218 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



least below this, as shown by borings. A sample from the 

 upper half of the bank showed the following composition: 



Silica 53.77 



Alumina 20 . 49 



Peroxide of iron 9 . 23 



Magnesia 4 . 22 



Lime 2.04 



Alkalies 9 60 



99.35 



The clay, which is said to improve with the depth, is worked 

 by undermining. It is then loaded on carts and hauled about 

 200 feet to a platform, underneath which cars are run to receive 

 the clay and sand. These cars in trains of three or four are 

 drawn to the yard by four horses, the grade being slightly 

 descending. Tempering is done in large rectangular soak pits, 

 and open yards are used for drying the brick, or it is done on 

 pallets. A small quantity of hematite is added to molding 

 sand. The bricks are burnt in scove kilns with wood. Most of 

 the product goes to Connecticut and Rhode Island. 



West Deer I^ark, Suffolk co. About a quarter of a mile 

 north of the station are the works of the Wyandance Brick and 

 Terra Cotta Co. In appearance their clay bank is unique, 

 for there is hardly another in this State which exhibits such a 

 variety of colors. Two openings have been made for getting the 

 clay. The main one shows a face about 12 feet high chiefly of 

 black clay, the lower portion of this latter having thin layers of 

 a grayish sand. Over the black is several feet of red and 

 yellow clay. The other opening lies to the south of the 

 first one, the clay being mottled, and shows various shades 

 of red and yellow. Scattered through it are lenticular streaks 

 of red and yellow sand. This second pit has a face about 

 20 feet high. In some places the stripping is 20 feet of 

 sand and gravel, while in others it is not over three feet. 

 A track is laid from clay shed to face of bank, the clay is 

 loaded on cars and drawn by horses to the foot of an incline, up 

 which it is drawn by cable into the clay shed and dumped. 



