in the build.
ing, J. @. Daily, Esq, on behalf OF the
company, made an address, setting forth
the plans of the enterprise. He stated
among other things that in 80 days his
company would be ready to operate
plant for the making of superior
article of pressed brick, which would
give employment to 200 more men. In
the future the intention is to erect more
extensive works at San Pedro for the
manufacture of pressed brick and sewer
pipe for the markets of the world. Mr.
Daily set forth in eloquent words the
advantages to accrue to this section from
such industries as this.
He was followed by Mr.. Hervey Lind
ley speaking on behalf of the Chamber
of Commerce in an address of congratu
lation to the company on their enterprise
and encouraging prospects.
The speech-making being done, and
steam being up, Mr.. Lindley was asked
to start the engine, and Mr.. Eugene Ger
main, President of the Board Of Trade
set the press in motion. In a few mo
ments pipe of about a foot diameter was
being turned out rapidly. After an hour
or two of this work the die was changed
and pipe SO inches in diameter was made
for awhile. All present took great inter
est in the working Of the machinery, anC
returned to the city late in the afternoon
full of high hopes for the success O
the enterprise, and also of the hope thai
this is to be the first of a great mum
Der of manufactures and industries tc
be successfully launched in the vicinity
of Los. Angeles. :,
There seems no reason to doubt tha
the present venture will be successful
Heretofore the city has been getting
pipe from Akron, Ohio. Fully 20 pei
cent Of this is destroyed in transit. The
local company controls as fine bed o.
clay as there is in the world. II
has laid down plant Of the most ap.
proved machinery known to-day, and it il
laid down in the most approved manner
The superintendent who is the guiding
genius of the work is man of wide ex
perience and of fine business qualifica
tions. The home market is wide ano
active one for the wares made. Here
are all the elements of abundant success
At the works sewer pipe of all size!
will be made, and the capacity is liberal
In ninety days there will be plant fol
making pressed brick. At near day
terra-cotta blocks, or hollow bricks, viii
be made for building purposes. Here i.
q wide section of country which hal