The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-29
4 NEW SUPPLY OF FIRE pnroAs,


vitrinsd Bricks VIII be Manufactured
Near to Wilmington Tho First Made
East OF tho AIieshcnie-.
Considerable trouble has been ex-
perienced by the Street and Sewer
Commission In obtaining vitrified
brick for use In paving streets and the
greater number Of those used In this
city have been brought from West Viz.
glnia, but now there 10 prospect of
their being obtained much nearer
home and at less cost. Tho national
Kaolin Company, whose mines are at
Brandywine Summit have demon
strated by series OF experiments con-
Quoted during the past year. that q
mixture OF their superior fire clay with
the fire sand and other forms Of silica
and feldspathic shnle, all found In un-
limited quantities on the III acres
which constitute the property will
make better vitrifled bricks than any
ever before known. As has been said
they have been repeatedly made during
the past year and have successfully
withstood every test. Tho same Is
true OF silica bricks used In iron and
steel works, and manufactured west
| of the mountains or imported from
the Kaolin properties In England and
| Wales.
Over FIVE million OF vitrified and fire
bricks arc annually used in radius OF
twenty miles Of these works. and there
IL fine market at home where freights
can be saved In both vitrified and Sill
ca bricks at an average OF five dollars
q thousand-this number Weighing 81
tons. Besides highly ornamental
bricks, either polished or agatized
with feldspar' can be made from ma
terials on the same property. These
materials have been accommodating for
thirty years past, and are In great hills
right along the railway siding at the
works There is enough already out
to make fully forty million vitrified
and as many silica bricks, and is con-
stantiy accommodating at the rate OF
twelve tons to one OF pure kaolin pro-
duced.
A new and profitable system OF
mining has been introduced by the
present company. Great cables are
used In carrying and deposlting both
the refuse and kaolin, and the beds
are stripped. The old method OF
shafting and drifting is being gradual.
ly abandoned, the new being much
more successful. The kaolins of the
National Company are celebrated
for their fneness and bring sl5 ant
$40 a ton, according to quality, the
NO. L bEtukhnk 90 u bOu thoiC bhah III
other kaolins known In the country
because of Its toughness.
The surveys by the State geoloRist,
show nearly two millions OF tons o
lSaolins In the mines and twelve time
that amount OF brick materials. Fol
all purposes the mines are inexhausti
BILE for o century at least.
A few days since the mines wert
visited by about fifty prominent llusl
meas men and capitalists from Phila
delphia, Chester and Media whose OBJ
| iect was to view the methods of pro
cudng and producing kaolln, and .tc
ascertain the amount OF refuse which
can be utilized In the manufacture o.
vitritied, silica and other bricks.
They were shown the mill, watts
washers, and then the mines and q re
cent development OF feldspar. The.
were also shown the hills OF refuse
consisting of mixed fire sands, fir
clays, fire red clays and mica-idea
materials for yitrified fire or fame,
bricks. All were pleased at the novelt!
OF the exhibition, and many promi
| nent men and careful thinkers com
pared the opportunities presented will
those sought for far away, and eait
that In these times especially, 1t wa.
better to invest their money at home
More than half of those present ex
pressed q willingness to take stock il
the enterprise-the stock subscription
to be applicable alike to the produc
ton OF the kaolin and the manufac
ture OF bricks. and to share equally In
oil the franchises property and profit.
of company now doing very well II
kaolin alone.
A company was formed and as soor
as sufficient stock Is taken bricl
works and complete plant will be es
tablished. ...-