Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-28
DELAWARE TERRA Gotta
CO. HAS LONG HISTORY
Local Firm Directed for Many
Years by Members Of
Same Family.

The Delaware Term Gotta Brick |
Co Inc, has business history that |
any Arm might we'll be proud Of. The
company began business In 1856
when james ii. BeEss started tho local
concern. Later on he found 1t neces-
aary to obtain a partner and J. p. ALI
mond was taken into tho nrm. With
the coming OF modern business
methods tho Delaware Terra Gotta
Co. was Incorporated In 1887 and the
plant was enlarged and expanded and
more modern brick making processes
were employed.
Brick making is n scientific pro-
cess and one which requires in most
cases the services OF expert work
men Chemists have 20 be employed
to test tho clay which is used in the
bricks; machinists for the care OF the
machinery; heat experts for the tend
Ing OF the kilns In which the bricks
are burned, engineers for testing the
| tensile strength OF the brick, There
are n great many processes for max
Ing bricks varying from the use of
pyrometer to test heat necessary for
burning OF the common brick TO test
ing the degree OF shrinkage.
The clay is dug from the pit by
steam shovel and then hauled in little
cars 10 the mill where 1t is mixed with
water and. running through ma
chine, comes out in a thick ribbon
about twice the size OF an ordinary
brick. This ribbon travels along a
driving belt uqtil It is cut by a wire
which automatically cuts the brick 10
size. They are then loaded on trucks
and taken to tho steam dryers where
they are left for twenty-four hours
After this they are conveyed to the
four Old Dutch kilns which the com
pany uses and sealed UP in intense
heat for six days. These kilns are
filled one at a time and rs soon as
they burn sufficiently are emptied as
they cool. The capacity OF the COM
pany's kilns IL approximately a mil
lion bricks or 100000 each.
The daily production Of the plant
when I'm full operation II $4,000 COM
mon bricks day and 10000 face
brick. The latest named brick is
nodded and not made by the above
process The annual capacity OF ;ha
plant is approximately 30.000,00O.
At the present time the plant Is be-
ing over-hauled due TO the fact that
they have been unable to obtain coal
and had to shut down the kilns. They
are well stocked with brick, however
and can take care OF all orders ac-
cording TO the report OF J. p. Almond
/, president of the company, He said
that they have now on hand at least
100000 and that they can, II neces.
sary, make more to order, Lately they
have filed several large contracts III
this city. They completed last week
filing the order of the Central and
a First Presbyterian Church at Tenth
I and Market streets for 25O,0 bricks
! 100000 TO the Wilmington Fres
Library. and about 250,0O0 to the
Masonic Home. For their transporta-
ton work they employ seven larg,
trucks. one tractor. three teams ant
7 several trailers.
e The Delaware Terra Gotta Co. ha,
descended from father to son and to
L day j. p. Almond. son OF the forme,
e partner Of Beggs is president of tn,
= company. The other officers are
Charles M. Almond, vice-president
| Charles NJ. Almond. Jr., secretary
and j. Hare, Jr., treasurer.