﻿632 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  wide 
  and 
  Y 
  to 
  9 
  feet 
  higli. 
  Roads 
  lead 
  up 
  to 
  tlie 
  separate 
  benches, 
  

   and 
  each 
  bench 
  is 
  worked 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  one. 
  

  

  Where 
  the 
  clay 
  has 
  streaks 
  of 
  quicksand 
  the 
  roads 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  

   planked. 
  If 
  the 
  bank 
  is 
  below 
  water 
  level 
  there 
  is 
  the 
  additional 
  

   expense 
  of 
  pumping. 
  This 
  method 
  is 
  of 
  importance 
  along 
  the 
  

   Hudson 
  river, 
  where 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  clay 
  banks 
  are 
  of 
  considerable 
  

   hight, 
  and 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  benches 
  often 
  prevents 
  a 
  slide 
  of 
  the 
  clay. 
  

  

  4 
  Steam 
  shovel. 
  Though 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  mining 
  has 
  been 
  suc- 
  

   cessfully 
  practised 
  at 
  many 
  western 
  localities, 
  the 
  only 
  place 
  in 
  this 
  

   state 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  tried 
  is 
  Croton 
  landing 
  in 
  the 
  Hudson 
  valley. 
  

   These 
  clays 
  do 
  not 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  stand 
  well 
  with 
  a 
  vertical 
  face, 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  

   result 
  the 
  bank 
  slid, 
  burying 
  the 
  shovel. 
  "Where 
  the 
  clay 
  bank 
  

   /contains 
  several 
  different 
  layers 
  of 
  clay, 
  which 
  are 
  mixed 
  together 
  

   for 
  making 
  brick, 
  the 
  steam 
  shovel 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  thing, 
  as 
  it 
  digs 
  from 
  

   bottom 
  to 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  bank 
  at 
  each 
  stroke. 
  Steam 
  shovels 
  are 
  an 
  

   economical 
  means 
  of 
  mining 
  soft 
  shale, 
  where 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  

   yard 
  warrants 
  it, 
  and 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  clay. 
  

  

  6 
  Dredging. 
  This 
  method 
  like 
  the 
  preceding 
  is 
  only 
  practised 
  at 
  

   Haverstraw 
  and 
  Croton 
  point. 
  The 
  dredged 
  clay 
  isi 
  dropped 
  into 
  

   hoppers, 
  which, 
  when 
  full, 
  are 
  run 
  up 
  inclined 
  planes 
  on 
  shore 
  and 
  

   dumped. 
  Cost 
  12-15c 
  a 
  thousand 
  delivered 
  on 
  shore; 
  then 
  12c 
  

   for 
  haulage 
  to 
  ring 
  pits. 
  

  

  6 
  Undermining. 
  Many 
  brick 
  manufacturers 
  use 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  

   mining 
  their 
  clay, 
  specially 
  when 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  tough. 
  Wedges 
  are 
  

   driven 
  in 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  surface, 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  two 
  from 
  the 
  edge; 
  at 
  the 
  

   same 
  time 
  the 
  face 
  is 
  undermined 
  by 
  picking, 
  to 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  2 
  

   or 
  3 
  feet. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  advisable 
  to 
  work 
  a 
  bank 
  more 
  than 
  20 
  feet 
  

   high 
  by 
  this 
  means, 
  and 
  in 
  almost 
  any 
  case 
  it 
  is 
  a, 
  rather 
  dangerous 
  

   method 
  to 
  employ. 
  

  

  7 
  Blasting 
  is 
  very 
  often 
  resorted 
  to 
  in 
  banks 
  of 
  tough 
  clay 
  and 
  

   always 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  a 
  shale 
  bank. 
  A 
  small 
  charge 
  of 
  dynamite 
  

   usually 
  suffices 
  to 
  bring 
  down 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  the 
  material. 
  

  

  8 
  Haulage. 
  The 
  brick 
  manufacturer 
  generally 
  establishes 
  his 
  

   plant 
  near 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  clay, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  haulage 
  distance 
  is 
  from 
  

  

  