The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-12-10
Stroudsburg Man at
Brick Plant
CIVIL ENGINEER IN CHARGE OF
ALL CONSTRUCTION is HI. E.
FRANKENFIELD, A NATIVE OF
PENNSYLVANIA

NEW HOPE-Usually an enter
prise as large as the brick plant now
being completed at Rabbit Run by
the Clay Products Company of Amer
lea goes to New York City or some
distant city for a construction head.
But the man in charge here is a
native of Pennsylvania, and thereby
better qualified for the work by his
personal knowledge and experience
with engineering, geological and for
estry conditions existing IN the State.
This man is H. E. Frankenield,
C. E. of Stroudsburg, Pa. He was
born and raised there, and later mar
ried Miss Laura Frederick, also of
Stroudsburg. He attended the Strouds-
burg Normal School and Mount Alto
Academy. His work was in forestry
and engineering. After graduating
at Mont Alto he was for six years
an instructor in the same school. Fol-
lowing that Mr.. Frankenfeld was in
the employ of the State for three
years in the construction of a sew
age system and water supply at
Muncy, Pa.
The work he is doing here in New
Hope is particularly interesting in the
fact that the plant is to manufac-
ture shale brick. Most brick are
made from clay and baked in kilns
fired by wood and coal. But the pro-
cess of baking at this plant IS to be
by gas. This necessitates the cree
ton of gas producer plant to sup
ply their demand.
In addition to their own gas plant
they will also have an electric plant,
manufacturing all the power used in
the plant and in the operation of the
cars over the mile of narrow gauge
railway. A modern self-stoking boiler
plant is being erected to supply steam
for the generators in the engine
house.
One of the interesting mechanical
devices being installed is the crusher
where the shale is dumped when
brought in from the pits. From the
crusher the broken shale is conveyed
to the pans-twelve foot boxes CON
tanning rollers-where the shale is
pulveriZed.
1t is then dumped into concrete stor-
age bins 200 feet long and twenty
feet deep. From there it is conveyed
to the 'plug" mill. There it is mixed
into a plastic state and forced thru
molds (plugs) into brick shapes. These
are then pressed and passed along
to the kilns for finishing.
The first runs will be $4,000 brick
daily. But the capacity of the plant
is 100000 brick per day. As has been
said before, the heat for the kllns
is supplied BY gas. This is forced
into the ovens by fans thru gas ducts.
The kilns are divided into eompart-
ments so that finished brick may be
I removed from any one of them With
out stopping the fire in the others.
With the 500 acres of the shale for
supply, it is not anticipated that the
! company will run short of material.
There will be four qualities Of brick
manufactured - Rainbow" Flash,
! 'sRough Texture" and "Street Paw
ing" These can be made in any color
of red by regulating the heat in the
kilns, from very light red down to
a purplish red. These brick are all
! designed for finishing and outside
work in the highest class Of eonstruc-
ton.
New Hope people will find it an
| interesting operation, and those with
out something to do on Sundays are
at liberty to look over the property
At present there are thirty-five mer
employed on the grounds, all under
the direction of Mr.. Frankenfeld, who
in turn is directly under orders from
the management at Philadelphia
There will be nearly hundred mer
employed when the plant is ready fol
operation.