The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-05
TOBEABIG INDUSTRY.
Extension Of Sewer-Pipe and
Fire Clay Factory.
MANY LABoR-SAvING DEVICES.
1t VIII BE the Largest Works on the
Cosst-Progress Of Great North
ern Constructions.

The Denny Clay Company will tomor-
row begin work on an addition to its sewer
pipe and fire brick plant at Van Assets
which will about double its capacity and
make it the largest on the Coast and
among the leading plants of the United
States.
new building 10sx41 feet, three stories
high, will be erected directly north of the
present factory, TO be used as a grinding
mill. On the ground floor will be three
sets of mills for grinding clay. one for
sewer pipe, one for fire brick, fireproofing
and paving brick, and the third for terra
Gotta, lawn vases, ornamental ware and
pottery. The upper stories will be used
for clay-bins, elevators and machinery. An
idea of the size of this plant can be formed
from the fact that one of the grinding
wheels weighs $500 pounds, and the TIM
Der work for one set Of mills weighs 10000
pounds. West of these buildings will be
one two stories high and 61x4l feet, in which
the brick making and fireproofng plant
will be placed. To the south of this will
be steam tunnel dryhouse. 6OxSO feet,
for brick and fireproofng. All these
buildings will be frame with brick base
ments. Tracks will be laid from the
brick machine to the repress, thence to
the dryhouse and from there direct to the
kilns. The bricks will be wheeled on iron
cars, to be built expressly for the purpose.
over these tracks and will be left on them
while in the dryhouse. This arrange
ment will do away with the frequent
moving of bricks by hand and wheel
barrow in transporting them from one
part of the factory to another, as they will
remain on the cars from the time they
leave the repress until they reach the
kilns. The cars, being entirely Of iron,
will not be damaged by the heat. Eleven
new kilns will be built, increasing the
battery to eighteen. The ordinary capacity
of the standard plant being eight kilns,
this will be among the largest in the
country.
The old plant will be entirely rearranged.
The grinding machinery will be removed
to the new mill and the old mill-house
will be converted into an engine-room, in
which new $50 horsepower engine and
the present Corliss engine and electric
engine and dynamo will be placed. The
present engine-room will be converted into
a boiler-room and three new boilers will
be added, making a total of five.
A 600-foot switch, both standard and
narrow gauge, will be built right around
the yard, SO that goods can be loaded from
any part of it or direct from the kilns. An
elevated track about twenty feet high will
be built to the mill, SO that the clay and
coal may be dumped instead Of shoveled
from the cars.
Corresponding Improvements are to be
made at the mine on Green river, from
which the supply of clay and coal is OBJ
tanned. A slope will be sunk to take the
place of the present outside incline, new
engine and hosting apparatus will be pur-
chased and heavy pump placed at Green
river capable of lifting water $50 feet.
Bunkers of 500 tons capacity will also be
built. These changes will largely increase
the output of the mine.
Work begins tomorrow on the laying Of
the track and the foundations of the
buildings. The additional machinery will
be here from the East in about two weeks,
though the iron cars for the factory and
new mine cars have been contracted for at
the Washington Iron Works, and every
thing which can be obtained in Seattle
will be bought here. The total cost of the
improvements and extensions will be
about $4,000. and G. w. Hummer, the
manager, estimates that nine-tenths of
this sum will be spent in the city. When
completed the plant will not only produce
sewer-pipe and friedrich. but freproofing,
paving brick, hollow brick, sidewalk
blocks. plain and ornamental terra Gotta
and all sorts of heavy pottery. The num-
Der of employees, which is now about
ninety, will be increased to at least l5O,
including both mine and factory.