206 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
facture; so that brick-kilns and yards are familiar objects. Many towns in Kan- 
sas have such kilns, either in operation or abandoned after they had supplied 
the home trade. The tough gumbo clays are now burned for railroad ballast at 
a number of places in the state, on account of its cheapness, and its dustless and 
elastic properties. In Missouri this industry alone amounts to one million dol- 
lars annually. There is a large pottery at Coffeyville, and a roofing-tile works is: 
nearing completion at Cherryvale. There are deposits of fire-clay which have 
not as yet been developed. The total value of Kansas clay products is over $400,- 
000 a year, and over half of the value is in building brick, and about forty-five 
per cent. paving brick. 
HYDRAULIC CEMENTS. 
The ordinary limes will not set under water; and when they are exposed to. 
aqueous or water action, become disintegrated. It was early discovered that. 
certain limes would become hard even under water, and they were called 
hydraulic limes or hydraulic cements. Where the lime rock is burned directly 
into cement, the product is called natural cement; but where a mixture of lime- 
stone and clay or shale is used, the cement is called artificial or Portland, so 
named from its resemblance to the famous Portland stone of England, used in 
Westminster Abbey. The United States leads the world in natural-cement manu- 
facture. In Kansas we have a deposit of natural-cement rock equal to.the best: 
in this country. This is located near Fort Scott, where there are two companies, 
with two mills having a daily capacity of 850 barrels of cement. This cement is. 
held in high favor in Kansas City, and has a large market in all the surrounding 
states, and the Kansas demand is increasing. 
The impression among our contractors that Fort Scott cement is inferior to 
other brands of natural cement is not supported by tests or by experience. The 
strength of this cement after seven days has been shown to be greater than any 
other natural cement made in other states. 
For many kinds of work, the Portland cements are preferred to the natural. 
It has not been many years since all of this product was imported from England. 
and Germany; but now it is made at a number of places in this country. Im- 
ports of cement have been decreased thirty to fifty per cent. in the last three years ;. 
the capacity of American plants has doubled. 
The writer, three years ago, made a report of cement locations in Kansas for 
the Santa Fe industrial department, and recommended a location at Iola. Two 
years afterward the Portland Cement Company broke ground for one of the lar-. 
gest cement mills in this country, and on the 16th of last June the first cement was. 
made at this mill. Over 1000 cars of building material and machinery were 
brought in for the four large, fire-proof buildings. Gas is used a direct motive 
power in the largest gas-engines of the West. There are six 350-horse-power 
Westinghouse gas-engines, and three 150-horse-power, or a total of 2500 to 3000: 
horse- power. 
BUILDING STONE. 
Only two kinds of rock are quarried in Kansas for building stone—limestone- 
andsandstone. About one-half of the limestone of our country, according to value, 
is burned for lime, and even more is used for building and road material. The 
Kansas product is used mainly for the latter purposes. Most of the production 
comes from near the towns of Manhattan, Atchison, Leavenworth, Topeka,. 
Strong City, Cottonwood Falls, Marion, Augusta, Winfield, Arkansas City, and 
Fort Scott. The largest quarries in the state are at Strong City and Cottonwood 
Falls. Sandstone is found in all parts of the state in greater or less amount, but. 
the productive portions are in the southern and northwestern parts of the state.. 
