Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-03-23
THE PEN]TENTIARY
The New Brick Machine Recently
Installed Is Proving to Be a Good
Investment.
CAPACITY OF $4,000 BRICKS
A New Kiln Which Will Hold 100000
Bricks Is Being Built-Oonvicts Are
Treated Humanely But Firmly
By the Officers.

Hon. H. o. Bursum, who ably repre-
sented Socorro county in the council OF
the thirty-third legislative assembly
and who had previously served most
satisfactorily for several years as sher-
iff of the county named, assumed the
exacting and responsible duties of SUI
perintendent of the New Mexico peni-
tentiary on the 1st day of last May. He
Immediately appointed John James, OF
Albuquerque, assistant superintendent
and w. e. Martin, of Socorro, chief
clerk, and generally reorganized the
force of subordinate employees of the
institution. Since then numerous nota-
BILE improvements have been made in
the buildings and grounds of the pen
itentiary, and the general management
thereof has been almost ideal. This
statement is sustained by the unani-
nous testimony of all impartial OBJ
servers who have recently visited the
institution.
THE BRICK MACHINE
Among the most important substan.
tial and prospectively profitable addi.
tions made to the varied industrial de-
partments of the institution by Super
intendent Bursum, the large, complete
and strictly up-to-date brick making
plant first arrests attention. Noting
that the small, wooden, horsepower
machine in use was fifty years behind
the times and entirely inadequate to
present needs, the new supe, intendent
almost Immediately negotiated for the
purchase of modern machine of the
c. w. Raymond company, of Dayton,
o. This machine reached Santa Fe last
September, and Gince then r. C. Gar
rett, representing the manufacturers,
has given his undivided personal atten-
ton to the work Of setting 1t up and
constructing the needed new buildings
and kilns.
THE MODUS OPERANDI.
1t was found that the large two-story
brick building, 25x60 feet, adjoining the
electric light plant, which was put up
by the former management but never
utilized, was exactly adapted to shelter
ing the machinery. The plant that has
since been set up in this building con-
sists of a clay crusher on the first floor
into which the raw material is shoveleo
from wagons or cars or directly from
the ground, whence it is carried to the
second floor by elevators and passed
through screens; then comes the pug
mill, into which the pulverized clay
passes from the screens, and where it is
moistened and mixed to the proper con-
sistency for use; below the pug mill on
the first floor is the brick-making ma
chine proper, where the clay is pressed
into long sections of the exact width
and thickness of the brick desired; next
come the cutting and separating tables
where the sections are cut into bricks
as they pass along on belts, and are
separated and the common bricks are
placed on cars for transfer to the dry
ing house, and the others are passed to
the conveniently located repress ma
chine, to be reduced to an extra de-
gree of perfection.
POWER SUPPLY.
The power Is supplied by the eighty
horsepower Atlas engine in the electric
light works. This operates the brick
machine in the day time and the elec-
trio light plant at night The engine Is
ample for all present uses, but the addi-
ton of another large boiler is contem-
plated at an early day. In connection
with the cutting tables Is an appliance
for cutting brick into suitable shapes
for constructing arches.
CAPACITY.
The guaranteed capacity of the ma.
chine is 10000 bricks every ten hours
when forced. Thirty thousand common
adobe bricks are easily turned out dai'
ly. and the repress machine is capable
of turning out $4,000 more. 1t is at pres
ent adjusted to handle 10000 bricks pei
day.
THE DRYING HOUSE.
From the separating tables and re
press machine the bricks are conveyed
by cars to the spacious drying house
near by. This is a building 80 feet wide
and 60 feet long, with solid brick walls
and corrugated iron roof. 1t Is ceilet
inside, and the ceiling is covered will
layer Of cement. So 1t is PRACTICAL!
alright when the receiving doors ar,
closed. 1t is heated by steam transmit
ted from the power plant to the desired
degree. and in 1t the perfectly formed
bricks are thoroughly dried in forty
eight hours It's capacity is almost un
limited.
THE KILNS.
The kiln dried bricks are next trans
ferred on cars to the kilns. These a
present consist of one up draft kiln wit
a capacity Of $50, 1000, and new circula
down-draft kiln with a capacity Of 45,
900 bricks. Another down-draft kilr
with capacity Of 200, 900 bricks at eacl
burning, Is now in course of construc
ton. When this is completed the tota
kiln capacity Of the plant will be abou
100000. The new kiln will be oblong.
has been found that the down draft
much better than the old-fashioned u
draft as 1t distributes the heat muc
more evenly throughout the kiln, an
hence the product Is remarkably uni
form In hardness and appearance M
Garrett expects to have the entir
brlck-making plant completed in all II
details In about sixty days. but It is no.
being operated under the supervision
himlA1f and Yardmas ster CiprfaYo Bacl