The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-21

ferrous hands turn and piuc+ the brick
on trays until car is full, when il is
showed along the track. The whole
plant, by the way, is meshcd with
trscks and covered with cars. One no.
t'ceable machine is q steam represser,
in which over 10000 brick day can be
reduced TO absolute perfection of form
and density.
Then comes the driors. They are
constructed on scientific principles and
cost Sli 1000. Tho firm expended many
thousands OF dollars in experimenting
at Chilhowio and one great difficulty
was found to be keeping the brick from
cracking in the driers These now
work to perfection and were adopted by
MIR. Payne from model of lumber
drier which struck his fancy. Seventy.
two hours of Il hot air bath so hot that
no living being could endure it, reduces
the water in the brick, which runs in
streams from small apertures in the
sides Of the driers.
Then come the kilns. They arc OF
the down draft variety, strongly built
and of tho most approved type and size.
They arc smaller than the ordinary
Kiln for burning brick in order that the
vitrifaction may be thorough. The
brlcks are carefully stacked and water.
smoked" with coal and coke Ire at
low temperature until what little water
was left by the drier is thoroughly re.
moved. Then comes the burning. Tho
entrances have been bricked up and
cemented from the first and the fires
are set at full heat.
The burning goes on for several days
until tho furtheSt brick in tho kiln is at
white heat, and has been for hours
Then comes the cooling and not less
Ia
walled-up doors are opened ard the
bricks removed. A fresh burned kiln
was opened for the inspection of the
party. All over the sides and top and
deep down into tho centre of tho kiln
tho br1ckS wero thoroughly and uni
formly vitriRed, still preserving their
beautiful salmon shade, which marks the
Chilhowie clays under fire.
Only casual tests could be made of
the brick, but all were impressed with
their uniform appearances freedom from
cracks, clear ring ami perfect shape
Mr. Payn2 said tina. gre AZ care was used
III working down into The kilns, TO stop
when the vitrifaction showed any signs
Of lessening and set tho rest of tue kiln
aside for building brick.
Another kiln was filled with glazed
brick of q beautiful dark olive green
shade the glazing being produced by
throwing salt upon tho fires Just before
tho burning was finished.
MIR Payne stated that the process of
vltrlfying was so thorough that he
would have no difficulty in vitrifying
brick OF even larger dimensions than
those no was making.
The whole plant was tho result OF the
hardest and most expensive tests and
experiments, and the obstacles encoun-
tered and overcome would have daunted
less determined men, but they have
fought it out until now the Chilhowie
plant with it's maximum output Of TO-
600, 600 brick year ranks with any Wit
rificd brick plant in the country.
Some sixty men and boys find en-
ployment at the works, and the firm arc
extremely popular with every one
around Chilhowie. Supper was served
at Mrs. I}aylor's, and better fried
chicken, coffee, cake and biscuits
hungry SGT of men never ate.
Through Capt. Osborne's courtesy No.
: was Tagged and the whole party re.
turned to Roanoke. The train was
drawn by one of the now Baldwin com
pound locomotives and quick time was
made.
1t was generally remarked that the
roadbed seemed in splendid condition.
and the train ran us smoothly as though
the rails wore jointless and the grade
perfection itself. The Roanoke con-
tingent left tho train when homo was
reached, and Messrs. Adams and Payne
went on to Lynchburg.