Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-11
BUILDING ADOBE HOUSES.
The simple Architecture of the Mud
Residences i'm New Mexico.


the gentle art Of making mud pies, IN the
land where the adobe houses grow. In the
land Of sunshine, where rainy day Is
so rare that it is marked with "A red cross,
the native contractor and builder waste
no time figuring on the strength OF ma
terial. the crushing limit Of tubular col
umns, and the wind pressure per square
foot Of elevation. He does not pore over
blue prints Of plans, cross sections, and
elevations, nor does he white down his
figures to the finest point SO as to come
under some other contractor bid. lie
simply rolls his trousers up above his
knees, digs down IN 4 favored ditch or
pond. until he strikes the "dobe mud
and I'm a short time he is ready TO begin
constructive operations.
Adobe houses are brck-hOuses but the
brick is sun-dried and made with straw.
The clay or mud oil which the brick i5
made Is a natural cement, peculiar 10 the
arid plains of New Mexico. Arizona, Ne
vada. and that belt of States and Terri
tories II is turned out in the most print
tive manner, and the Blue Island brick
maker, who might happen upon half
breed, or Mexican adobe brickmakar
would view the operation with amusement
or disgust. kiln-burned brick made Of
blue clay however, would not meet the
requirements imposed by the climatic
conditions of those countries where adobe
brick Is used.
In summer an adobe house is cool, I'm
winter ii is warm. Its thick walls absorb
the occasional rain and although the sum
dried brick is soft compared 10 the kiln
dried article. it does not crumble, and IL
stands for ages.
A ID
New Mexico, was much interested in the
'dobe houses. For weeks he inquired and
searched for a 'dobe house in the hands
of the builders. At length. in Sante Fe
he stumbled upon couple OF men
stamping with their bare feet upon clay
in "a wooden frame. lie inquired and
found that he was looking upon two
Mexicans making adobe brick. in de-
scribing the process, he said:
THE men actually dug up the 'dobe
mud from the bottom of the ditch. which
slOrted the road. They mixed it, or as We
say, tempered H. with water until IL
was OF a stiff. ciayey consistency. Then
they chopped alfalfa hay into short pieces
and mixed it with the clay, and their
material was ready TO make into brick
A wood frame lay on the ground. This
frame was filed with the 'dObe mud
mixed with hay, and one Of the men
got into the frame and stamped the mud
down with his bare feet, at the same time
tamping it with a stick. After the frame
was packed hard, he scraped the surplus
mud OFF with a stick. so that the top
surface was level with the upper edges
Of the frame, and then lifting the frame
from the clay he carried the brick to one
side OF the road and stood IL on its edge
The next brick he made he leaned
against the first one, and soon he had
a dozen large bricks-each twice as wide,
and long and thick, as an ordinary brick
drying In the sun. one of the men told
me that the bricks would be ready 20
lay in three or four days. and that they
used the mud which the bricks are made
Of for the plaster.
THE walls OF an adobe house are very
thick, sometimes two or three feet and
I'm the ordinary One-stOry adobe house
which is characteristic of that region
they are built up perfectly plain until
they reach the roof The roof is sup
ported on wooden beams, laid edgewise
on the walls, and the bricks are built up
level with the top OF the beams between
the timbers, leaving the edge of the raft
ers exposed. The roof has a slight slant.
and Is made of adobe bricks. When il
rains the water soaks into the roof-bricks.
but does not begin 10 drip down into
the rooms below until the rain Is over
Then the family moves out until the
water is through with its dripping. /
saw an adobe house in Sante Fe which
was built in the sixteenth century and
SO far as l could see the walls were
as strong and good as any house around
there
walls are built Of stone. plastered
with adobe cement If / may so call IL. and
such walls are strong and solid. / suppose
n that country had half as much rain as
falls in Chicago, the 'dobe houses woulu.
after a time crumble away. but tho
average year in New Mexico is made
up OF Of Isl days OF unclouded sky.
1879 days when sunshine predominates. and
only 80 days OF cloud. so that the rain
fan does not amount TO much more than
4 gOOd-siZcd fall Of dew"