| Show CLAY INDUSTRY J 5 1 1 4 14 1 utah fire clay plant a f 4 soft lake city wv X m M 1 1 em 4 V 1 1 A A V ow k making plant by LESLIE SQUIRES general manager utah fir vm clay 0 company developments ot of the AMAZING clay industry in utah will be witnessed it the advances of 0 the last SO deais continue at anywhere near the same rate the pioneer dug his clay irom from the hillside trampled it in layers cut it while wet into blocks and let the sun suit do the rest houses built of adobe brick still stand in towns and on farms proving not only the skill of the early brick makers but the virtues of the clay they used from brick to tile was a short step and as facilities improved m clay products were multiplied utah Is fortunate in having many kinds ol of clay it I 1 the right sort is not available in one locality it is pretty sure to be present in another six plants devoted exclusively to the manufacture ot of clay goods and silica refract ories tire are now operating ng in utah not to speak of 0 small local brick plants scattered throughout the state the major plants are located in salt lake city ogden provo murray and smithfield field their ever growing list ot of products includes vitrified fied salt glazed seer pipe and fittings tarm farm drain tile silica brick fire brick assayers clay cruc crucibles cruci bles and fire clay shapes tor for boilers locomotives steel mills and foundries paving brick high grade shale and fire clay tace face brick common brick hollow building and partition blocks clay shingles wall coping flue lining and many ape caal designs manufacture and sale of 0 the products give employment to an average of men the year around with an annual payroll ot of about the processes call lor for the yearly production ot of about tons of 0 clay to burn which fuel to the value ot of is consumed for supplies power freight taxes and su such expenses not less than Is Is disbursed though salt luke lake valley smelt ers and widespread building construction st constitute a steady market sales ot of specialties beyond tile the borders of 0 the state indicate the possibilities ot of expansion silica brick is shipped to surrounding states aud orders for or crucibles cruci bles and are received from all over the world production production facilities are ample tor for a growing bu business biness it Is estimated that with all plants operating a dally daily hour S 8 shirt shift at tull full ca capacity lacity there would be manufactured aured each day enough lacing facing and backing brick to construct 30 five room cottages pipe tor for 1 miles t of newer ewer and tile file lor for f J miles ol of drains hollow mocks blocks tor for smokestacks smoke stacks hundreds of 0 feet beet tall and tile tor for silos are made from clay underground gr aund wiring Is facilitated by clay conduits and the use of 0 finer clays in the making of 0 porcelain is beginning to be recognized in utah so far utah county la Is the best beat known source of 0 ceramic material clay banks ot of alluvial and glacial origin are found in cache weber morgan salt lake and utah coun ties to date the production ol of fire are clay has been confined to utah county where the basic material is carboniferous to make silica brick the manufacturer goes to the cambrian formation in juab coun ity ty in 1937 presents an astonishing contrast to the almost primitive methods of 1857 describing a typical operation of today the manager ot of a large brick company says starting at clay beds averaging 15 leet feet in thickness ten teams scrape up the clay and lay it on platforms thence it is hauled by electric trains to mixing and pulverizing ver sheds from there it Is conveyed by endless belts to the bins where the right amount of 0 moisture is added the next step la is working the clay through the pug mills these are heavy cast I 1 iron mixing machines which knead the clay to the proper consistency lor for molding into what are called green brick attached to the end ot of the pug mills are toma forms or dies out ot of which come bricks ot of the correct length and height to make pressed brick the clay Is handled in much the same manner ner except as it comes out ot of the mixing bins it is fed into massive presses from the presses the brick is conveyed to the kilns kalns lor for burning A fire ot of powdered coal Is started at one end and carried the entire length by forced draft when heated to 2200 degrees the brick are allowed to cool wagons are lowered into the kiln kila by an electric crane loaded and set outi side to be hauled by teams to their destination ever since the day ot of tho the humble I 1 adobe utah haj haa been a brick state few parts of the union have a higher percentage ot of brick structures steel mills and sugar factories ac tortes need refractory brick tor for their furnaces municipalities pipe tor for their sanitary sewers drainage districts tile to reclaim their lands thus one industry fosters foster many others an investment ot of about 2 it Is ii estimated is represented by the plants 1 in utah devoted exclusively to the manufacture of clay goods and silica r re frac tories |
