Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-18
I10BE CONSTRUCTION
ANCIENT AND MODERN
nit. or pioneer Brick !"
Pos'ib'''u, nc.ponsiblc for Pointing
S Tbc way 20 Concrete

The MAJ ~
,,oyi exception, the orisl-
Amos n salt Lake were con
raj house. .tobe.. In all parts OF the
% 'lN come NJ those quaint Ola
aai ma s ,,,o story primitive dwellinss'
one lh' T., seen even out on South
sofof ma, 40 svelist residence sec
TemP',' eve cit,. while In the SOUTH
t'l .,a patlcularly In the w'S's, ~"
est anu ION the crumbling ola
Iaf' Q, .,rors may be counted by
'i'. ore, having successfully VIII WIN,
,be ra,ages Of 40 to 90 severe
winters. Inf of these local
ny ,smlnders of the work OF ut"h
lio's hn, from prevalent ideas OF
P'gp s,,o,, wing back Of the ciVlli1ea
ue w. .o once occupied this coun-
j., ne following from the ce ,s,,
m "a sill prove Of interest 10 'hou-
WI. NJ The News readers
any, y, omen question what influence
.aobe construction, az carried
.a,,,e centuries past, has exerted
"|..in0 about the present extern
M NJ concrete However, since
>" -, Principles involved and. to
.,,sin extent methods OF manuiac,
ave- so very similar in the case OF
,ro materials 1t can scarcely nc
80 that the disclosure OF the pos
49,. 49,, n, the long-familiar adobe
In a measure, responsible ior
..rs the way TO wide range OF
.,J,s.s for modern concrete.
s.ms sections Of the United States
,.,,b, the southwest, AFFORD indis-
..,.ble evidence not only Of the early
LIN of adobe constructions on this
..r,insnt but also OF IT'S great
Sorabluty under favorable conditions
m. prireya Indians employed IL IN
,,oudIps the aboriginal houses OF
New Mexico and the spanish con-
oos,ors relied on II almost exclusive
IA tor the mission churches and other
sirlctures when they erected
In the city Of santa Fc, New MeAlco'
me Oldest city In the united St"tSs,
/, located the oldest house IN tle
i',,,sd states (wholly OF adobe con-
s,sbctlon1 and the famous church or
s,n ule,iel the cradle OF Christianl-
n an Inc American continent" which
-. built in the year 1910 on the
n1,a AT Santa Fe stands the famous
Mace an adobe structure built In
| i,ss and which was for more than
| IA wears the office Of the spanish,
| MEXICAN and American. governors.
ne building, although II has received
sant carr. Is In q perfect state OF
reservation today aud most OF Its
roons whose storied walls "a tale
| might unfold" are occupied still.
HOW ADOBE is PREPARED.
In the southwest. and particularly IN
| Od Mexico. the work Of preparation IL
largely In the hands OF the laboring
classes. The ordinary brown clay soil
il mosteued IN pits and chopped straw
mixed with the substance. In mixing
he mud and straw the Mexican uses
| bis rect and hands freely, though tools
q crude construction supplement these
when needed. An American usually en-
poy an ordinary garden hoe for mix
ne he mud and frequently the mud is
| SLOWED 10 stand over night before IL
Is put into the molds, by means OF
which Il Is fashioned into the blocks or
adObes" a simple wooden frame Is
used a. a mold and is wet thoroughly
before each operation 10 prevent the
mud from adherng to II. The mold II
| placed fat ON the ground. but a layer
oi straw Is first interposed To prevent
The new and soft adobe from reuniting
With the earth
The average frame has either three
~ six compartments, enabling the
Simultaneous manufacture OF that
number n adobe bricks. In the case
o. three compartment molding frame.
each compartment is usually two feet IN
eagth, one foot wide and four inches
oep six compartment mold. on the
olhr hand, Is ordinarily OF such di-
Hsnslons as 20 enable the turning out
AZ each operation Of half a dozen
o1e@ each IS inches long. IA inches
N width and 4 inches deep. After
haflng been turned out Of the mold the
adobes are allowed 10 lie upon the
ground In order TO harden under the
ureci rays Of tho sun. SO rapid is tho
mehpulation that after a days work
te ground 10 the extent OF a consid-
uebe area, is covered with the fore
i..hers OF the modern concrete block.
me direct rays OF the sun In south
sih cumes impart Of course. a very in
,snse neat, and ere long the upper sur
..ts Of the adohcs begin To dry. The
FM are then turned on edge and
onef faces exposed After several
.Ihings they are sufficiently hardened
Y % used Tor building purposes. As a
w aaobes are made on tho ground
.efo me building for which they are
I'shaed Is 10 hc erected, and adobe
W. Is used ms mortar. In the adobe
S the presence Of small stones Is
qeulmcnt but pebbles must not
t"gNed M the mortar az they pre-
y'rt elinklng In around the bricks ana
s'el bearing between courses.
ALLOWS RAPID CONSTRUCTION.
n NE better class of adobe struc-
- foundation is provided by maxi
IS an excavation ~ to Is inches wide
~ 'ne lines Of the walls and filling il
~ stone, laid up about one foot
,e ground Great care must be
- GET "A good bearing for the
s'.sA Adobe lends Itself. Of course,
NJ, Wy rapid construction. but it is
n, eyen'rd wise 60 build too quickly lest
'snt above cause the mortar tu
,ss, cut a plan followed TO some ex-
~. 20 lay up few courses OF
~, ana then allow the substance
10y Tor a day
"a, aess p.aslered, an adobe house Is
\ e color as the soil upon when
a,,suus' hut the plastering OF the
oi an adobe building, which is
nhl"n practise. Is resortcd 10 not
r-,,e- Tor appearance sake as 10
Il s,' lhe walls from washing and
n - heater general appearance.
n, localities whore the character OF
r-,s,,Hlh not conducive 20 adobe con-
i h., mat ls especially durable. ef-
t,, \, made 10 so plan tho buildings
tb,y we ~ walls win be no more exposed
m. absolutely necessary.
ig. va.ne houses erected by tho ma
NAfhInNNa